The data collected are critical in conserving Alaska's vast marine resources. Each year, hundreds of men and women from across the country spend months at a time aboard commercial fishing vessels as observers. The job they do is strenuous and sea conditions can be extreme, but the work is adventurous and friendships made along the way are rewarding. Working independently alongside fishermen and women, observers collect data on species and quantities of fish caught, fish lengths, weights, sex, and sightings of marine mammals and sea birds. With over 60 species of fish and shellfish in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea, fisheries observers must be skilled in fish identification.
Observers use their training to apply a sampling regime that best fits their individual vessels.
Return to top of page. Record information on fishing effort, locations and catch rates. Estimate total catch. Sample to determine species composition of catch and bycatch. Monitor crew activities for fishing regulation compliance.