Conducting Sea Trials
NOAA Fisheries has worked with fishermen in different fisheries to support over 30 electronic monitoring pilot projects over the past decade plus. But moving to a fleet-wide implementation - even a relatively simple system that only tracks discards – is not without its growing pains.
“Electronic monitoring is still in its infancy,” says Scanlon. “We don’t live in a perfect world and these aren’t perfect systems. We’ve got to deal with some realities.”
Those realities include complex hardware and software, varied boat sizes and designs, and the damage that can be done to electronics when exposed to saltwater and pounding waves. These are just some of the real-world challenges presented by the move from pilot projects to broader implementation.
But the biggest hurdle, as Scanlon sees it, is getting good pictures. Because bluefin are bycaught in the Atlantic pelagic longline fishery, fishermen are encouraged not to pull a fish onboard, but rather release it in the water where it has a better chance of survival.
“We’re trying to showcase the fish for the cameras,” explains Scanlon. “But at the same time, we don’t want to endanger either the crew or the fish.” Scanlon believes scientists may have a challenging time analyzing the footage from the cameras and getting the information they need about size, weight, species, and condition, especially for those fish released while still in the water. But doing so is critical to the success of video monitoring.
The next few months will be critical for the project. A lot of attention will be paid to what the camera system can and can’t do well. That knowledge will benefit the pelagic longline fleet, as well as others who are integrating these new technologies into fisheries across the United States.
“This isn’t the holy grail,” he says of the camera system. “But we’re working together toward a functional system that gives us some valuable information and accountability.