NOAA Fisheries to Redeploy Observers July 1; Mid-Atlantic Council Responds
NOAA Fisheries has announced plans to redeploy observers and at-sea monitors on vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits on July 1. NOAA Fisheries has been temporarily waiving observer coverage requirements since late March as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter released yesterday, Northeast Fisheries Science Center Director Dr. Jon Hare provided an update on preparations for the redeployment of observers. Learn more at the links below.
Mid-Atlantic Council Response
In a letter sent today to Dr. Hare and Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator Michael Pentony, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council expressed concern about the plan to redeploy observers on July 1. The letter urges NOAA Fisheries “to extend the observer coverage waiver until the number of active COVID-19 cases in the region has been substantially reduced and the number of new cases is steadily declining.” The letter notes that the close living quarters on most fishing vessels make social distancing virtually impossible and that the transient nature of observers could lead to transmission of the virus between vessels. “While losing additional observer data will be challenging from a science and management perspective, there are existing methods to compensate for missing data that can likely help bridge any data gaps,” the letter states. “However, there is no way to compensate for a lost life.” Read the full letter at the link below.
Source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
