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2015
Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology
Annual Discard Report with Observer Sea Day Allocation

by
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
NOAA Fisheries
166 Water Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543
and
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
NOAA Fisheries
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930

May 13, 2015

Introduction
The Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Omnibus Amendment was
implemented on 27 February 2008 (NMFS 2008, NEFMC 2007) and later vacated by the US
District Court for the District of Columbia and remanded back to National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) on 15 September 2011 due to a deficiency associated with the prioritization process, an
element of the amendment. On 29 December 2011, NMFS removed the regulations implementing
the SBRM (NMFS 2011). A revised SBRM Omnibus Amendment (NEFMC 2015), hereafter
referred to as the 2015 SBRM amendment, was approved on 13 March 2015 and a final rule is
pending.
The 2015 SBRM amendment requires an annual discard report utilizing information obtained from
the Northeast Fisheries Observer Program 1 (NEFOP) for 14 federally managed species and sea
turtles (Table 1). Specifically, the SBRM annual discard report requirements include: “…summaries
of the trips observed, fishing modes in the relevant time period, funding issues and other related issues
and developments, and projections of coverage across fisheries for upcoming time period. More
detailed information would be provided in tables and figures that addressed: The number of observer
trips and sea days scheduled that were accomplished for each fishing mode and quarter, as well as the
number of trips and sea days of industry activity; the kept weight from unobserved quarters and
statistical areas summarized by fishing mode; the amount kept and estimated discards of each species
by fishing mode; and the relationship between sample size and precision for relevant fishing modes.”
(NEFMC 2015, pages 237-238).
This document contains a compilation of the information to meet the 2015 SBRM annual discard
report requirements. For fish and invertebrate species groups, several of the required annual discard
report elements can be found in Wigley et al. 2015, along with a description of the data sources,
methods, results, and discussion. Similarly, for sea turtles, further information can be found in
Murray 2012, 2013, and in review. This document also presents the number of sea days needed to
monitor the 15 species groups, the funding available for observer coverage, and the numbers of sea
days allocated by fleet 2 (where a fleet represents gear type, access area, trip category, region, and
mesh group combinations) for the April 2015 through March 2016 period.

Summary of Observer Coverage
A total of 3,508 trips (10,800 days) was observed during the July 2013 through July 2014 time
period. When these trips were stratified by fleet and quarter, some trips were partitioned between
fleets resulting in 3,729 trips (11,335 days). See Tables 2 and 3 in Wigley et al. 2015 for a summary
of the number of observed trips and industry trips by fleet and calendar quarter and a summary of
the number of observed sea days and industry sea days by fleet and calendar quarter, respectively.
There were 56 fleets uniquely identified in the July 2013 through June 2014 data. Based upon the
industry activity during this time period, the Mid-Atlantic (MA) and New England (NE) twin trawl

Further information on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Northeast Fisheries Observer Program is available at
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/fsb/
2
Fleets are synonymous with “fishing modes”.

fleets (Rows 13 and 14, respectively) and the NE haddock separator trawl small mesh exempted
fleet (Row 56) were added to the collection of fleets analyzed.
A spatial and temporal analysis of the kept weight of all species from statistical areas and calendar
quarter was conducted. Over all fleets, 52% of kept weight of all species occurred in statistical areas
and calendar quarters that had observer coverage. For a summary of the percentage of kept weight
with observer coverage by fleet for the July 2013 through June 2014 time period, see Table 4 in
Wigley et al. 2015.

Summary of Discard Estimates
For fish/invertebrate species, the total catch, kept, and estimated discards (in live weight) and their
associated coefficient of variation (CV) were derived for fleets using data collected during the July
2013 through June 2014 time period (Wigley et al. 2015). Based upon that discard estimation
analysis, an estimated 64,795 mt (142,848,902 pounds) of federally regulated species were
discarded (Table 2). Fleet abbreviations used in this report are described in Appendix Table 1. See
Table 5A and 5B in Wigley et al. 2015 for summaries by fleet and SBRM species group and by
fleet and individual species that compose these 14 species groups, respectively.
The most recent average annual estimates of sea turtle interactions in U.S. Mid-Atlantic commercial
fisheries are listed in Table 3. Estimates are summarized by gear type, and estimates with associated
CVs allocated across managed fish species can be found in the references cited. The CVs around
the estimates allocated across managed fish species were used to estimate coverage needs in 2015,
per methods used in Murray (2012).

Summary of Sea Days Needed
For fish/invertebrate species groups, the number of sea days needed to achieve a 30% CV of total
discards for each species group was derived for 56 fleets by using data collected during July 2013
through June 2014 (Wigley et al. 2015). Based on that sample size analysis, a total of 11,204 sea
days is needed for the 14 fish and invertebrate species groups. Table 4 presents the number of sea
days needed for each of the 14 species groups, number of pilot coverage days, and number of
minimum pilot days. Total number of sea days needed for fish/invertebrate groups for each fleet is
also given in Table 5 (Step 1).
The use of pilot coverage in the sample size analysis may result in too much coverage in cases
where little or no observer coverage may actually be needed, when effort changed sharply between
years, or when the fleet effort comprises only a few trips. For example, there are 12 fleets for which
there were fewer than 3 Vessel Trip Report (VTR) trips per quarter for at least 1 quarter (Rows 10,
13-17, 22, 26, 30, 32, 40, and 43; Appendix Table 2). To allocate sea days based on pilot coverage
to these fleets for these quarters would result in coverage rates exceeding 100%. Additionally, there
are several fleets for which activity is greater than 3 VTR trips per quarter, but overall trip activity
is low (e.g., Rows 9, 12, 21, 31, 39, and 46; Appendix Table 2). To allocate sea days based on pilot
coverage to these fleets would result in coverage rates that generally exceed those derived from
observer data. For fleets with low quarterly trip activity, there are 2 scenarios: (1) fleets for which

significant activity occurs in other quarters (e.g., Rows 19, 30, and 43; Appendix Table 2); and (2)
fleets for which overall activity is low (e.g., Rows 9, 10, 12-17, 22, 26, 40, and 56; Appendix Table
2). In the first scenario, the use of pilot coverage is warranted for these fleets. In the second
scenario, pilot coverage is not warranted.
A refinement to the sample size analysis was developed in 2014 to address the potential for
excessive observer coverage created by using a pilot coverage policy for fleets with overall low
activity. Pilot coverage had been designed to provide the minimum number of trips sufficient to
compute the variance of discard estimates and subsequently the derivation of sea days needed. The
number of sea days per quarter could not be reduced further without omitting the fleet from the
sample size analysis. A standardized approach, similar to the 2 filters used in the importance filter
(Wigley et al. 2007), was employed to remove fleets with overall low trip activity. This approach
hereafter is referred to as the trip filter. In the trip filter, the percentage of VTR trips for a fleet was
derived by dividing the number of VTR trips in a fleet by the total number of VTR trips across all
fleets. The fleets were then ranked (smallest to largest) by the percentage of trips in a fleet and the
cumulative percentage for each fleet was then derived. A cut point of 1% was selected to remove
fleets that contained the lowest cumulative 1% of the total trips. Thus the trip filter excludes those
fleets, which in aggregate, constitute less than 1% of all commercial fishing activity. Fleets which
constitute the upper cumulative 99% of all trips remain in the analysis.
Before the trip filter was applied, trips associated with the MA shrimp trawl fleet (Row 19) were
partition into two groups: trips fishing in Pamlico Sound and trips fishing in ocean waters. This
partitioning was needed because the Southeast Region has mandatory observer coverage of the
southeastern shrimp fishery and allocates observer coverage to trips fishing in Pamlico Sound
(Scott-Denton 2012). Of the 405 trips in the MA Shrimp trawl fleet (Appendix Table 2, Row 19),
12 trips occurred in ocean waters. The total number of trips for the MA shrimp trawl fleet (Row 19)
was adjusted from 405 trips to 12 trips before the trip filter was applied. When the trip filter was
applied, 21 of the 56 fleets were removed (Rows 9, 10, 12-17, 19, 21, 22, 26, 31, 32, 39, 40, 46, 49,
50, 52, and 56; Appendix Table 2; Table 5, Step 2). For the remaining 35 fleets (28 agency-funded
and 7 industry-funded fleets), a total of 10,365 sea days is needed for the 14 fish/invertebrate
species groups (Table 5; Step 2). It is useful to note that the trip filter does not remove sea days
associated with fleets that have discards determined to be important. Implications of the trip filter
are discussed later.
For loggerhead turtles, the numbers of sea days needed to achieve a 30% CV of turtle discards were
estimated by fishery, defined as a managed fish or invertebrate species landed on vessels using
bottom otter trawl, sink gillnet, or scallop dredge gear in the Mid-Atlantic region (see Murray 2012,
and Murray 2013). The maximum amount of projected coverage across all the fisheries was
considered the desired level of sampling to monitor turtle discards for that gear type. Roughly 3,300
days are needed across bottom trawl fisheries (Murray in review, and sea day estimation methods in
Murray 2012), roughly 2,600 days are needed across sink gillnet fisheries (based on CVs in Murray
2013 and sea day estimation methods in Murray 2012), and approximately 1,300 days are needed in
the scallop dredge fishery, based on loggerhead bycatch precision levels after chain mats were
implemented in the fishery (Murray 2012). Estimates of sea day needs for turtles are revised when
new bycatch estimates are published for a particular gear type (approximately every 5 years).

Recent estimates of loggerhead interactions (i.e., “takes”) and coverage needs in the scallop dredge
fishery are currently being evaluated. Since May 2013, the use of turtle deflector dredges (TDDs)
with chain mats have been required on scallop dredges in times and areas where loggerheads are
known to be most common. These modifications are intended to reduce those interactions in which
animals are landed or observed from the deck, although other “unobservable” interactions may still
be occurring (i.e., those in which animals escape from the gear or come in contact with the gear but
are not captured and brought to the surface where they can be observed; Warden and Murray 2011).
Owing to the fairly recent implementation of TDDs and the possibility of large interannual
availability of turtles to scallop fishing areas, more time is needed to confirm the apparent
effectiveness of TDDs and chain mats in eliminating observable interactions. Therefore, in 2015
observers will continue to be used to monitor the dredge fleets for turtle interactions. However,
further work is being conducted to examine the utility of observers for monitoring turtle interactions
in these fleets, particularly if it becomes clear that all or most of the interactions are
“unobservable.” If additional filters are applied in future cases where turtle interactions are
successfully eliminated or become unobservable, coverage levels in the affected fleet will be driven
by other species groups.
Sea day requirements for non-loggerhead turtle species (i.e., greens, Kemp’s ridleys, and
leatherbacks) are not currently estimated because too few have been observed to estimate total
bycatch and CVs for these species (Murray 2012). Because observers document all protected
species interactions on trips, monitoring of other turtles species will still occur via days intended to
monitor fish or loggerheads.
The numbers of sea days needed to achieve a 30% CV associated with the Mid-Atlantic 3 turtle gear
types and fish/invertebrate fleets are given below and in Table 5, Steps 2 and 3.
Sea Days Needed
Turtle Gear Types and
Fish/Invertebrate Fleets
MA Otter Trawl, MA Scallop Trawl,
MA Ruhle Trawl, and MA Haddock
Separator Trawl
Rows 5, 6, 9-12, and 15
MA Gillnet
Rows 23-25
MA Scallop Dredge
Rows 31, 33, 35, and 37

Loggerhead Turtles

Fish/Invertebrate
Species Groups

3,309

1,323

2,593

147

1,293

304

In the sea turtle sample size analysis, Mid-Atlantic refers to areas fished west of 70oW. In the fish/invertebrate sample
size analysis, Mid-Atlantic refers to region based on port of departure from Connecticut and southward. Although it is
recognized that port of departure may differ from the area fished, an odds ratio analysis conducted to evaluate broadscale spatial coherence indicated a strong relationship between area fished (statistical area) and port of departure
(region). Based upon this analysis, the “Mid-Atlantic” stratifications used in the 2 analyses were considered similar.

The numbers of sea days needed for the combined fish/invertebrate and turtle species groups were
derived as followed:
•

If the sum of the sea days needed for fish/invertebrate species groups of the corresponding
fish/invertebrate fleets exceeded the sea days needed for the turtle gear type, then the sea
days needed for fish/invertebrate was used.

•

If the number of sea days needed for turtles for the gear type exceeded the sum of the sea
days needed for fish/invertebrate groups of the corresponding fish/invertebrate fleets, then
the sea days needed for turtles were distributed according to the proportion of VTR sea
days 4 corresponding to fish/invertebrate fleets (Table 5; Steps 4a - 4c). The number of VTR
sea days by fleet is taken from Table 3 in Wigley et al. 2015 and reflects industry activity
during the July 2013 through June 2014 time period.

A total of 15,786 sea days is needed for fish/invertebrates and loggerhead turtles (COMBINED;
Table 5; Step 5) during the April 2015 through March 2016 period. Of the 15,786 sea days, 13,630
sea days are needed for agency-funded fleets and 2,156 sea days are needed for industry-funded
fleets (Table 5, Step 6).
Summary of Funding available for the April 2015 through March 2016 period
The funds available to the NEFSC’s Northeast Fisheries Sampling Branch in fiscal year (FY) 2015
are estimated to provide support for 9,415 days and 1,850 days are carried over (i.e., bought ahead)
from FY2014 funds for a total of 11,265 (9,415 + 1,850) days for the April 2015 through March
2016 time period. Based upon an observer set-aside compensation rate analysis for the Industry
Funded Scallop program, there is industry funding for 2,512 days. Hence, 13,777 (11,265 + 2,512)
days are available for observer coverage during April 2015 through March 2016.
Below is a summary of the 2 funding source categories: agency-funded and industry-funded. Within
the agency-funded category, there are 6 sub-categories: Atlantic Coast, National Catch Share
Program, National Observer Program, Northeast Fisheries Observers, Marine Mammal Protection
Act, and Reducing Bycatch.
•

Agency-funded: The funding sources for the 11,265 agency-funded sea days include:
Atlantic Coast (1,152 days), Northeast Fisheries Observers (3,827 days), National Observer
Program (2,310 days and 1,465 days), Reducing Bycatch (73 days), and 650
carryover/bought ahead days collectively fund the sea days for prioritization (9,477 days;
Table 5, Step 7); National Catch Share Program funds support the infrastructure (data
processing and training) and the FY2014 National Observer Program funding (remaining in
At-Sea Monitoring [ASM] contracts) collectively fund the sea days for At-Sea Monitoring
(1,100 days; Table 5, Step 7); and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 588 days) and

The use of VTR sea days represents a refinement to the sea day allocation methods used in 2012, 2013, 2014, and
those described in the 2015 SBRM Omnibus Amendment. This refinement results in the sea days needed to monitor
turtles to be distributed among fish/invertebrate fleets based on industry activity. Additionally, this refinement preserves
the number of TURS days within each turtle gear type group. These two features were not present in the previous
method in which the numbers of day needed for fish/invertebrates were used.

FY14 carryover/bought ahead (100 days) collectively fund the sea days to monitor protected
species (688 days; Table 5, Step 7).
o 688 agency-funded days are applicable to protected species 5 only.
The 688 MMPA days are associated with trips having sampling protocols that are
specific to protected species (marine mammals, sea turtles, Endangered Species Act
[ESA] listed fish species) and are not applicable for non-ESA listed fish and
invertebrates. Owing to the extra demands of monitoring protected species,
information on finfish and shellfish is not collected on these trips. However, these
days will provide observer coverage for sea turtles and ESA-listed fish species above
that which is allocated.
o 10,577 (11,265 - 688) agency-funded days are applicable for all species.


9,477 days are subject to the prioritization process across all fleets. The
prioritization approach is described in the next section and given in Table 6.



1,100 days are associated with At-Sea Monitoring and have been provisionally
allocated among fleets associated with New England groundfish based on
previous year industry activity. Actual allocation will be based on industry
activity during April 2015 through March 2016.



No sea days have been set aside to support the training of new observers or as
discovery days to address emerging questions of scientific and management
interest as the year progresses.

o Projected costs (i.e., an estimated rate that includes fixed and variable costs for
operations, training, and data processing infrastructure and at-sea costs based on
realized cost in FY14): $1227 for NEFOP days ($712 for the costs associated with the
sea days and $515) and $1241 for ASM days ($711 for the sea day portion and $530
from the infrastructure).
•

Industry-funded: The number of industry-funded sea days available for scallop fleets is
determined by taking 1 percent of the total acceptable biological catch/annual catch limit set
for the year. The Industry Funded Scallop (IFS) program allows the vessels an increase in
landings to help defray the costs of carrying an observer (i.e., the compensation rate). The
sale of the additional scallops allocated to each boat supplies the funding for the at-sea costs
of observer coverage. Based upon projected landings and expected prices, the IFS program
generates funds in support of discard monitoring of the scallop fleets. A compensation rate
analysis was undertaken to support observer coverage of the 12 industry-funded scallop fleets
(Rows 9-12 and 31-38; Table 5).

In this document, protected species refers to marine mammals, sea turtles, and ESA-listed fish.

o Based upon the compensation rate analysis, a total of 2,512 sea days can be funded:
1,346 days for Open areas, 1,149 days for Mid-Atlantic Access Areas, 10 days for
Closed Area II (CAII), and 7 days in the Nantucket Lightship Access Area (NLAA).


The industry-funded schedule runs March through February, a 12-month
period that is shifted 1 month from the NEFOP sea day schedule of April to
March.



Bulletins describing the 2015 set-aside compensation rate calculations and
scallop management measures are available at:
http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/nr/2015/April/15scalobsercomrat
ephl.pdf
http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/nr/2015/February/15scalfy2015
measuresphl.pdf

o Of the 1,346 days for the Open areas, there are 193 days for Limited Access General
Category fleets (Rows 11, 35, and 36; Table 7) and 1,153 days for Limited Access fleets
(Rows 12, 37, and 38; Table 7).
o Coverage of the 12 fleets depends on industry activity among these fleets during April
2015 through March 2016; the sea days represent the maximum coverage (i.e., caps).
o Projected costs: the cost to industry for at-sea portion is $675/day for industry-funded
fleets. Additional agency funds are needed for training and certification of observers
and data processing.
Below is a summary of sea days based on the agency budget and the compensation rate analysis, by
funding source for April 2015 through March 2016.
Funding Source
Agency-funded Total
Agency-funded applicable to all species (prioritized days)
Agency-funded applicable to all species (non-prioritized days)
Agency-funded applicable to protected species only (non-prioritized days)
Industry-funded Total applicable to all species
Total

Sea Days
11,265
9,477
1,100
688
2,512
13,777

Prioritization Trigger and Details of the Allocation of Sea Days to Fleets
Within the agency-funded fleets and prioritization-applicable funding, a funding shortfall of 4,153
(13,630 – 9,477) days is expected (Table 5). The 2015 funding shortfall triggers the SBRM
prioritization approach; the prioritization approach is utilized with a portion of the agency funds.

The following describes the steps taken to allocate the 13,777 funded sea days to 41 fleets (Tables
5, 6, and 7).
Step 1. Derive the number of sea days needed for the 14 fish/invertebrate species groups (see
Wigley et al. 2015, same method as Wigley et al. 2014; Table 5).
Step 2. Apply the trip filter and remove sea days from fleets that comprise 1% or less of the
cumulative percentage of trips across all fleets. A total of 10,365 days is needed across 35
fleets (28 agency-funded fleets and 7 industry-funded fleets; Table 5).
Step 3. Derive the number of sea days needed for sea turtles (see Murray 2012, 2013, in review;
Table 5).
Step 4. To support the penultimate prioritization approach, derive the number of sea days needed
for loggerhead turtles for each of the fish/invertebrate fleets associated with the turtle gear
type group (Table 5).
a. Summarize the number of VTR sea days corresponding to each fish/invertebrate
fleet (see Table 3 in Wigley et al. 2015). The VTR sea days are zero for the
fish/invertebrate fleets that have been filtered out via the trip filter.
b. Derive the percentage of VTR sea days for each fish/invertebrate fleet within a turtle
gear type group. For each fish/invertebrate fleet associated with a turtle gear type,
divide the VTR sea days by the sum of the VTR sea days for the gear type group.
c. Derive the number of sea days needed for loggerhead turtles by fish/invertebrate
fleet. Multiply the number of turtle sea days needed for the gear type by the
percentage of VTR sea days for each fish/invertebrate fleet within the turtle gear
type group.
Step 5. Derive the number of sea days needed for fish/invertebrates and turtles COMBINED; select
the largest of the 2 sea days (i.e., sea days needed for the 14 fish/invertebrate species groups
with the trip filter applied [Step 2] and sea days needed for loggerhead turtles [Step 4c])
within the fleet.
A total of 15,786 days is needed to achieve a 30% CV on the discards of the 15 species
groups in 2015; Table 5).
Step 6. Partition fleets into funding source categories and sum the number of sea days needed, by
funding source.
There were 13,630 days and 2,156 days needed to achieve a 30% CV for the 15 species
groups for agency-funded and industry-funded fleets, respectively (Table 5).
Step 7. Obtain funded sea days, by funding source category. For agency-funded sea days, calculate
the number of sea days applicable to the prioritization process (prioritized versus nonprioritized days).

There are 9,477 agency-funded days applicable to the prioritization process (Table 5).
Step 8. Evaluate needed sea days versus funded sea days for each funding category and calculate
shortfall or surplus sea days associated with the prioritization process.
A shortfall of 4,153 days is expected for agency-funded fleets (Table 5).
Step 9. Apply the penultimate approach algorithm to allocate sea days to fleets for agency-funded
days that are applicable to prioritization process.
As described in the 2015 SBRM Amendment, the number of agency-funded sea days
applicable to the prioritization process is assigned to each fleet (fishing mode) after
sequentially removing the sea days needed for the species group/fleet with the highest sea
day difference between adjacent species groups within a fleet until the sea day shortfall is
removed.
The following describes the steps taken to assign the agency-funded sea days applicable to
the prioritization process using the penultimate approach (Table 6).
Step 9.1. For each agency-funded fleet where sea days are needed, list the sea days needed
for the 15 species groups (fish/invertebrates and loggerhead turtles) in descending
order within a fleet (Table 6). Use the minimum pilot days (Table 4) as the
minimum sea days needed for fleets that are not filtered out via the trip filter.
Step 9.2. Calculate the differences in sea days between adjacent species groups within each
agency-funded fleet (Table 6).
Step 9.3. Within the resulting matrix of sea day differences (Step 9.2), identify the largest
difference and remove the sea days associated with the species group accounting
for this difference (Table 6).
Repeat this process for the next largest difference, with the constraint that the
differences are taken in penultimate order (from left to right in the matrix) within
a fleet, until the cumulative reduction of sea days equals the sea day shortfall
(Step 8). If the reduction in sea days using the next largest (penultimate) value is
greater than the shortfall, reduce the number of sea days only enough to remove
the shortfall.
The 2015 sea day shortfall is 4,153 days. The 4,647 days (red deepsea crab
[RCRAB] in Row 8; Tables 4 and 6) associated with the largest sea day difference
(3,916 days) between adjacent species groups is removed first (Table 6). The
penultimate value in Row 8 is associated with Fluke-scup-black sea bass (731
days; Tables 4 and 6). The 1,577 days (loggerhead turtle [TURS] in Row 5;
Tables 5 and 6) are associated with the next largest sea day difference (1,021
days) between adjacent species groups. Removing 1,577 days associated with
TURS would remove more sea days than needed to reach the shortfall amount of

4,153 days (Table 6). Thus, only 237 of the 1,021 sea day difference between
adjacent species groups (1,577 days for TURS and 566 days for squid-butterfishmackerel [SBM]) are needed (Table 6). The penultimate value for Row 5
becomes 1,340 (1,577 – 237) days for TURS.
Step 9.4. After the removal of sea days within a fleet (Step 9.3), the remaining highest sea
days (i.e., the penultimate or the left-hand-most value in Step 9.1) becomes the
“PRIORITIZED” sea days required for that fleet.
The 9,477 prioritized sea days provide observer coverage to all 28 agency-funded
fleets. There are 26 fleets for which no reduction in sea days occurred and there
are 2 fleets (Rows 5 and 8) for which the numbers of sea days allocated are less
than the days needed to achieve a 30% CV. The prioritized sea days for Row 5
become 1,340 days and the prioritized sea days for Row 8 become 731 days
(Table 6). For Row 5, all fish/invertebrate species groups have an expected CV of
30% or less; however, the CV for TURS in the MA otter trawl gear type group is
expected to exceed 30%. For Row 8, the CV for the RCRAB species group is
expected to exceed 30% while all other species groups within this fleet have an
expected CV of 30% or less.
Step 9.5. Identify fleets that cannot be covered by NEFOP this year.
In 2015, there are no practical limitations that prevent the NEFOP from covering
these fleets. The sea days in Step 9.5 equal the sea days in Step 9.4 (Table 7).
Step 10. Allocate agency-funded non-prioritized sea days: ASM and MMPA days.
There are 1,788 agency-funded days that are not applicable to the prioritization process
(non-prioritized days: 1,100 ASM days and 688 MMPA days; Table 7).
The 1,100 ASM sea days will be assigned to trips via the Pre-Trip Notification System
(PTNS; Palmer et al. 2013). This means that the observer coverage within each of these
fleets will depend upon industry activity during the April 2015 through March 2016 period.
The ASM sea days have been proportionally allocated based on previous year industry
activity, and thus the allocation presented in this report should be considered provisional
(Table 7).
The 688 MMPA sea days, all assumed to have limited sampling protocols, are allocated to a
row designated as “MMPA coverage” and will be associated with the NE and MA gillnet
fleets (Rows 23-28; Table 7).
Step 11. Allocate industry-funded days. The sea days for the industry-funded fleets are assigned to
trips via the call-in system 6. Similar to the ASM non-prioritized sea days, the sea day

For more information on the call-in system for the industry-funded scallop program, see
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/fsb/scallop/Industry_Scallop_Call_in_Guide.pdf

coverage for industry-funded fleets will depend on industry activity during the April 2015
through March 2016 period and will be capped as described above. The 2,512 industryfunded sea days have not been allocated to individual fish/invertebrate fleets, but rather to
groups of fish/invertebrate fleets that correspond to the stratification used in compensation
rate analysis: Mid-Atlantic access area fleets (Rows 9, 10, 31, and 33; Table 7); Open areas
fleets (Rows 11, 35 and 36 for Limited Access General Category fleets and Rows 12, 37,
and 38 for Limited Access; Table 7); and New England access area fleets (Rows 32 and 34;
Table 7). The allocated sea days represent the maximum coverage (i.e., caps).
Industry-funded sea days are expected to meet or exceed the SBRM required sea days for
each fleet group corresponding to the stratification used in the compensation rate analysis
except for New England access areas (Table 7). The 2015 sea day analyses estimated a total
of 121 days needed for the New England access areas (Rows 32 and 34) for the upcoming
year based on the July 2013 through June 2014 data; however, the New England access
areas are closed for 2015 and fishing activity will not be allowed in these access areas after
April 2015. Hence only a portion of the 121 days will be required for this group to cover
2014 compensation fishing trips. It was estimated that a total of 17 days would provide
sufficient coverage between the beginning of the sea day schedule (April 2015) and the
implementation of the 2015 scallop regulations.
Step 12. The sea days allocated for the April 2015 – March 2016 (TOTAL) is the sum of the
prioritized days (Step 9.5), non-prioritized days (Step 10), and industry-funded days (Step
11). A total of 13,777 days is allocated across 41 fleets (Table 7).
The agency-funded fleets with an * or ** (Table 7) indicate that some or all of the observer
coverage will be assigned via the PTNS or the scallop call-in program. This means that some
or all of the observer coverage within each of these fleets will depend upon industry activity
during the April 2015 through March 2016 period. The sea days for agency-funded fleets
have been proportionally allocated based on previous year industry activity, and thus should
be considered provisional. All other fleets will have sea days assigned to trips via the NEFOP
sea day schedule.

Discussion
Although the trip filter removes the fleets with overall low activity from the sample size analysis,
some of these fleets may have observer coverage assigned via the PTNS or the call-in program. For
example, 5 of the 21 fleets that are removed by the trip filter are scallop fleets (Rows 9, 10, 12, 31,
and 32) that have a call-in program such that coverage could be assigned based on industry activity.
Similarly, those fleets associated with groundfish (e.g., Row 17) could be assigned observer
coverage via the PTNS, depending upon industry activity. Because the sea days needed for these
fleets have been excluded, the needed sea days may be slightly underestimated. However, it is
important to note that these fleets have very low trip activity and the activity is expected to remain
low. As a practical matter, fleets with low trip activity within a quarter or overall are very difficult
to “find” unless they are part of PTNS or a call-in program. Attempts to assign observers can be
inefficient since the probability of randomly finding such trips at a specific port or time period will
be very low. Such fleets fall below practical detection limits.

The sample size analysis conducted by Wigley et al. (2015) derived the expected precision (CV) of
the discard estimates for various species groups over a range of sample sizes for each of the species
groups that were not filtered out by the importance filter (see Table 7 and Figure 3 in Wigley et al.
2015). Deriving the expected CV assumes the variance of the discard estimate is constant over a
range of sample sizes (number of trips). For fish/invertebrates, the following example illustrates
that although the sea days needed may be greater than the total allocated sea days, this does not
imply that the expected precision for all fish/invertebrate species groups will exceed 30% CV. In
the NE large mesh otter trawl fleet, a total of 1,390 days (Table 7, Step 12, Row 8) has been
allocated for which 4,647 days (Table 7, Step 5, Row 8) are needed for a 30% CV for the 14
fish/invertebrate species groups. The expected CV for RCRAB is approximately 59% and all other
fish/invertebrate species groups have an expected CV of 30% or less with 1,390 days allocated to
this fleet (Figure 1). For loggerhead turtles, 3,309 days are needed in Mid-Atlantic otter trawl fleets
for a 30% CV. With 2,977 days allocated to Mid-Atlantic otter trawl fleets (Table 7, Step 12, Rows
5 and 6), the expected CV increases to roughly 32% (Figure 2). As IFS days will provide additional
coverage for turtles in MA scallop trawl fleets, the expected CV may be slightly lower.
The NY Department of Environmental Conservation has secured funding through the Atlantic
Coast Cooperative Statistical Program (ACCSP) to support observer coverage (approximately 880
days) for otter trawl, gillnet, and pot/trap fleets in the Mid-Atlantic region. These sea days will
provide observer coverage for all species above that allocated in this report.

References
Murray KT In review. The importance of place and operational fishing factors in estimating and
reducing loggerhead (Caretta caretta) interactions in U.S. bottom trawl gear. Fish. Res.
Murray KT. 2013. Estimated Loggerhead and Unidentified Hard-shelled Turtle Interactions in MidAtlantic Gillnet Gear, 2007-2011. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-NE-225. 20 p. Available
online at: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/tm/tm225/
Murray KT. 2012. Estimating observer sea day requirements in the Mid-Atlantic region to monitor
loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) interactions. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci
Cent Ref Doc 12-26; 10 p. Available online at:
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd1226/
Murray KT. 2011. Interactions between sea turtles and dredge gear in the U.S. sea scallop
(Placopecten magellanicus) fishery, 2001-2008. Fish. Res. 107:137-146.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2011. Fisheries of the Northeastern United States;
Removal of Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Regulations. Federal Register,
Vol. 76, No. 250, Thursday, December 29, 2011. p. 81844 – 81850.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-12-29/pdf/2011-33302.pdf

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2008. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Region
Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Omnibus Amendment. Federal Register, Vol.
73, No. 18, Monday, January 28, 2008. p. 4736-4758. Available on-line at:
https://federalregister.gov/a/E8-1436
New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
and National Marine Fisheries Service. 2015. Standardized Bycatch Reporting
Methodology: An Omnibus Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans of the New
England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. November 2014. 348 p.
Available on-line at:
http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/regs/2015/January/15SBRMOmnibusPR.html
New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
and National Marine Fisheries Service. 2007. Northeast Region Standardized Bycatch
Reporting Methodology: An Omnibus Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans of the
New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. June 2007. 642 p. Available
on-line at: http://www.nefmc.org/issues/sbrm/index.html
Palmer MC, Hersey P, Marotta H, Shield G, Cierpich, SB. 2013. The design, implementation and
performance of an observer pre-trip notification system (PTNS) for the northeast United
States groundfish fishery. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 82 p.
Available online at: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd1321/
Scott-Denton E, Cryer PF, Duffy MR, Gocke JP, Harrelson MR, Kinsella DL, Nance JM, Pulver
JR, Smith RC, Williams JA. 2012. Characterization of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and South
Atlantic penaeid and rock shrimp fisheries based on observer data. Marine Fisheries
Review, 74(4): 1-27. Available at: http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr744/mfr744.html
Warden ML, Murray KT. 2011. Reframing protected species interactions in commercial fishing
gear: moving toward estimating the unobservable. Fish. Res.110: 387-390.
Wigley SE, Blaylock J, Rago PJ, Shield G. 2014 discard estimation, precision, and sample size
analyses for 14 federally managed species in the waters off the northeastern United States.
US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 157 p. Available online at:
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd1405/
Wigley SE, Rago PJ, Sosebee KA, Palka DL. 2007. The Analytic Component to the Standardized
Bycatch Reporting Methodology Omnibus Amendment: Sampling Design, and Estimation
of Precision and Accuracy (2nd Edition). US Dep. Commer., Northeast Fish. Sci. Cent. Ref.
Doc. 07-09; 156 p. Available online at:
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd0709/
Wigley SE, Tholke C, Blaylock J, Rago PJ, Shield G. 2015. 2015 discard estimation, precision, and
sample size analyses for 14 federally managed species in the waters off the northeastern
United States. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 15-04; 162 p. Available
online at: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd1504/

Table 1. A list of the 14 fish and invertebrate species groups and 1 species of sea turtles (in bold), with
species group abbreviations in parentheses and scientific names in italics, and the species that compose
these groups, corresponding to the 13 federal fishery management plans implements in the waters off the
northeastern United States.
ATLANTIC SALMON (SAL)
BLUEFISH (BLUE)
FLUKE - SCUP - BLACK SEA BASS (FSB)
Black sea bass
Fluke
Scup
HERRING, ATLANTIC (HERR)
LARGE MESH GROUNDFISH (GFL)
American plaice
Atlantic cod
Atlantic halibut
Atlantic wolffish
Haddock
Ocean pout
Pollock
Redfish
White hake
Windowpane flounder
Winter flounder
Witch flounder
Yellowtail flounder
MONKFISH (MONK)
RED DEEPSEA CRAB (RCRAB) 7
SEA SCALLOP (SCAL)
SKATE COMPLEX (SKATE) 8
Barndoor skate
Clearnose skate
Little skate
Rosette skate
Smooth skate
Thorny skate
Winter skate
SMALL MESH GROUNDFISH (GFS)
Offshore hake
Red hake
Silver hake
SPINY DOGFISH (DOG)
SQUID 9 - BUTTERFISH - MACKEREL (SBM)
Atlantic mackerel
Butterfish
Northern shortfin squid
Longfin inshore squid
SURFCLAM - OCEAN QUAHOG (SCOQ)
Surfclam
Ocean quahog
TILEFISH (TILE)
LOGGERHEAD TURTLE (TURS)

Salmo salar
Pomatomus saltatrix
Centropristis striata
Paralichthys dentatus
Stenotomus chrysops
Clupea harengus
Hippoglossoides platessoides
Gadus morhua
Hippoglossus hippoglossus
Anarhichas lupus
Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Zoarces americanus
Pollachius virens
Sebastes fasciatus
Urophycis tenuis
Scophthalmus aquosus
Pseudopleuronectes americanus
Glyptocephalus cynoglossus
Limanda ferruginea
Lophius americanus
Chaceon quinquedens
Placopecten magellanicus
Rajidae
Dipturus laevis
Raja eglanteria
Leucoraja erinacea
Leucoraja garmani
Malacoraja senta
Amblyraja radiata
Leucoraja ocellata
Merluccius albidus
Urophycis chuss
Merluccius bilinearis
Squalus acanthias
Scomber scombrus
Peprilus triacanthus
Illex illecebrosus
Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii
Spisula solidissima
Artica islandica
Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps
Caretta caretta

Red deepsea crab was referred to as red crab in previous documents.
Skate complex comprises 7 species as well as skate, unknown.
9
Squid, unclassified is included in this species group. In this document, longfin inshore squid is referred to as
longfin squid. Longfin inshore squid and northern shortfin squid are also known as Loligo squid and Illex squid,
respectively.
8

Table 2. Total catch (live lb), Vessel Trip Report landings (kept; live lb), estimated discards (live lb), associated coefficient of variation (CV), and
standard error of the estimated discards (SE; live lb) for 14 SBRM species groups combined, by fleet, based on July 2013 through June 2014 data. Dark
shading indicates fleets not considered or with no Northeast Fisheries Observer Program trips in the annual analysis. These CVs were not used in the
annual sample size analysis. Blank CV indicates either no discards or discards equals 0. "P" indicates fleets with "pilot" designation.
Taken from Table 5C in Wigley et al. 2015.
Species: 14 SBRM SPECIES GROUPS COMBINED
Fleet
Row

Gear Type

Access
Area

Trip
Region
Category

Mesh
Group

Total

Kept

Longline

OPEN

all

1,711,479

Discarded

Longline

OPEN

all

1,490,357

1,298,479

Hand Line

OPEN

all

296,320

Hand Line

OPEN

all

1,177,906

936,874

Pilot
P

191,878

0.348

66,722

241,032

0.496

119,447

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

47,393,001

31,649,299

15,743,702

0.099

1,555,892

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

36,769,493

13,561,150

23,208,344

0.111

2,573,438

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

61,106,617

54,835,765

6,270,852

0.135

848,933

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

105,280,035

57,234,642

48,045,393

0.069

3,338,657

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

GEN

all

1,966,509

996,246

970,264

0.174

168,466

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

LIM

all

658,754

Otter Trawl, Twin

OPEN

all

1,260,016

1,148,765

111,251

0.000

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

1,103,933

902,390

201,543

0.035

7,072

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

119,838

72,306

47,532

0.000

719,501

0.189

135,902

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

3,132,468

2,412,967

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

8,386

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

369,649

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

18,352

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

1,384,925

1,352,331

32,594

1.830

59,639

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

4,173,630

3,912,719

260,911

0.500

130,431

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

7,708,472

6,823,553

884,919

0.196

173,070

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

376

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

11,628,459

7,956,540

3,671,919

0.077

281,674

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

17,943,981

15,175,147

2,768,834

0.080

221,403

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

48,513,940

48,499,422

14,518

0.512

7,439

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

375,290

360,682

14,608

0.559

8,164

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

468,359

449,517

18,842

0.560

10,545

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

17,830,225

15,570,539

2,259,686

0.246

556,073

Table 2, continued. Total catch (live lb), Vessel Trip Report landings (kept; live lb), estimated discards (live lb), associated coefficient of variation (CV),
and standard error of the estimated discards (SE; live lb) for 14 SBRM species groups combined, by fleet, based on July 2013 through June 2014 data.
Dark shading indicates fleets not considered or with no Northeast Fisheries Observer Program trips in the annual analysis. These CVs were not used in
the annual sample size analysis. Blank CV indicates either no discards or discards equals 0. "P" indicates fleets with "pilot" designation.
Taken from Table 5C in Wigley et al. 2015.
Species: 14 SBRM SPECIES GROUPS COMBINED
Fleet
Row

Gear Type

Access
Area

Trip
Region
Category

Mesh
Group

Total

Kept

Discarded

Pilot

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

34,703,924

31,504,235

3,199,689

0.135

432,822

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

11,935,749

9,888,426

2,047,323

0.099

203,326

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

9,881,711

8,982,229

899,483

0.122

110,096

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

60,751,142

55,320,621

5,430,521

0.081

439,652

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

192,744,890

167,907,405

24,837,485

0.059

1,457,709

Danish Seine

OPEN

all

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl OPEN

all

3,172,468

3,163,000

9,468

0.000

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl OPEN

all

148,097,047

148,023,920

73,127

0.403

29,474

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

478,506

366,848

111,657

0.215

23,975

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

319,991

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

5,475

3,346

2,129

0.145

309

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

42,794

0.000

Pots and Traps, Hagfish

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

272,646

140,018

132,628

0.169

22,401

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

342,744

25,205

317,539

0.990

314,458

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

176,310

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

2,202,976

2,201,739

1,237

0.000

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

675,527

Dredge, Other

OPEN

all

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

256,367,297

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

215,812,072

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

267,724

202,022

271,892

Confidential fleets
Other fleets
TOTAL

2,284,907

1,314,698,562

1,171,849,660

P
P

P
65,702

0.044

2,911

142,848,902

0.034

4,911,669

Table 3. The most recent average annual estimates of sea turtle interactions and their associated coefficient of variation (CV) in U.S. Mid-Atlantic
commercial fisheries.

Fishery
Bottom trawl, for fish and scallops
Sea Scallop Dredge
Sea Scallop Dredge
Sink Gillnet
Sink Gillnet

Estimate
231
95
125
89
95

CV
0.13
0.18
0.15
0.26
0.21

Years Included
01 Jan 2009-2013
26 Sep 2006-2008
26 Sep 2006-2008
01 Jan 2007-2001
01 Jan 2007-2011

Species
Loggerhead
Loggerhead
Hard-shelled
Loggerhead
Hard-shelled

Reference
Murray (in review)
Murray 2011
Murray 2011
Murray 2013
Murray 2013

Table 4. The number of sea days needed to achieve a 30% coefficient of variation of the discard estimate for each of the 14 fish and invertebrate species
groups, the number of pilot sea days, the number of minimum pilot sea days, and the maximum number of sea days needed for each fleet (2015 Sea Days
Needed) for fish and invertebrate species groups based on July 2013 through June 2014 data. Bold red font indicates basis for fleet sea days. “P” indicates
fleets with “pilot” designation. Species group abbreviations are given in Table 1. Taken from Table 6 in Wigley et al. 2015.
Fleet
Gear Type

Access
Area

Row
1 Longline

Trip
Category

Region

Mesh
Group BLUE

HERR

SAL

RCRAB

SCAL

SBM

MONK

GFL

GFS

SKATE

DOG

FSB

SCOQ

Pilot
Days
85
85

TILE

2015
Sea
Days
Needed Pilot

Min
Pilot
Days

OPEN

all

Longline

OPEN

all

Hand Line

OPEN

all

Hand Line

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

556

336

531

294

402

493

176

556

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

744

220

210

183

744

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

0 1,311

313

460

571

720

186

1,311

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

0 4,647

228

349

231

316

192

731

376

4,647

Scallop Trawl

GEN

all

10 Scallop Trawl

LIM

all

6
42

11 Scallop Trawl

OPEN

GEN

all

12 Scallop Trawl

OPEN

LIM

all

OPEN

all

14 Otter Trawl, Twin

OPEN

all

15 Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

16 Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

17 Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

72
60
85
27
48
68

13 Otter Trawl, Twin

18 Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

302

19 Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

OPEN

all

21 Floating Trap

OPEN

all

22 Floating Trap

OPEN

all

65
9
9
21

20 Shrimp Trawl

23 Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

24 Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

12
13

25 Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

122

26 Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

27 Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

108

103

28 Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

152

103
240

240

29 Purse Seine

OPEN

all

30 Purse Seine

OPEN

all

31 Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

32 Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

33 Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

153

34 Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

121

35 Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

121
28

36 Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

37 Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

123

118

105

123

38 Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

176

155

630

207

216

113

630

39 Danish Seine

OPEN

all

40 Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl OPEN

all

6
32

41 Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl OPEN

all

Table 4 continued. The number of sea days needed to achieve a 30% coefficient of variation of the discard estimate for each of the 14 fish and invertebrate
species groups, the number of pilot sea days, the number of minimum pilot sea days, and the maximum number of sea days needed for each fleet (2015 Sea
Days Needed) for fish and invertebrate species groups based on July 2013 through June 2014 data. Bold red font indicates basis for fleet sea days. “P”
indicates fleets with “pilot” designation. Species group abbreviations are given in Table 1. Taken from Table 6 in Wigley et al. 2015.
Fleet
Gear Type

OPEN

all

43 Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

44 Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

45 Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

46 Pots and Traps, Hagfish

OPEN

all

47 Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

Pilot
Days
22
42
28
22
83
47

48 Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

572

49 Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

50 Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

51 Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

52 Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

53 Dredge, Other

OPEN

all

54 Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

55 Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

56 Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

Access
Area

Row
42 Pots and Traps, Fish

Trip
Category

Region

Mesh
Group BLUE

HERR

SAL

RCRAB

SCAL

SBM

MONK

GFL

GFS

SKATE

DOG

FSB

SCOQ

TILE

2015
Sea
Days
Needed Pilot

Min
Pilot
Days
13

447

572

29
83
35
11
11
75
65

Totals 1,300 1,300 1,300 5,947 1,300 3,167 3,063 3,145 3,152 2,356 3,330 3,661 1,300 1,300 3,998

25
25
1,987 11,204

Table 5. The number of sea days needed to monitor fish/invertebrates (FISH), loggerhead turtles (TURS), combined
species groups (COMBINED) by fleet (Steps 1 through 6), and the number of funded sea days for April 2015 through
March 2016 (Step 7) and the differences between needed and funded days (Step 8).
Fleet

Step 1

2015 Sea
2015 Sea Days Needed
Days Needed
FISH
FISH
FILTERED

Step 3

Step 4a

2015
Sea Days
Needed for
TURS

Vessel Trip
Report Sea
Days

Step 4b

Step 4c

Step 5

2015
% Vessel TURS Sea Sea Days
Trip Report Days by
Needed
Sea Days FISH fleet COMBINED

Access Area Trip Cat.

Region Mesh

Longline

OPEN

all

1,303

Longline

OPEN

all

540

Hand Line

OPEN

all

3,395

Hand Line

OPEN

all

2,385

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

556

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

744

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1311

1,311

9,318

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

4647

4,647

18,811

Scallop Trawl

GEN

all

0.000

Scallop Trawl

LIM

all

0.000

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

GEN

all

535

0.029

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

LIM

all

0.000

Otter Trawl , Twin

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl , Twin

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

302

990

302

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

135

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

1,994

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

122

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

103

5,391

103

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

240

4,366

240

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

231

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

618

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

153

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

121

2,579

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

3,816

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

4,662

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

123

4,053

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

630

10,301

630

Danish Seine

OPEN

all

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl

OPEN

all

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl

OPEN

all

1,426

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

1,005

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

956

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

1,341

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

1,122

Pots and Traps, Hagfish

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

2,270

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

572

34,395

572

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

324

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

Dredge, Other

OPEN

all

308

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

3,735

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

3,230

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

11,204
9,932
1,272

10,365
9,271
1,094

0
149,693

0
15,786
13,630
2,156
9,477
1,100
688
2,512

Row

Gear Type

Step 2

Step 6

Step 7

Total
Agency Fleets (Sea Days Needed)
Industry Fleets (Sea Days Needed)
Agency Fleets (Sea Days Funded)
Agency Fleets (Sea Days Funded)
Agency Fleets (Sea Days Funded)
Industry Fleets (Sea Days Funded)

Step 8

Industry funded fleets

2,593

1,293

7,195

8,824

0.477

1,577

9,156

0.495

1,636

1,636
1,311
4,647

Agency Fleet Difference

SHORTFALL
SURPLUS

0
0
0.000

0
0

0
0.302

784

2,120

0.322

834

2,478

0.376

975

1,580

0.000

0.167

216

0.404

522

0.429

555

121

Prioritized
Non-prioritized (ASM)
Non-prioritized (MMPA)

Industry Fleet Difference
Turtle Gear Types

KEY: Agency funded fleets

3,309

-4,153
356

MA Trawl

1,470

1,323

3,309

18,515

3,309

MA Gillnet

147

2,593

6,592

2,593

MA Dredge

331

304

1,293

9,449

1,293

Table 6. The 2015 sea days needed (COMBINED; Step 5) and the information used in the penultimate approach to prioritize sea days to fleets for agencyfunded days that are applicable to the prioritization process (Steps 9.1 through 9.5).
Fleet

Row

Step 5

Gear Type

Access Area Trip Cat.

Region Mesh

2015
Sea Days
Needed
COMBINED

Step 9.1

Step 9.2

Penultimate sea days needed for the 15 species groups, in descending order
with minimum pilot coverage as minimum for fleet

Step 9.3

Sea day differences between adjacent species groups within a
row (red font indicated values used in Step 9.3)

Sea day
differences, in
descending
order with fleet
constraint

Cumulative
reduction of
sea days

Step 9.4

Step 9.5

2015
Sea Days
PRIORITIZED
(Penultimate)

Longline

OPEN

all

3,916

Longline

OPEN

all

237 of 1,021

4,153

Hand Line

OPEN

all

Hand Line

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,577

556

531

493

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,636

744

220

210

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,311

720

571

460

313

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

4,647

731

349

316

231

228

192

Scallop Trawl

GEN

all

Scallop Trawl

LIM

all

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

GEN

all

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

LIM

all

Otter Trawl , Twin

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl , Twin

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

Shrimp Trawl

Floating Trap

1,340

1,636

1,311

731

all

302

OPEN

all

OPEN

all

OPEN

all

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

784

772

784

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

834

821

834

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

975

122

975

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

103

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

240

152

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

216

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

121

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

522

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

555

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

630

Danish Seine

OPEN

all

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl

OPEN

all

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Hagfish

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

572

554

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

Dredge, Other

OPEN

all

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

0
15,786
13,630
2,156
9,477
1,100
688
2,512

Agency Fleet Difference

-4,153

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

KEY: Agency funded fleets
Fleets with reduction in sea days

Industry funded fleets

336
72

294

1,021

892

524

591

149

111

3,916

382

121

147

279

262

157

208

302
0

853

108

103

240

Industry Fleet Difference
Turtle Gear Types

35
402

0
17

572

0
9,477

Prioritized days
Non-prioritized days (ASM)
Non-prioritized days (MMPA)
Industy-funded scallop days

356

MA Trawl

3,309

MA Gillnet

2,593

MA Dredge

1,293

Table 7. The number of sea days needed to monitor the combined species groups (COMBINED; Step 5),
prioritized days (Step 9.5), non-prioritized days (At-Sea Monitoring [ASM] and protected species [MMPA]; Step
10), industry-funded days (Step 11), and the 2015 observer sea days allocated for April 2015 through March 2016
(Step 12), by fleet. Note: * indicates all coverage is dependent on industry activity; ** indicates some coverage is
dependent on industry activity; *** indicates coverage for protected species bycatch.
Fleet

Step 9.5

2015
Sea Days
Needed
COMBINED

2015
Sea Days
PRIORITIZED
(Penultimate)

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

2015
2015
Sea Days
Sea Days
IndustryAllocated for April
non-prioritized funded Sea 2015 - March 2016
(ASM, MMPA)
Days
(TOTAL)

Access Area Trip Cat.

Region Mesh

Longline

OPEN

all

Longline

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support *

Hand Line

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support **

Hand Line

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,577

1,340

Fish stock assessment and turtle bycatch support

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,636

1,637

Fish stock assessment and turtle bycatch support **

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,311

1,312

Fish stock assessment support **

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

4,647

731

659

1,390

Fish stock assessment support **

Row

Gear Type

Step 5

Comments
Fish stock assessment support

Fish stock assessment support **

Scallop Trawl

GEN

all

Industry funded* (see Row 33)

Scallop Trawl

LIM

all

Industry funded * (see Row 33)

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

GEN

all

Industry funded * (see Row 36)

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

LIM

all

Otter Trawl , Twin

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl , Twin

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support *

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

302

Fish stock assessment support*

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

784

Fish stock assessment and turtle bycatch support

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

834

Fish stock assessment and turtle bycatch support

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

975

Fish stock assessment support *

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

103

237

340

Fish stock assessment support **

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

240

151

391

Fish stock assessment support**

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

216

1,149

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

121

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

522

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

193

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

555

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

630

Danish Seine

OPEN

all

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl

OPEN

all

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

Pots and Traps, Hagfish

47
48

Industry funded * (see Row 38)

Fish stock assessment support

Industry funded * (see Row 33)
Industry funded * (see Row 34)
Industry funded * (Rows 9, 10, 31, & 33)
Industry funded * (Rows 32 & 34)
Industry funded * (see Row 36)
Industry funded * (Rows 11, 35, & 36)
Industry funded * (see Row 38)
1,153

1,153

Industry funded * (Rows 12, 37, & 38)

Fish stock assessment support

all

Fish stock assessment support

all

Fish stock assessment support

all

Fish stock assessment support

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

572

Fish stock assessment support

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

Dredge, Other

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

Fish stock assessment support

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

15,786
13,630
2,156
9,477
1,100
688
2,512

9,477

688
1,788

Agency Fleet Difference

-4,153

MMPA coverage

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Industry Fleet Difference
Turtle Gear Types

KEY: Agency funded fleets

Industry funded fleets

2,512

688
13,777

Fish stock assessment support

Coverage associated with Rows 23-28***

Prioritized days
Non-prioritized days (ASM)
Non-prioritized days (MMPA)
Industy-funded scallop days

356

MA Trawl

3,309

MA Gillnet

2,593

MA Dredge

1,293

Fleets with reduction in sea days

Appendix Table 1. Stratification abbreviations used for 2015 fleets.

Abbreviation

Definition

Mid-Atlantic ports (CT and southward)

New England ports (RI and northward)

Small mesh (less than 5.50 in)

Large mesh (mesh from 5.50 to 7.99 in for gillnet; 5.50 in and greater for otter trawl)

xlg

Extra large mesh (8 in and greater)

LIM

Limited access category

GEN

General category

OPEN

Non-access area

Access area

Appendix Table 2. The number of Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) trips, by fleet and calendar quarter (Q) during July
2013 through June 2014. “P” indicates fleets with “pilot” designation. The percentage and cumulative percentage
for each fleet, when fleets are ranked from smallest to largest, are also presented. The shaded cells represent the
fleets containing the lowest cumulative 1% of all trips. Note: the total number of VTR trips in MA shrimp trawl
fleet (Row 19) was adjusted from 405 trips to 12 trips before the trip filter was applied.
Fleet
Row

VTR TRIPS
Gear Type

Access
Area

Trip
Region
Category

Mesh
Group

TOTAL

VTR
Trips

% of
Trips

VTR
TRIPS
Cum %

Pilot

Row

<0.1%

0.0%

1.5%

<0.1%

0.0%

5.1%

<0.1%

0.0%

38.4%

<0.1%

0.0%

25.3%

3,839

<0.1%

0.0%

55.9%

1,015

4,183

<0.1%

0.0%

60.9%

1,037

3,588

<0.1%

0.1%

42.7%

1,348

1,667

6,665

<0.1%

0.1%

68.8%

<0.1%

0.1%

<0.1%

0.1%

0.0%

<0.1%

0.1%

2.4%

Longline

OPEN

all

194

Longline

OPEN

all

203

160

492

Hand Line

OPEN

all

1,562

722

754

3,108

Hand Line

OPEN

all

1,377

377

435

2,195

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,472

900

394

1,073

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,625

733

810

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

1,386

745

420

Otter Trawl

OPEN

all

2,127

1,523

Scallop Trawl

GEN

all

Row

Scallop Trawl

LIM

all

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

GEN

all

119

134

279

Scallop Trawl

OPEN

LIM

all

<0.1%

0.2%

Otter Trawl, Twin

OPEN

all

0.1%

0.2%

0.3%

Otter Trawl, Twin

OPEN

all

0.1%

0.3%

0.1%

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

0.1%

0.3%

0.0%

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

0.1%

0.4%

0.1%

Otter Trawl, Ruhle

OPEN

all

0.1%

0.5%

0.0%

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

124

0.1%

0.6%

1.2%

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

249

152

405

0.1%

0.7%

0.1%

Shrimp Trawl

OPEN

all

131

0.1%

0.8%

1.3%

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

0.1%

0.9%

0.8%

Floating Trap

OPEN

all

114

0.1%

1.0%

0.0%

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

663

452

363

460

1,938

124

0.1%

1.2%

17.8%

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

534

720

308

453

2,015

131

0.2%

1.3%

20.2%

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

714

244

1,064

2,120

194

0.2%

1.5%

22.7%

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

200

0.2%

1.8%

0.0%

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

1,546

990

257

828

3,621

229

0.3%

2.0%

51.3%

Sink, Anchor, Drift Gillnet

OPEN

all

xlg

1,194

556

252

931

2,933

279

0.3%

2.4%

34.7%

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

105

124

229

288

0.3%

2.7%

2.0%

Purse Seine

OPEN

all

218

296

0.4%

3.1%

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

328

0.4%

3.5%

0.5%

Scallop Dredge

GEN

all

439

0.5%

4.0%

0.6%

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

200

449

0.5%

4.5%

1.8%

Scallop Dredge

LIM

all

168

328

492

0.6%

5.1%

3.5%

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

703

391

349

783

2,226

923

1.1%

6.2%

28.0%

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

GEN

all

866

669

1,090

972

3,597

971

1.2%

7.4%

47.0%

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

115

221

449

1,043

1.2%

8.6%

4.5%

Scallop Dredge

OPEN

LIM

all

353

171

426

1,043

1,107

1.3%

9.9%

8.6%

Danish Seine

OPEN

all

1,119

1.3%

11.3%

0.9%

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl OPEN

all

1,692

2.0%

13.3%

0.1%

Mid-water Paired & Single Trawl OPEN

all

127

112

140

439

1,824

2.2%

15.5%

4.0%

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

387

253

270

971

1,938

2.3%

17.8%

7.4%

Pots and Traps, Fish

OPEN

all

707

112

103

923

2,015

2.4%

20.2%

6.2%

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

225

528

258

1,107

2,120

2.5%

22.7%

9.9%

Pots and Traps, Conch

OPEN

all

401

362

356

1,119

2,195

2.6%

25.3%

11.3%

Pots and Traps, Hagfish

OPEN

all

2,226

2.7%

28.0%

0.2%

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

800

398

401

1,692

2,726

3.2%

31.2%

13.3%

Pots and Traps, Lobster

OPEN

all

11,982

7,823

1,773

4,590

26,168

2,933

3.5%

34.7%

100.0%

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

3,108

3.7%

38.4%

0.4%

Pots and Traps, Crab

OPEN

all

3,588

4.3%

42.7%

0.7%

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

114

3,597

4.3%

47.0%

1.0%

Beam Trawl

OPEN

all

3,621

4.3%

51.3%

0.3%

Dredge, Other

OPEN

all

183

288

3,839

4.6%

55.9%

2.7%

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

506

365

454

499

1,824

4,183

5.0%

60.9%

15.5%

Ocean Quahog/Surfclam Dredge

OPEN

all

823

571

563

769

2,726

Otter Trawl, Haddock Separator

OPEN

all

33,165

20,854

9,772

20,493

84,284

Total

6,665

7.9%

68.8%

31.2%

26,168

31.2%

100.0%

0.0%

83,891

Figure 1. Results from the 2015 sample size analysis conducted for the New England large mesh otter trawl
fleet (Row 8). The curves represent the relationship between the coefficient of variance (CV) and the sample
size (sea days, trips, and percent of trips) for each of the species groups that were not filtered out. The
horizontal dashed line is the 30% CV. For species group abbreviations, see Table 1. Taken from Figure 3 in
Wigley et al. 2015.

Figure 2. Expected CVs for estimates of turtle interactions in Mid-Atlantic otter trawl fleets under the
observer sea day allocation for 2015. Vertical dashed line indicates the number of sea day needs for
fish/invertebrates and turtles combined.

File Type	application/pdf
File Title	2011 Prioritization Process
Author	swigley
File Modified	2015-06-12
File Created	2015-06-08