Annual deployment plan - Alaska

Annual Deployment Plan fo NPOP - final_2018-508.pdf

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Annual deployment plan - Alaska

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2018 Annual Deployment Plan
for Observers and Electronic Monitoring
in the Groundfish and Halibut Fisheries
off Alaska
December 2017

Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center
National Marine Fisheries Service
7600 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115

National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office
P.O. Box 21668
709 W. 9th Street
Juneau, Alaska 99802

Suggested Citation
NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service). 2017. 2018 Annual Deployment Plan for Observers and
Electronic Monitoring in the Groundfish and Halibut Fisheries off Alaska. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th Street. Juneau, Alaska 99802.

Contents
Executive Summary

Introduction
Purpose and Authority

Process and Schedule

Annual Report Summary

2018 Deployment Methods

9
10

At-Sea Deployment Design

Selection Method

Selection Pools (Stratification Scheme)

Allocation Strategy

Deployment Rates

Chinook Salmon Sampling in the Gulf of Alaska

Conditional Release Policy

Annual Coverage Category Requests

Partial coverage catcher/processors

Full coverage catcher vessels

Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS)

eLandings Electronic Reporting System

Communication and Outreach

References

List of Preparers and Contributors

Appendix A.

Council motions on the Annual Report and ADP

Appendix B.

Calculation of the Selection Rate for 2018

Appendix C.

Comparison of optimized and 15% plus optimization allocation strategies

Appendix D.

Determination of the EM stratum participants for 2018

Appendix E.

Electronic Monitoring Innovation Research in 2018

Executive Summary
This 2018 Annual Deployment Plan (ADP) documents how the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) intends to assign fishery observers and electronic monitoring to vessels fishing
in the North Pacific during the calendar year 2018.
•

On August 8, 2017, NMFS published a final rule to integrate electronic monitoring (EM) into
the North Pacific Observer Program.
o Funds available for EM deployment in 2018 are the combination of federal funding
($1M) and anticipated funding from external sources such as the U.S. National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation.
o A total of 145 vessels requested to be in the EM selection pool for 2018. Four vessels
were determined to be ineligible, due to their history of fishing with trawl gear, and
were not approved by NMFS.
o NMFS approved the 141 eligible vessels in the EM selection pool for 2018 and
notified all vessel owner/operators through the Observer Declare and Deploy System
(ODDS). Of the 141 vessels in the EM pool, 69 vessels are new to the EM program
and do not have an EM system installed, and 72 vessels are previous participants that
have EM systems installed.

•

Trip selection will be the sole method of assigning both observers and EM to at-sea fishing
events in 2018. Trip selection is facilitated through vessels logging their trips into the ODDS
and being notified if the trip is selected for coverage.

•

In 2018, the following strata will be in place for vessels in the partial coverage category for
deployment of observers and EM:
o No-selection pool: The no-selection pool is composed of—
 Fixed-gear vessels less than 40 ft LOA and vessels fishing with jig gear;
 Three vessels that are voluntarily participating in EM innovation research.
o EM selection pool: 141 fixed gear vessels that were approved by NMFS and have an
NMFS-approved Vessel Monitoring Plan.
o Trip Selection Pool: The five sampling strata for deployment of observers are—
 Trawl catcher vessels
 Hook-and-line catcher vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA
 Pot catcher vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA
 Trawl vessels delivering to tenders
 Pot vessels delivering to tenders

•

NMFS will implement an observer deployment allocation strategy of 15% plus optimization
based on discarded groundfish and halibut and Chinook. A minimum level of sampling is
precautionary with respect to avoiding bias and providing data across all gear types. The 15%
plus optimization allocation strategy provides a balance between the minimizing variability

of discard estimates and prioritization of PSC-limited fisheries and the need to reduce gaps in
observer coverage in the partial coverage category.
•

The available budget for observer deployment in 2018 is $5.54M. NMFS estimates 4,394
observer days can be deployed in 2018 and expects that 1,058 trips will be observed in the
partial coverage category. This represents 43% increase from the number of days expected
to be observed in 2017 (3,059).

•

The deployment rates for strata in 2018 are—
o No Selection – 0%
o EM – 30%
o Trawl – 20%
o Hook-and-line – 17%
o Pot – 16%
o Tender trawl – 17%
o Tender Pot – 17%

•

NMFS will continue to collect genetic samples from salmon caught as bycatch in groundfish
fisheries to support efforts to identify stock of origin. For vessels delivering to shoreside
processors in the GOA pollock fishery the sampling protocol will remain unchanged; trips
that are randomly selected for observer coverage will be completely monitored for Chinook
salmon bycatch by the vessel observer during offload of the catch at the shoreside processing
facility. For trips that are delivered to tender vessels and trips outside of the pollock fishery,
salmon counts and tissue samples will be obtained from all salmon found within observer atsea samples of the total catch.

1. Introduction
Purpose and Authority
This 2018 Annual Deployment Plan (ADP) documents how the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) intends to assign at-sea and shoreside observers and electronic monitoring to
vessels and processing plants engaged in fishing operations in the North Pacific. This plan is
developed under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MSA), the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area (BSAI FMP), the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of
Alaska (GOA FMP), and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. Details on the legal authority
and purpose of the ADP are found in the Final Rule for Amendment 86 to the BSAI FMP and
Amendment 76 to the GOA FMP (77 FR 70062, November 21, 2012).
The ADP describes the science-driven method for observer deployment to support statistically
reliable data collection. The ADP is a core element in implementation of section 313 of the MSA
(16 U.S.C 1862), which authorizes the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to
prepare a fisheries research plan that requires the deployment of observers into the North Pacific
fisheries and establishes a system of fees. The purpose of the research plan is to collect data
necessary for the conservation, management, and scientific understanding of the groundfish and
halibut fisheries off Alaska.
Data collection by observers contributes to the best available scientific information used to
manage the fisheries in the North Pacific. Information collected by observers provides a reliable
and verifiable method for NMFS to gain fishery discard and biological information on fish, and
data concerning seabird and marine mammal interactions with fisheries. Observers collect
biological samples such as species composition, weights, and tissue samples and information on
total catch, including bycatch, and interactions with protected species. Managers use data
collected by observers to manage groundfish catch and bycatch limits established in regulation
and to document fishery interactions with protected resources. Managers also use data collected
by observers to inform the development of management measures that minimize bycatch and
reduce fishery interactions with protected resources. Scientists use observer-collected data for
stock assessments and marine ecosystem research. Much of this information is expeditiously
available (e.g., daily or at the end of a trip, depending on the type of vessel) to ensure effective
management.
On August 8, 2017, NMFS published a final rule to integrate electronic monitoring (EM) into the
North Pacific Observer Program (82 FR 36991). An EM system uses cameras, video storage
devices, and associated sensors to record and monitor fishing activities. The final rule
established a process for owners or operators of vessels in the partial coverage category using
nontrawl gear (i.e. hook and line or pot gear) to request to participate in the EM selection pool
beginning with the 2018 fishing year. Vessels that are approved to participate in the EM
selection pool will be required to log fishing trips and comply with EM deployment
requirements; these vessels will not be required to carry an observer. The Council and NMFS
developed EM for data collection for the nontrawl gear fisheries to address their desire for an
alternative way to collect fisheries data in consideration of the operating requirements in these

fisheries. EM systems can collect at-sea data for NMFS to estimate discards of fish, including
halibut, and mortality of seabirds.
This ADP describes the method for deployment of observers and EM in the partial coverage
category (50 CFR 679.51(a); 679.51(f)) in the halibut and groundfish fisheries off Alaska in
2018.

Process and Schedule
On an annual basis, NMFS develops an ADP to describe how observers and EM will be
deployed for the upcoming calendar year and prepares an annual report that evaluates the
performance of the prior year’s ADP implementation. NMFS and the Council created the ADP
process to provide flexibility in the deployment of observers and EM to gather reliable data for
estimation of catch in the groundfish and halibut fisheries off Alaska. The ADP process ensures
that the best available information is used to evaluate deployment, including scientific review
and Council input, to annually determine deployment methods.
The ADP specifies the selection rate—the portion of trips (or vessels) that are sampled—and
NMFS and the Council recognized that selection rates for any given year would be dependent on
available revenue generated from fees on groundfish and halibut landings. The selection rates
can change from one calendar year to the next to achieve efficiency, cost savings, and data
collection goals. The annual decision about how to apportion fees between observer deployment
and EM system deployment is also made during the ADP process. The ADP process allows
NMFS to adjust deployment in each year so that sampling can be achieved within financial
constraints.
Some aspects of deployment can be adjusted through the ADP, including the assignment of
vessels to a specific partial coverage selection pool, and the allocation strategy used to deploy
observers and EM in the partial coverage category. The ADP also defines the criteria for vessels
to be eligible to participate in the EM selection pool and can include factors such as gear type,
vessel length, home or landing port, and availability of EM systems.
The Council’s role in the annual deployment plan process is described in the analysis that was
developed to support the restructured observer program (NPFMC 2011) and in the preamble to
the proposed rule to implement the restructured observer program (77 FR 23326). The preamble
to the proposed rule notes that: “NMFS would consult with the Council each year on the
deployment plan for the upcoming year. The Council would select a meeting for the annual
report consultation that provides sufficient time for Council review and input to NMFS. The
Council would likely need to schedule this review for its October meeting. The Council would
not formally approve or disapprove the annual report, including the deployment plan, but NMFS
would consult with the Council on the annual report to provide an opportunity for Council input.
The final deployment plan would be developed per NMFS' discretion to meet data needs for
conservation and management. (77 FR 23344 & 23345).”
The annual analysis and evaluation of the data collected by observers and the ADP development
is an ongoing process and this ADP follows the process envisioned by the Council and NMFS
when the restructured observer program was developed and implemented. NMFS is committed

to working with the Council throughout the annual review and deployment cycle to identify
improved analytical methods and ensure Council and public input is considered. The schedule
for the 2018 ADP is as follows:
•

June 2017: NMFS presented the 2016 Annual Report (AFSC/AKR 2017) to the Council
and the public. The 2016 Annual Report provided a comprehensive evaluation of
Observer Program performance including costs, sampling levels, issues, and potential
changes for the 2018 ADP. The 2016 Annual Report identified areas where
improvements are recommended to 1) collect the data necessary to manage the
groundfish and halibut fisheries, 2) maintain the scientific goal of unbiased data
collection, and 3) accomplish the most effective and efficient use of the funds collected
through the observer fees. This review informed the Council and the public about how
well various aspects of the program are working.

•

August 2017: NMFS published a final rule to integrate EM into the North Pacific
Observer Program (82 FR 36991) and sent a letter to vessels notifying them of the 2018
EM selection pool.

•

September 2017: Based on information and analyses from the 2016 Annual Report and
Council recommendations, NMFS prepared and released this draft 2018 ADP containing
recommendations for deployment methods in the partial coverage category.

•

September – October 2017:
o Review of the draft ADP: The Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee
reviewed the draft 2018 ADP and the associated Observer Advisory Committee
recommendations. Based on input from its advisory bodies and the public, the
Council provided recommendations for the final 2018 ADP (Appendix A). NMFS
reviewed and considered these recommendations; however, extensive analysis and
large-scale revisions to the draft 2018 ADP are not feasible. This constraint is due to
the short time available to finalize the 2018 ADP prior to the December 2017
Council meeting, and practical limitations on planning for deployment and
associated processes that need to be in place by January 1, 2018.
o Requests to participate in EM selection pool: Any vessel interested in being in the
2018 EM selection pool were required to request to participate using the Observer
Declare and Deploy System (ODDS) by November 1, 2017.
o NMFS notified the vessel owner whether that vessel has been approved or denied for
the EM selection pool through ODDS.

•

December 2017: NMFS finalizes the 2018 ADP and release it to the public prior to the
Council meeting.

In June 2018, NMFS will present the 2017 Annual Report that will form the basis for the 2019
ADP.

2. Annual Report Summary
As described in the previous section, NMFS releases an annual report in June of each year that
evaluates observer deployment under the ADP and includes an overview of the fees and budget
associated with deployment, enforcement of the Observer Program regulations, a summary of
public outreach events, and a scientific evaluation of observer deployment conducted by the
Observer Science Committee (OSC) (e.g. Faunce et al. 2017). NMFS has released four annual
reports starting with the 2013 Annual Report (NMFS 2014), which was presented to the Council
in June 2014, and most recently the 2016 Annual Report (AFSC/AKR 2017), which was
presented to the Council in June 2017. This draft 2018 ADP builds on NMFS recommendations
in the annual reports and input from the Council (Appendix A).
In 2016 the sampling design used for dockside monitoring remained unchanged from previous
years; in the GOA the goal was to obtain counts of salmon caught as bycatch during offloads of
pollock trawl catcher vessels from observed trips and to obtain tissue samples to enable stock of
origin to be determined using genetic techniques. This information is important for the
management of Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) and is used by the Alaska
Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) to identify the stock of origin of Chinook salmon caught as
bycatch in groundfish fisheries (e.g., Guyon et al. 2015). The 2016 Annual Report evaluated the
results from dockside monitoring and concluded that while observers could conduct their normal
duties onboard vessels delivering to tenders, they could not monitor the associated offload due to
the act of delivering to the tender. Based on these results, NMFS recommended maintaining
status quo for dockside monitoring of pollock deliveries to shoreside processing plants with no
offload monitoring on tendered deliveries.
In the longer term, the annual report recommended considering broader solutions for monitoring
Chinook salmon PSC for trawl trips delivering to tenders in the GOA. Longer term solutions
could include:
• Establishment of an alternative program for obtaining genetic tissues for stock-of-origin
estimates given that these estimates have been stable over the past 5 years in the GOA.
• Plant monitoring of offloads, including tender offloads, combined with EM for
compliance monitoring purposes and full retention of all catch (or maximized retention,
recognizing some species might still continue to be discarded). This approach would need
take into consideration tender deliveries mixing catch from multiple vessels.
The Annual Report evaluated three trip selection strata (Trawl, Hook-and-line, and Pot) that
were used for observer deployment in partial coverage in 2016. The program met expected rates
of coverage in all strata and there was no evidence of temporal bias in observer deployments.
However, some spatial bias was evident in all three gear-types and observer effects (different trip
characteristics between observed and unobserved trips) were found in hook and line and trawl
gear types. Differences between observed trips that delivered to a tender and unobserved trips
delivered to a tender were also evident in trawl.
In a well-designed sampling program, the observer coverage rate should be large enough to
reasonably ensure that the range of fishing activities and characteristics are represented in the
sample data. The annual report evaluated sample size with a gap analysis to determine whether
9

enough samples were collected to ensure adequate spatial and temporal coverage. The results in
2016 were similar to previous years and illustrated that the likelihood of at least one observation
is increased with fishing effort and the probability of no observer data within a NMFS Reporting
Area increased at low observer coverage rates. These results reinforce the results of simulated
sampling evaluations of 2014 data that showed that most observer data gaps disappeared or were
severely minimized at deployment rates greater than or equal to 15% (relative to a 50%
probability of a post-strata being empty; NMFS 2015c).
Based on these results, the Annual Report recommended that, within budget constraints,
sampling rates be high enough in each stratum to reasonably expect three observed trips in each
NMFS Area. Further, NMFS recommended and the Council supported (Appendix A) that this
2018 draft ADP include evaluation of a 15% coverage rates across all strata and equal coverage
rates that can be afforded. The results of the analysis were provided in the draft ADP (NMFS
2017).
The Observer Declare and Deployment System (ODDS) continued to perform as expected in
2016. An evaluation of selection rates showed no temporal bias in realized trips. However, the
report found differential cancellation rates between selected and unselected trips. Based on these
results, NMFS recommended making changes to ODDS to allow changing the dates for observed
trips, rather than cancelling and inheriting observed trips, while maintaining the order of the
trips.
Recognizing the challenging logistics of putting observers on small vessels and low levels of
catch by these vessels, NMFS has placed vessels less than 40 ft LOA and jig vessels in the noselection pool for observer coverage since 2013. However, each Annual Report (AFSC/AKR
2017, NMFS 2016; 2015b) and the supplement to the environmental assessment for the
restructured Observer Program (NMFS 2015c) have highlighted the data gaps caused by not
having any observer information on vessels less than 40 ft LOA. In recognition of both the
challenging logistics and data gaps, the Annual Report supported the Council’s recommendation
to develop a discussion paper about incorporating vessels less than 40 ft LOA in the EM
selection pool.

3. 2018 Deployment Methods
The Observer Program uses a stratified hierarchical sampling design where trips and vessels
represent the primary sampling units. Observers and EM are deployed into strata that are defined
through a combination of regulations and the annual deployment process. Subsequent and lower
levels of the sampling design at sea include the sampling of hauls, conducting species
composition, obtaining lengths and biological tissues including those used for ageing, sexual
maturity and genetics. Dockside monitoring consists solely of conducting complete
enumerations of salmon bycatch within the pollock fishery.

At-Sea Deployment Design
The sampling design for at-sea deployment of observers and EM in the partial coverage category
involves three elements: 1) the selection method to accomplish random sampling; 2) division of

the population of partial coverage trips into selection pools or strata (stratification scheme); and
3) the allocation of deployment trips among strata (allocation strategy).
Selection Method
Trip-selection refers to the method of selecting fishing trips as the sampling unit. Trip selection
is facilitated through vessels logging their trips into the Observer Declare and Deploy System
(ODDS) and being notified if the trip is selected for coverage. Trip selection will be the sole
method of assigning both observers and EM to at-sea fishing events in 2018. Trips must be
logged by contacting the ODDS call center at 1-855-747-6377 or using the web at:
http://odds.afsc.noaa.gov.
Selection Pools (Stratification Scheme)
Electronic Monitoring (EM) Selection Pool
Following the publication of new regulations (82 FR 36991), electronic monitoring (EM) has
been incorporated into the at-sea deployment design in the partial coverage category in 2018.
Any vessel that was interested in being in the 2018 EM selection pool was required to request to
participate using the Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS) by November 1, 2017. Any
vessel that did not request to participate by this deadline is not be eligible for the 2018 EM
selection pool and is in the partial coverage observer pool.
A total of 145 vessels requested EM for 2018. The recent fishing history of the vessels was
evaluated (Appendix D) and any vessels that used trawl gear were not eligible to participate in
the EM selection pool for 2018 1. Four vessels were determined to be ineligible were not
approved by NMFS to be in the EM pool.
The draft ADP provided an analysis of the EM budget, estimated costs, and anticipated number
of vessels with EM systems that might participate in the EM pool (NMFS 2017). Appendix D
provides an updated analysis based on revised budget and the actual vessels that requested to
participate. Of the 141 vessels eligible to be in the EM pool, 69 vessels are new to the EM
program and do not have an EM system installed, and 72 vessels are previous participants that
have EM systems installed. The funds available for EM deployment in 2018 are the combination
of federal funding ($1M) and anticipated funding from external sources such as the U.S. National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation and NMFS estimates can support all of the 141 eligible vessels that
requested to participate.
NMFS approved 141 vessels in the EM selection pool for 2018 and notified all vessel
owner/operators through ODDS whether they had either been approved or denied. Once NMFS
approves a vessel for the EM selection pool, that vessel will remain in the EM selection pool for
the duration of the calendar year.

The Council has requested (Appendix A) NMFS to evaluate the EM eligibility criteria to determine if it is possible,
in the future, to allow vessels to be in the EM pool for fixed gear and in the observer pool for trawl gear in the same
year.

Vessels in the EM selection pool will be required to submit and follow an NMFS-approved
Vessel Monitoring Plan (VMP) 2. The EM service providers are working with EM participants to
ensure that they have an EM system installed and an approved VMP prior to their first fishing trip in
2018. EM system installations will be scheduled in the primary ports of Homer, Kodiak, and
Sitka for longline vessels, and in Homer, Kodiak, and Sand Point for pot vessels. Secondary
ports such as Juneau, Petersburg, Sand Point, King Cove, and Dutch Harbor may have periodic
EM installation services available. Vessels not available during scheduled dates of EM
installation in a secondary port will be required to travel to a primary port for EM installation
services prior to the date of their first logged trip in ODDS. Primary and secondary port services
apply to EM equipment installation and servicing only, there are no restrictions on where a
vessel may make landings associated with this program. Once installed, the EM sensors and
cameras will remain on the vessel until either 1) the boat opts out of the EM pool for the
following year; or 2) NMFS determines that the vessel will not be eligible to participate in the
EM selection pool the following year.
In 2018, the EM data collected from longline vessels will be used to account for all discarded
catch in the NMFS Catch Accounting System and used for inseason management of the fisheries.
The EM data collected from pot trips will be used to refine catch handing and video review
protocols and to develop the methods to estimate total catch. Of the 141 vessels in the EM pool,
108 have a history of fishing with longline gear, 9 vessels fish with pot gear, and 24 vessels fish
both pot and longline gear.
As described in the previous section, vessels in the EM selection pool will use ODDS to log all
of their fishing trips. In addition, vessels in the EM selection pool must use ODDS to close each
trip following the instructions in their VMP. For 2018 the VMP specifies that vessel operators
are required to close their trips prior to logging another trip or within 2 weeks of the end of the
trip, whichever is sooner. The requirement to close a trip in ODDS provides the ability to instruct
the vessel to send the video storage device after the trip to ensure the timeliness of EM data for
management. In addition, requiring a vessel operator to close the trip provides a mechanism to
avoid monitoring bias by requiring 100 percent recording of trips and using a post-trip selection
process through ODDS to randomly select trips for video review.
In the draft ADP, NMFS described the agency’s intention to implement a post-trip selection
process for EM in 2019. The EM Workgroup and the Council raised concerns regarding
logistical and cost considerations with this approach, particularly on vessels fishing with pot gear
where the extra time is required for catch handling on an EM selected trip. The Council
requested that NMFS evaluate the cost and operational implications, for vessels and EM service
providers (Appendix A). In 2018, NMFS will work with EM service providers and vessel
operators using pot gear to determine the amount of time required to sort catch on EM-monitored
trips compared to non-EM-monitored trips. NMFS will also examine the costs of recording video
on 100 percent of trips and the logistics of developing efficient hard drive delivery protocols for
all gear types.

The 2018 VMP template is available at: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/electronic-monitoring

Trip-selection pools for Observer Deployment
The draft ADP analyzed the performance of two stratification designs for observer deployment,
one defined by gear and the second defined by both gear and tender/non-tender deliveries
(NMFS 2017). The designs were evaluated using gap analysis (i.e., exploring situations where
no observer data would be available). The gap analysis was used to determine which sampling
designs would have a 50 percent probability of having at least one and three observed trips.
Using this metric, the gear-based stratification schemes outperformed the schemes that include
tenders. However, in the draft ADP (NMFS 2017) NMFS recommended continuing the
gear/tender stratification scheme for several reasons. First, this stratification scheme, which was
first implemented in 2017, has not been fully evaluated in the Annual Report process.
Maintaining this stratification scheme for another year, while improving the allocation design,
would enable analysis of the effects and performance of the designs. Further, as discussed in the
Annual Report Summary, tendering activity in pollock trawl fisheries continues to represent a
sampling challenge. Although it has yet to be evaluated whether the addition of the tender strata
fully alleviates this problem, it does ensure a certain level of coverage for those trips.
In reviewing the draft ADP, the Council noted that there were only 7 trips for hook-and-line
vessels delivering to tenders and that only 1 trip was expected to be observed. For this gear type,
a separate tender stratum may not improve the data quality and the Council recommended having
a single stratum for hook-and-line gear (Appendix A). For 2018 there will be five trip-selection
strata for observer deployment: 1) Trawl; 2) Hook-and-line; 3) Pot; 4) Trawl vessels delivery to
tenders; and 5) Pot vessels delivery to tenders.
Summary of 2018 Deployment Strata
The following strata will be in place for vessels in the partial coverage category for deployment
of observers (50 CFR 679.51(a)) and electronic monitoring (50 CFR 679.51(f)) in 2018:
•

No-selection pool: The no-selection pool is composed of vessels that will have no
probability of carrying an observer on any trips for the 2018 fishing season. These vessels
are divided into two categories:
o Fixed-gear vessels less than 40 ft LOA 3 and vessels fishing with jig gear, which
includes handline, jig, troll, and dinglebar troll gear.
o Three vessels voluntarily participating in the EM innovation and research
(Appendix E).

•

Electronic monitoring (EM) selection pool: The EM selection pool in 2018 will be
composed of 141 fixed gear vessels that were approved by NMFS and have an NMFSapproved Vessel Monitoring Plan. Once NMFS approves a vessel for the EM selection
pool, that vessel will remain in the EM selection pool for the duration of the calendar
year.

Length overall (LOA) is defined in regulations at 50 CFR 679.2 and means the centerline longitudinal distance,
rounded to the nearest foot.

•

Trip Selection Pool for observer coverage: There are five sampling strata in the tripselection pool for the deployment of observers:
o Trawl: This pool is composed of all catcher vessels in the partial coverage
category fishing trawl gear.
o Hook-and-line: This pool is composed of all catcher vessels in the partial
coverage category that are greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA that are fishing
hook-and-line gear.
o Pot: This pool is composed of all catcher vessels in the partial coverage category
that are greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA that are fishing pot gear, including
vessels fishing longline pot gear.
o Trawl vessels delivering to tenders: This pool is composed of all catcher vessels
in the partial coverage category that are greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA that are
fishing trawl gear and are delivering to tendering vessels.
o Pot vessels delivering to tenders: This pool is composed of all catcher vessels in
the partial coverage category that are greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA that are
fishing pot gear and are delivering to tendering vessels.

Allocation Strategy
Allocation strategy refers to the method of allocating deployment trips among strata. The draft
ADP provided a comparison 3 allocation strategies: 1) equal allocation; 2) 15% plus
optimization, which is a "hurdle" approach where observer sea days are first allocated equally up
to a 15% coverage rate and the remaining sea-days are allocated using an optimal allocation; and
3) Optimized, where all samples are allocated among strata using an optimal allocation
algorithm. For both the 15% plus optimized and the optimized strategies, two metrics for
optimization were evaluated: 1) discards of groundfish and halibut PSC; 2) discards of Chinook
PSC in addition to groundfish and halibut PSC. The algorithm maximizes precision for the these
metrics for the least cost
The results in the draft ADP indicated that optimized allocation had the most gaps in observer
coverage. Designs that used equal allocation or 15% plus optimized allocations result in far
fewer gaps in coverage, and the potential gaps for these designs only occur when there is low
fishing effort (NMFS 2017). Based on the analysis, the draft ADP recommended an observer
deployment allocation strategy of 15% plus optimization based on discarded groundfish and
halibut and Chinook PSC. During the Council’s review of the draft ADP, however, they did not
support the agency’s approach and instead recommended the fully optimized allocation strategy
(Appendix A), which would result in a lower coverage rate in the pot strata.
One of the concerns with the fully optimized approach was lower coverage rates in the pot strata
and the agency wants to insure both biological data on Pacific cod and information on groundfish
and PSC species is collected. During Council testimony the State of Alaska indicated it would
modify collection of Pacific Cod samples at shoreside plants to mitigate losses due to reduced
pot gear coverage. Shoreside sampling could be a viable approach to augment at-sea data;
however, as this would be the first year of an expanded shoreside program, comparison of the
14

shoreside data with the at-sea sampling information would be beneficial to demonstrate its
suitability.
In developing this final ADP, NMFS considered the Council’s recommendation. Decreased
expected effort (see next section on Deployment Rates for more explanation) and updating the
vessels that have opted into the EM selection pool have impacted the number of trips and
variability of the strata and therefore the allocation weighting and predicted coverage rates are
different from the draft ADP. Appendix C provides updated information to compare the fully
optimized and 15% plus hurdle allocation designs relative to what was provided in the draft ADP
(NMFS 2017).
In 2018, NMFS will implement observer deployment using the allocation strategy of 15% plus
optimization based on discarded groundfish and halibut and Chinook PSC. In their review of the
draft ADP, the SSC supported a minimum level of sampling and noted that the method is
precautionary with respect to avoiding bias and providing data across all gear types. The
allocation strategy of 15% plus optimization provides a balance between minimizing the
variability of discard estimates, prioritization of PSC-limited fisheries, and the need to reduce
gaps in observer coverage in all strata in the partial coverage category.
Both the SSC and the Council commented that the minimum allocation necessary to meet a
sufficient level of coverage may differ between strata and should be investigated further. NMFS
will continue to improve the science behind the minimum coverage level for the hurdle approach
and consider whether the base coverage may differ between strata.

Deployment Rates
The trip selection rate for vessels in the EM selection pool is based on recommendations from
the Council’s EM Workgroup and the Council 4 and the selection rate will be 30% of trips in
2018.
To determine the deployment rate for the observer-deployment strata, NMFS uses the available
sea-day budgets, and estimates of anticipated fishing effort. The NMFS budget for observer
deployment in 2018 is $5.54M. The budget is comprised of $3.54M in observer fees, $1M in
NMFS supplementary funds, and $996K in end of year Federal funds and carryover funds from
the previous contract option period. Using this updated budget information, the at-sea budget for
the deployment of observers is set at 4,394 days.
The second piece of information used to determine deployment rates is an estimate of anticipated
fishing effort. The most recent data (2017 and 2016) was used as a proxy for future fishing
effort (Appendix B). The data set was then modified in an attempt to adjust for the potential
reduction of fishing effort due to the recent stock assessment of Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod
(Barbeaux et al. 2017) and the expectation that catch quotas are expected to be reduced between
75-80% from 2017 levels. After consultation NMFS Inseason management branch, two
adjustments were made to anticipated effort: 1) hook-and-line and pot fishing effort in the
4

See Appendix A and also: http://npfmc.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=113c3395-7b72-41dd-b371d60537d1894d.pdf

Pacific cod fishery was reduced by 75%; 2) trawl fishing in the western Gulf of Alaska (NMFS
area 610) was reduced by 100 trips (Appendix B).
NMFS uses the estimates of available sea-day budget and anticipated fishing effort as the
primary inputs into simulation models used to generate anticipated outcomes from different
selection rates. Sample size (using “15% + Optimization” allocation) and resulting coverage rate
estimates were generated through simulation following the approach used for previous ADPs in
which each simulation trial mimics an ADP selection draw for the year (Appendix B). Each
vessel in the sampling strata of the partial-coverage fleet does not undertake identical numbers of
trips and days in a year; the simulation approach provides NMFS with a full range of potential
outcomes from random sampling (selections) of different vessels and trips. The simulated
deployment rates were determined from an evaluation of estimated annual program costs
assessed against the risk of exceeding the Observer Program’s available funds (Appendix B).
NMFS estimates 4,394 observer days can be deployed in 2018 (Appendix B) and expects that
1,058 trips will be observed in the partial coverage category (Table 1). This represents 43%
increase from the number of days expected to be observed in 2017 (3,059). The deployment
rates (rounded to the nearest whole number) for strata in 2018 are—
• No Selection – 0%
• EM – 30%
• Trawl – 20%
• Hook-and-line – 17%
• Pot – 16%
• Tender trawl – 17%
• Tender Pot – 17%
Table 1. Summary of allocation weights, deployment rates, and the number of trips expected to be
observed in each observer-sampling stratum in 2018.
Stratum
Trawl
Hook-and-line
Pot
Tender trawl
Tender Pot
Total

Allocation
Weight

Deployment
Rate (%)

0.782
0.190
0.017
0.008
0.002

20.18
17.26
16.21
16.67
17.39

Number of trips
expected to be
observed
670
316
53
15
4
1058

Chinook Salmon Sampling in the Gulf of Alaska
For vessels delivering to shoreside processors in the in the GOA pollock fishery the sampling
protocol for Chinook salmon will remain unchanged. Trips that are randomly selected for
observer coverage will be completely monitored for Chinook salmon bycatch by the vessel
observer during offload of the catch at the shoreside processing facility.

For trips in the GOA pollock fishery that are delivered to tender vessels and trips outside of the
pollock fishery, salmon counts and tissue samples will be obtained from all salmon found within
observer at-sea samples of the total catch.

Conditional Release Policy
For 2018, NMFS will not grant any conditional releases or temporary exemptions to any vessels
subject to observer coverage. The integration of EM into the Observer Program in 2018 is a
mitigating factor in not granting any conditional releases. Vessels in the EM selection pool will
carry EM equipment as described in their Vessel Monitoring Plan and will not be subject to
carrying an observer.

Annual Coverage Category Requests
Partial coverage catcher/processors
Under Observer Program regulations at 50 CFR 679.51(a)(3), the owner of a non-trawl
catcher/processor can request to be in the partial observer coverage category, on an annual basis,
if the vessel processed less than 79,000 lb (35.8 mt) of groundfish on an average weekly basis in
a particular prior year. The deadline to request placement in the partial observer coverage
category for the following fishing year is July 1 and the request is accomplished by submitting a
form 5 to NMFS. Six catcher/processors requested, and NMFS approved, placement in the partial
coverage category for the 2018 fishing year.
Full coverage catcher vessels
Under Observer Program regulations at 50 CFR 679.51(a)(4), the owner of a trawl catcher vessel
may annually request the catcher vessel to be placed in the full observer coverage category for all
directed fishing for groundfish using trawl gear in the BSAI management area for the upcoming
year. Requests to be placed into the full observer coverage in lieu of partial observer coverage
category must be made in ODDS 6 prior to October 15, 2017 for the 2018 fishing year. For the
2018 calendar year, NMFS has placed the following 34 catcher vessels in the full observer
coverage category for all directed fishing for groundfish using trawl gear in the BSAI
management area. The list of catcher vessels that have been approved to be in the full coverage
category is available on the website at: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/observerprogram.

Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS)
For 2018, ODDS will be modified to add new functionality to incorporate EM into the observer
program. These include the ability for vessels to request EM for the upcoming year, the ability
for the NMFS to notify the EM provider of vessels requiring EM installation, the mutual tracking
of EM installation and maintenance by EM provider and NMFS, and the storage and tracking of
approved VMPs for vessels, providers and the NMFS.

The form for small catcher/processors to request to be in partial coverage is available at:
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/obspartialcovreq.pdf
6
Instructions for catcher vessels to request to be in full coverage using ODDS are available at:
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/bsaitrawlobsrequest.pdf

The user experience in ODDS will not change for a vessel operator. As in 2017, there will be a
selection box to indicate whether the vessel will be delivering to a tender. NMFS will retain the
current business operating procedure of allowing vessels to log up to three trips in advance and
programming that prevents a 40 – 57.5’ fixed gear vessel from being selected for a third
consecutive observer trip. Any observed trip that is canceled would automatically be inherited
on the next logged trip. As described in the Annual Report Summary, NMFS has identified an
improvement to the programming in ODDS that would allow vessels to change the dates for
observed trips, rather than cancelling and inheriting observed trips. Although this modification
is a priority for NMFS and the Council (Appendix A), the change will not go into effect in 2018.
NMFS will consider whether it is feasible to include this programming change to ODDS in 2019.
Vessels are allowed to cancel or change any unobserved trips (logged trips that have not been
selected to carry observer coverage) themselves, but any observed trips (logged trips that have
been selected for observer coverage) that must be rescheduled need to be coordinated by
contacting A.I.S., Inc., through the ODDS call center (1-855-747-6377).

eLandings Electronic Reporting System
NMFS modified the eLandings system in 2016 to enable the ODDS trip number to be entered on
a groundfish landing reports in eLandings. When vessels log trips in ODDS, they are given an
ODDS trip receipt with a unique trip number. When landing reports are entered in eLandings at
the end of the trip, the vessel operators are asked to provide their ODDS trip number so that it
can be entered on the landing report. Having ODDS trip numbers entered on groundfish landing
reports facilitates data analysis and provides better linkage between ODDS and eLandings.
Although many processors are now submitting this information, it is not consistently reported.
In 2018, NMFS will continue further outreach to processors to increase reporting of the ODDS
trip number.

4. Communication and Outreach
NMFS will continue to communicate the details of the ADP to affected participants through
letters, public meetings, and information on the internet:
• Information about the Observer Program is available at
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/observer-program
• Frequently Asked Questions are available at
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/observer-prog-faq.pdf
• For Frequently Asked Questions regarding ODDS go to: http://odds.afsc.noaa.gov and
click the “ODDS FAQ” button.
• Information about EM, including the VMP template and Frequently Asked Questions are
being developed and will be added to the NMFS website at:
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/electronic-monitoring.
In addition, Observer Program staff are available for outreach meetings upon request by
teleconference and/or WebEx pending staff availability and local interest. A community partner
would be needed to organize a location and any necessary equipment to facilitate additional

meetings. To request a meeting or suggest a topic for discussion, please contact Chris Rilling at
1-206-526-4194.

5. References
Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Regional Office. 2017. North Pacific Observer
Program 2016 Annual Report. AFSC Processed Rep. 2017-07, 143 p. Alaska Fish. Sci. Cent.,
NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle WA 98115. Available at
http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Publications/ProcRpt/PR2017-07.pdf
Barbeaux, S. Aydin, K., Fissel, B., Holsman, K., Palsson, W., Shotwell, K. Yang, Q., and Zador,
S. 2017. Assessment of the Pacific cod stock in the Gulf of Alaska. Accessed 30
November 2017 and available online at:
https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/stocks/plan_team/2017/GOApcod.pdf.
Faunce, C., J. Sullivan, S. Barbeaux, J. Cahalan, J. Gasper, S. Lowe, and R. Webster. 2017.
Deployment performance review of the 2016 North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer
Program. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-358, 75 p. Document
available: https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Publications/AFSC-TM/NOAA-TM-AFSC-358.pdf
Guyon, J. R., C. M. Guthrie III, A. R. Munro, J. Jasper, and W. D. Templin. 2015. Genetic stock
composition analysis of the Chinook salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska walleye pollock
(Gadus chalcogrammus) trawl fisheries. 26 p. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo.
NMFS-AFSC-291. Available at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Publications/AFSC-TM/NOAATM-AFSC-291.pdf.
NMFS 2017. Draft 2018 Annual Deployment Plan for Observers in the Groundfish and Halibut
Fisheries off Alaska. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th
Street. Juneau, Alaska 99802. Available at:
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/draft_2018_adp.pdf
NMFS. 2016. North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program 2015 Annual Report.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th Street. Juneau, Alaska
99802. May 2015. Available at
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2015observerprogramannualreport.pdf.
NMFS. 2015a. 2016 Annual Deployment Plan for Observers in the Groundfish and Halibut
Fisheries off Alaska. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th
Street. Juneau, Alaska 99802. Available at
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/final2016adp.pdf.
NMFS. 2015b. North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program 2014 Annual Report.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th Street. Juneau, Alaska
99802. 101106 p. plus appendices. Available at
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/annualrpt2014.pdf.
NMFS. 2015c. Supplement to the Environmental Assessment for Restructuring the Program for
Observer Procurement and Deployment in the North Pacific. NMFS, Alaska Regional Office,
Juneau. May 2015. Available at
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/analyses/finalea_restructuring0915.pdf.

NMFS. 2014. North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program 2013 Annual Report.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th Street. Juneau, Alaska
99802. Available at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/annualrpt2013.pdf.
NPFMC (North Pacific Fishery Management Council). 2011. Environmental
Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for Proposed
Amendment 86 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering sea/Aleutian
Islands Management Area and Amendment 76 to the Fishery Management Plan for
Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska: Restructuring the Program for Observer Procurement and
Deployment in the North Pacific. March 2011. 239 pages plus appendices. Available online
at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/analyses/observer/amd86_amd76_earirirfa0311.pdf .

6. List of Preparers and Contributors
Preparers:
Dr. Jason Gasper, Alaska Regional Office (AKRO)
Jennifer Mondragon, AKRO
Chris Rilling, Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC)
With contributions from:
Glenn Merrill, AKRO
Alicia Miller, AKRO
Farron Wallace, AFSC
Jennifer Watson, AKRO
Appendices B, C, and D were prepared by Dr. Craig Faunce, AFSC

Appendix A.

Council motions on the Annual Report and ADP

Agenda Item C-1: Observer Program Annual Report & OAC Report
June 9, 2017
1) The Council recommends that the draft 2018 Annual Deployment Plan include the following:
● Maintain status quo for:
○ Dockside monitoring of observed pollock trips (see comments below for longer
term solutions for tender offloads).
○ The trip-selection method to assign observers to vessels in partial coverage and
continue to deploy observers in the trip selection pools defined by gear (pot,
hook-and-line, and trawl).
○ Programming in ODDS that prevents a 40 – 57.5’ fixed gear vessel from being
selected for a third consecutive observer trip.
○ Allowing vessels to log up to three trips in advance in ODDS.
○ Continuing to place vessels less than 40 ft in the no selection pool.
● Evaluate:
○ Whether to continue the tender strata definition in 2018.
○ Comparing the following alternative deployment designs: 1) 15% coverage rates
across all strata; 2) equal coverage rates that can be afforded with available
funding; and 3) optimization allocations based on discards that includes
prioritization of PSC limited fisheries in the weighting schemes.
○ A preliminary evaluation of the method to split the fee budget between EM and
human deployment.
● For the EM pool:
○ If funding is insufficient to expand the EM pool up to 165 vessels, prioritize
deployment in the EM pool as follows: 1) longline vessels, whose data will be
used for inseason management; 2) vessels that are already equipped with EM
systems; and 3) vessels 40-57.5 ft LOA where carrying a human observer is
problematic due to bunk space or life raft limitations
○ To the extent possible, the Council recommends that NMFS consult with the EM
Workgroup and/or the OAC on policy choices made during the transition to an
integrated EM program in the 2018 ADP.
● Reprogram ODDS to allow vessels to change the dates for observed trips, rather than
cancelling and inheriting observed trips.
2) The Council recommends that NMFS incorporate the following in future annual reports:
● Evaluate pelagic trawl and non-pelagic trawl trips for evidence of observer effect;
● Include information on progress toward estimating variance of catch and bycatch;
● SSC comments, as appropriate.
3) The Council is concerned about the increase in Observer Program complaints for OLE priority
issues of safety and creating a hostile work environment, and encourages the industry to work
with OLE and observer providers to proactively engage in education and outreach effort to
reduce the number of complaints.

4) The Council appreciates NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO) efforts to
accommodate stakeholder input on the Statement of Work for the next partial coverage observer
provider contract, including presentations at the OAC meeting. The Council requests that AGO
schedule their upcoming outreach events during the October Council meeting.
5) Regarding tasking of observer projects:
● Low sampling rates: The Council approves the OAC’s recommendation to create an OAC
subgroup over the summer to scope out potential solutions for addressing low coverage
rates.
● Tendering and dockside monitoring: The Council tasks staff to develop a discussion
paper identifying specific data concerns with respect to vessels engaged in tendering, and
to work with industry groups to develop both short term and long-term solutions,
including potential regulatory changes.
6) The Council remains concerned about the combined effects of decreased funding and
sequestration and other delays in release of the fees. The Council recommends that NMFS
consider provide supplementary funds to help alleviate shortage in funding for observer
deployment as well as continue to pursue solutions that remove these funds from sequestration
rules and streamline the release of the collected funds.

Agenda Item C-6: Draft 2018 Annual Deployment Plan
October 7 , 2017
The Council supports the following recommendations for the draft 2018 Annual Deployment Plan
(ADP):
Continue the trip-selection method, definition of the “no-selection pool”, the policy of not granting
exemptions, and ODDS logging procedures described in the draft 2018 ADP.
Use the following sampling strata for 2018:
• EM selection pool: Fixed gear vessels that have opted-in and been approved to be in the EM
selection pool and have an approved VMP.
• Hook-and-line vessels greater than or equal to 40 feet (ft) length overall (LOA)
• Hook-and-line vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA delivering to tenders
• Pot vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA
• Pot vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA delivering to tenders
• Trawl vessels
• Trawl vessels delivering to tenders
Use an observer deployment allocation strategy of full optimization based on discarded groundfish
and halibut PSC (as described in Appendix C of the draft 2018 ADP).
Continue to collect salmon genetic samples, and use the methodologies for vessels delivering
shoreside or to tender vessels described in the draft 2018 ADP
The Council suggests analysts consider the impacts of reduced Pacific cod TACs on fishing effort
and coverage rates in the BSAI and GOA. Information from the November groundfish plan team
meetings be used to guide the analysts.
Based on the information at the time the draft ADP was prepared, the Council supports the following
preliminary deployment rates for the trip-selection strata in 2018:
• No selection - 0%
• EM selection pool - 30%
• Hook-and-line - 19%
• Tender hook-and-line - 15%
• Pot - 4%
• Tender Pot - 6%
• Trawl - 22%
• Tender trawl - 12%
For the 2017 Annual Report (provided in June 2018) and the 2019 Annual Deployment Plan:
• In coordination with the OSC, consider the comments from the SSC and the AP to include an
evaluation of gear specific “hurdle” approaches, incorporate crab PSC estimates, and develop
additional metrics for optimization in the annual evaluation process, to the extent possible.
• Evaluate the impacts of mixed gear trips on future sampling designs with the implementation
of sablefish pot fishery.

•
•

Consider the recommendations from the OAC to separate EM stratum information by gear
type.
Evaluate the cost implications and operational implications, for vessels and EM service
providers, of deploying EM on 100% of trips in the EM selection pool, with selection for
video review occurring after the trip is completed.

The Council requests that NMFS reprogram ODDS and CAS to allow vessels to be in the EM pool
for fixed gear and in the observer pool for trawl gear in the same year. The prioritization will be
determined in staff tasking.
The Council requests staff to provide the EM/ER Strategic Plan of 2013 and descriptions of proposed
EM projects. This information will help the Council prioritize projects, and determine whether and
when an EM workgroup should be appointed to shepherd new projects.

Appendix B.

Calculation of the Selection Rate for 2018

Introduction
The sampling design hierarchy used by the North Pacific Observer Program has several levels.
The deployment of observers or Electronic monitoring equipment (EM) as specified in Annual
Deployment Plans (ADP) only apply to the first, and top-most level of this hierarchy. The 2018
ADP specifies that the method known as “trip-selection” be the sole method of assigning
observers and EM within the ‘partial-coverage’ category of the fleet. In this analysis, the partialcoverage fleet is defined to only include those vessels for which sampling rates will be greater
than zero and less than 100% (i.e., the portion that is sampled at the trip-level).
Trip-selection is accomplished through the Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS).
Partial coverage trip-selection participants are sent a letter prior to the start of the calendar year
with their username and password so that they may access the ODDS and log planned fishing
trips. Each logged trip is assigned a random number of four digits ranging from 0 to 1. This
random number is evaluated against a pre-programmed selection rate in ODDS. If the random
number is below or equal to the selection rate, then a trip is selected for observation. For this
reason, two key elements of the sampling design are required to be known before fishing begins
in a given calendar year: (1) how fishing activities are divided into groups for the purposes of
observer or EM deployment (hereafter termed stratification schemes), and (2) how available
funds are to be used to divide sampling effort among participants (hereafter termed allocation
strategy). In addition, a representation of fishing activity that is thought to represent the
upcoming year needs to be developed in order for selection rates to be calculated known in
advance of the upcoming calendar year.
Alternative deployment designs are evaluated in draft versions of the ADP. The draft 2018 ADP
contained an evaluation of ten alternative designs for the deployment of observers into the
partial-coverage fleet (NMFS 2017). While the draft ADP analyses is focused on comparing
alternative designs, analyses in support of the final version of the ADP are focused on creating a
representation of future fishing activity and determining what selection rates for the upcoming
year result from the preferred design. The analysis that follows is based on the decisions made
by NMFS after consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC or
Council) at their October 2017 meeting regarding the Draft 2018 ADP.

Deployment design in 2018
EM Coverage

The rules governing EM participation are specified in new regulations published in 2017.
Participation in EM is voluntary. Between September 1 and November 1 of each year, vessels
can request to participate in EM through ODDS. After November 1, NMFS approves or denies
EM requests based on vessel eligibility and the available funding.
The selection rate for EM was not determined by analysis. The selection rate for EM for 2018
was instead guided by the EM Workgroup of the Council and is set at 0.3, or 30% of trips. In the
draft 2018 ADP it was assumed that all pre-wired vessels would participate in EM and there
would be an additional $1M for dedicated funding for up to 110 vessels total (NMFS 2017). For
the final 2018 ADP, funding for EM is anticipated to exceed $2M and should be ample to allow
25

141 vessels to participate (Appendix C). In addition, three vessels volunteered for participation
in federally funded EM Research (Appendix D) and will be placed in zero selection. Since the
EM selection rates have been set and an analysis of their costs considered in Appendix C, this
analysis only considers selection rates for observers.
Observer coverage

Separate regulations govern which fishing activities receive mandatory full coverage and those
activities are not the focus of this analysis. The sampling design used for partial coverage in this
analysis consists of five strata:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

TRW: Trawl vessels
POT: Pot vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA
HAL: Hook-and-line vessels greater than or equal to 40 feet (ft) length overall (LOA)
Tender POT: Pot vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA delivering to tenders
Tender TRW: Trawl vessels delivering to tenders

This stratification scheme differs from that recommended by NMFS in the draft 2018 ADP in
that it does not contain a stratum for Hook-and-line vessels greater than or equal to 40 ft LOA
delivering to tenders.
The sample allocation strategy in this design follows that recommended by NMFS in the draft
2018 ADP. Sample sizes are determined from a “15% + Optimization” allocation. In this
method, only available sample days above those needed to achieve 15% coverage are allocated
through an optimization routine. The optimization routine is a blended or compromise one
(Cochran 1977). Allocations arise from an equally weighted blend of three optimal allocations
among strata that each consider trip cost and variance in either discarded groundfish, Pacific
halibut Prohibited Species Catch (PSC), or Chinook salmon PSC.

Methods and Results
Changes in methods from last year

All analyses were performed using the R language for statistical computing (R Core Team 2016)
following the same general procedures and operating under the same general assumptions used
in previous Annual Deployment Plans. These include the selection of appropriate deployment
rates through iterative simulated sampling and the generation of “risk-profiles” of going over
budget. In this analysis the budget for 2018 is set so that the ADP is economically solvent
without Federal Funds through June 16, 2019 given stable fee collection funding each year and a
fixed travel budget 7. Details in budget forecasting can be found in a section by that name in the
draft 2018 ADP (NMFS 2017). The method to determine future fishing effort has changed from
the previous ADP and is described in later sections.
Data preparation

A dedicated dataset developed by the staff of the Sustainable Fisheries Division of the Alaska
Regional Office (AKRO) and the Fisheries Monitoring Division (FMA) of the Alaska Fisheries
Science Center was used in this analysis. Briefly, these data consist of species-specific catch
7

The travel budget is confidential due to contractual agreements.

amounts, fishing dates, locations, catch disposition, observation status, and associated ADP strata
from 1 January 2013 to 19 November, 2017.
As in past ADPs, trip data were altered to reflect the expected fishing under partial coverage in
the upcoming year. As in prior versions of the ADP these alterations include: (1) adding an
additional day to trips that occurred in the trawl pollock fishery to account for the additional cost
of monitoring associated offloads for salmon bycatch and genetic tissue collections 8, (2) fishing
activity by seven ‘historical low volume’ Catcher-Processors were labeled as belonging to the
partial-coverage category, (3) fishing by AFA eligible trawl vessels targeting Pacific cod in the
BSAI were relabeled as belonging to the full coverage fleet if they indicated this was their
preferred coverage for this activity in 2018, and (4) vessels with no probability of selection were
removed from the analysis following the draft 2018 ADP (i.e., all trips corresponding to hook
and line and pot gear on vessels < 40’ LOA, vessels fishing jig gear, and vessels that volunteered
to participate in electronic monitoring in 2018). Data from 2013 were excluded from the draft
2018 ADP and this analysis since the method used to define tendering trips was improved in
2014 to include methods such as “geo-fencing” to help define fishing trips.
Estimation of fishing effort in 2018

To estimate fishing effort for the upcoming year, a population of proxy 2018 fishing trips was
created in the following manner. First, trips from 19 November 2016 to 31 December 2016 were
considered reflective of these dates in 2018, and these data were added to trips from 1 January
2017 to 18 November 2017, which were considered reflective of these dates in 2018. This
approach was chosen because lacking additional information or a model, the most recent data
should be the best proxy for future fishing effort. Next, an anticipated reduction of fishing effort
was attempted following the recent stock assessment of Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod (Barbeaux et
al. 2017). Three adjustments were made to the ‘2018’ partial-coverage trip data: Hook-and-Line
and Pot fishing effort in the Pacific cod fishery was reduced by 75%, and Trawl fishing in the
western Gulf of Alaska (NMFS area 610) was reduced by 100 trips. These reductions were
determined in consultation with the Fisheries Monitoring Division of the AFSC and the
Sustainable Fisheries Division of the AKRO and were deemed appropriate given that Pacific cod
catch quotas in the Gulf of Alaska are expected to be reduced between 75-80% from 2017 levels.
Reductions of ‘2018’ data for trawl gear were conducted such that the proportion of trips
belonging to the TRW and Tender TRW 2018 strata were conserved.
It is necessary to ensure that the reduced ‘2018’ data accurately reflects the properties of the full
‘2018’ data set. Two statistical methods were used to help ensure this property for each reduced
subset of the ‘2018’ data (Hook-and-line, Pot, and Trawl). First, a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test
was used to determine if the distribution of fishing days among trips in the reduced subset could
be considered the same as that from the full subset. This test was necessary since the cost of
observation is related to trip duration. Second, a two-sided test of proportions was conducted to
examine whether the ratio of trips in each half of the year were identical between the reduced
subset and the full subset. This test was necessary because annual funding by NMFS for
observer and EM deployment occurs on a fiscal year schedule that is 6-months different from the
calendar year, and the estimated cost for each half of the year is needed by NMFS to inform
funding for contracts. New reduced subsets were created and new tests were performed until the
8

More details on observer sampling methods for salmon bycatch in Faunce (2015).

p-value from both tests in all subsets exceeded 0.95. At this point, the ‘2018’ data was
considered final and was used for simulated sampling.
Determining deployment rates for 2018

The selection rate that can be afforded in the coming year depends on several factors. These
include the amount of fishing that is expected to occur and the available budget. The available
budget for observer deployment in 2018 was set to $5,538,372.
The optimal sample allocation weightings for each stratum were recalculated following the
methods detailed in the draft 2018 ADP for the preferred design described in previous sections
(NMFS 2017). These recalculations were warranted since there are substantial changes in strata
membership between this and the draft version of the 2018 ADP (Table B-1). As in past ADPs,
the analysis of potential deployment rates was conducted through iterative simulated sampling of
proxy trips representing the upcoming year. Stratified random sampling without replacement of
the ‘2018’ trip data constituted one trial of one simulation. Sample sizes among strata for all
trials and simulations were set in terms of fishing trips and were set equal to the sum of two
elements: the base rate of 15% multiplied by the total number of trips in the stratum, and the
allocation weighting multiplied by the total number of trips available for optimal allocation after
the days available for base-rate coverage had been accounted for among all strata. In each trial,
the total number of days in sampled trips was summed for both the first half of the year (defined
as 1 January to 16 June for NMFS contracting and budget considerations) and for the entire year,
and compared to the available sea-days for the entire year. In addition, the days were expressed
as a cost and compared to the total budget available for the year. A total of 10,000 trials were
conducted for each simulation.
The initial number of trips afforded in this analysis was set from the sum of multiplying the
coverage rates expected for each stratum from the draft 2018 ADP by the expected number of
trips in each stratum in 2018 determined in this analysis. This initial number of trips afforded for
observer deployment only serves as a starting point for budgetary evaluations and several
versions of the simulations were conducted. In each successive simulation (hereafter termed
‘increments’), the total number of trips that could be sampled was incrementally increased by 5.
In each increment, the number of trials that exceeded the available budget were enumerated and
expressed as a proportion of the number of trials.
The results from each increment are presented in Table B-2 and Figure B-1. Based on these
results, the rates resulting from the eighth increment are recommended for use in the final
2018 ADP since they represent values that should result in a minimal number of extra days
under the constraint that the risk of over-spending by the NMFS be no more than one in
ten. The distribution of expected deployment days for the first half of the year and the full year
of 2018 from the selected iteration are presented in Figure B-2. It is estimated that 1,058 trips
totaling 4,394 days will be observed in 2018 (with 2,190 days occurring between January 1 and
June 16, 2018). This compares with 1,034 trips and 4,064 days estimated in the Draft 2017 ADP
(Table B-3). The expected difference between the available budget and the expended budget
under the selected increment and Table B-2 is depicted as a risk-profile in Figure B-3. The
average and most likely sea-day expenditure for 2018 is expected to be $80,430 under budget
with the possibility of being between $261,473 under budget and $364,328 over budget.

Discussion
Net increases in observer days and coverage percentages are expected in 2018 compared to 2017.
These changes are the combined result of a one-time increase in federal funding, increased
participation in EM, expected decreases in fishing effort in some sectors and changes in
optimization weights. It is expected that 4,394 observer days can be deployed in 2018. This
represents 43% increase from the number of days expected to be observed in 2017 (3,059) 9.
There was considerable variability in optimal allocation weightings between the draft 2018 ADP
and this analysis. The smallest relative change of +0.34% occurred in the POT stratum and the
largest change of -59% occurred in the Tender + TRW stratum. The Tender + TRW stratum has
considerable variability in catch depending on whether trawl vessels target pollock or Pacific
cod. The relatively large drop in allocation weighting in the Tender + TRW stratum likely
resulted from a decrease in the number of anticipated trips in the Pacific cod fishery that will
occur in 610, which reduced the variance in this stratum.
Despite the relatively large relative difference in the optimization weighting in some strata, the
resulting observation rates were much less changed between the draft 2018 and this analysis. For
example the Tender + TRW stratum change in relative coverage rates only increased by 3.8%,
and the largest among strata was in the Tender + POT stratum that increased by 12.4%. This is
because of the use of the baseline coverage rates in the preferred design - large fluctuations in
optimal allocation weighting are dampened depending on how much above the baseline coverage
can be afforded - the more total sea days, the more coverage rates will change due to changes in
optimal allocation weighting.
An evaluation of alternative baseline coverage levels among strata within the partial coverage
fleet including EM is expected to be prepared by the AFSC and reviewed by the Observer
Science Committee in 2018.

Literature Cited
Barbeaux, S. Aydin, K., Fissel, B., Holsman, K., Palsson, W., Shotwell, K. Yang, Q., and Zador,
S. 2017. Assessment of the Pacific cod stock in the Gulf of Alaska. Accessed 30
November 2017 and available online at:
https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/stocks/plan_team/2017/GOApcod.pdf.
Cochran, W. G. 1977. Sampling Techniques (Third Edition), New York, NY: John Wiley &
Sons.
Faunce, C.H. 2015. Evolution of observer methods to obtain genetic material from Chinook
salmon bycatch in the Alaska pollock fishery. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFSAFSC-288. 28 p.
NMFS. 2016. 2017 Annual Deployment Plan for Observers in the Groundfish and Halibut
Fisheries off Alaska. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th
Street. Juneau, Alaska 99802. Available online at:
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2017finaladp.pdf.
9

From the sum of actual expenditures January 1 - June 16th 2017 and the estimated observed sea-days for the
remainder of the year from the Final 2017 ADP (NMFS 2016).

NMFS. 2017. 2018 Draft Annual Deployment Plan for Observers in the Groundfish and Halibut
Fisheries off Alaska. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 709 West 9th
Street. Juneau, Alaska 99802. Accessed 1 December and available online at:
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2017finaladp.pdf.
R Core Team. 2016. R: A language and environment for statistical computing (Version 3.3.1). R
Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/.

Table B-1. Differences in budgets, participation, and total coverage estimated to be between the 2018
Draft ADP and this analysis. The numbers of vessels requesting and receiving Electronic
Monitoring (EM) coverage was estimated for the Draft 2018 ADP, whereas actual
participants were known in this analysis. For observed vessels, the number of vessels
participating is defined as vessels in partial coverage (non including zero coverage) in the last
complete year. For the draft ADP, the number of vessels was based on 2016. For this
analysis, the number of vessels is based on a 2018 proxy year.

Draft 2018 ADP

This analysis

1,000,000

2,361,850*

Observer

5,365,603

5,538,372*

110

141

Observer

557

510

Total anticipated funding ($)

Vessels participating

*Assumes external funding sources such as National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are received.

Table B-2. Comparison of the number of days (d), and trips (n) expected to be observed, the days
afforded that remain in excess (dR) after deployment, and proportion of trials that were under
budget (PPF) resulting from 10,000 simulated sampling trials. In each increment the number
of trips is increased. The recommended increment (highlighted) is that which results in the
greatest number of observed trips while having less than 10% of trials going over budget.
FH: First half of the year (for contracting purposes).

Increment

dFH

PPF

2124

4259

211

1023

1.000

2134

4279

191

1028

0.998

2144

4299

171

1033

0.998

2153

4317

153

1038

0.993

2166

4342

128

1044

0.982

2173

4356

114

1048

0.965

2181

4375

1053

0.938

2191

4394

1058

0.898

2200

4410

1062

0.832

2210

4429

1067

0.751

Table B-3. Comparison of the number of trips in a stratum (Nh2018), the optimal sample weighting (Whopt),
preliminary predicted observed trips (nh), days (dh), and coverage rates (rh) resulting from the
deployment sampling design described in the text.

Stratum (h)

Nh2018

Whopt

rh (%)

TRW

2,427

0.751

480

1,571

19.78

HAL

2,231

0.210

364

1,781

16.34

POT

858

0.017

131

456

15.28

Tender TRW

259

0.020

182

16.06

Tender HAL

0.000

15.42

Tender POT

105

0.003

15.46

TRW

3,320

0.782

670

2,354

20.18

HAL

1,831

0.190

316

1,680

17.26

POT

327

0.017

238

16.21

0.008

16.67

Draft 2018 ADP

This analysis

Tender TRW
Tender HAL
Tender POT

This stratum was removed.
23

0.002

17.39

Figure B-1: The total number of days expected to be observed in the first half of 2018 (top panel) and the
entire calendar year of 2018 (bottom panel) for incremental increases in the total number of
trips in which observers were deployed. For each increment, the outcome of a single trial is
depicted as a black dot. The average of the 10,000 trials for each increment are depicted as
blue dots. The number of outcomes are expressed by the width of the oval for each
increment. In this way, the mean is a good approximation of the most likely outcome. The
black horizontal line represents the available budget. The selected increment is depicted by a
shaded oval.

Figure B-2: Summary of 10,000 outcomes of simulated sampling from the preferred increment from the
prior figure showing the number of observed days expected for the first half (top panel) and
entire year of 2018 (lower panel). Dashed lines denote average outcomes from the
simulations while the solid black line depicts the number of days corresponding to the
available budget.

Figure B-3 The risk profile showing the proportion of 10,000 trials from the selected simulation
increment with annual observer day budgets greater than and lower than the available budget.
The mean outcome is depicted in the blue dashed line, the available budget is depicted by the
black solid line, and the maximum outcome is depicted by the vertical red line to the right.

Appendix C.

Comparison of optimized and 15% plus
optimization allocation strategies

This appendix provides an updated comparison of the Optimized and 15% plus optimization
allocation strategies showing the number of trips in the stratum (Nh), the optimal sample
weighting (Whopt), predicted observed trips (nh) and observer coverage rates.
This comparison uses the updated list of vessels in the EM selection pool and revised fishing
effort for 2018 (as described in Appendix B). Values between the optimized and 15% +
optimized designs within this table are directly comparable.
Stratum (h)

Metric

Whopt

Rate

Optimized
TRW

Discards w/ halibut PSC

3320

0.588

622

18.73

HAL

Discards w/ halibut PSC

1831

0.348

368

20.10

POT

Discards w/ halibut PSC

327

0.030

9.79

Tender_TRW

Discards w/ halibut PSC

0.028

33.33

Tender_POT

Discards w/ halibut PSC

0.006

26.09

15% + Optimized
TRW