NOAA Fisheries marine mammal entanglement experts are hopeful that a humpback whale is free, after a successful operation to cut the anchor line it was stuck in Sunday afternoon near the mouth of Tracy Arm. The humpback had become entangled in the anchor line of the cruise vessel Wilderness Explorer early Sunday morning. During the […]
Beginning in 2018, Alaska fishermen, some of whom may not have the space on their vessel or life raft capacity for a NOAA Fisheries observer, will have the option to use an electronic monitoring (EM) system instead. NOAA Fisheries is integrating EM into the North Pacific Observer Program for the 2018 fishing year. An […]
NOAA Fisheries is proposing to integrate electronic monitoring (EM) into the North Pacific Observer Program. An EM system uses cameras and associated sensors to passively record and monitor fishing activities-work traditionally accomplished by a human fisheries observer. Observers are trained biologists who collect scientific information while aboard commercial fishing vessels. This information contributes to the […]
NOAA Fisheries provided notice of the immediate effect of regulations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). The commercial IFQ halibut season opens Saturday, March 11, 2017. At its annual meeting in January, the IPHC recommended to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 2017 totaling 31.4 million pounds, a 5 percent […]