Scientific Fisheries Observers

Sustainable fisheries management must be based on a sound understanding of the state of fish stocks and on compliance with management strategies, regulations and fisheries policies. To this end, it is essential to collect data on fishing activity, with fisheries-dependent data playing a key role. This data is collected by trained and specialised scientific personnel on board fishing vessels. Working as a scientific observer on fishing vessels provides an understanding of the mechanics of fishing operations, the functioning of fishing gear, and a comprehensive overview of the composition of catches in the fishery, including commercial catches and unwanted catches (discards and incidental catches of protected species).

Scientific fisheries monitoring involves a wide range of activities, such as sorting and identifying caught species; conducting size and biological surveys; collecting biological samples for studies on growth, reproduction, diet and genetics; and tagging marine species for studies on migration and survival. In addition, observers monitor bycatches of species that are protected or vulnerable to fishing (marine mammals, turtles and sharks). Currently, the development of new technologies applied to fisheries observation, such as electronic monitoring, has presented new challenges for fisheries monitoring, in which human observers continue to play a very prominent role.

The data collected is used by fisheries assessment groups to produce technical reports on the portion of the stock exploited by fishing. Furthermore, the data and reports are used in forums, committees and working groups for decision-making regarding the management of renewable marine resources and therefore have a significant socio-economic impact on the fishing industry.

The course provides participants with training on scientific fishing observation programmes, international protocols, and new technologies applied to fisheries monitoring. It covers current methodologies for sampling, analysis, and data integration through practical case studies. It also examines the specific characteristics of sampling in different types of fisheries. It analyses differences arising from fishing gear and the biological characteristics of the target species. It includes the study of small-scale fisheries, purse seine fisheries, tuna and related fisheries, and trawl fisheries. Taken together, it provides a comprehensive overview that strengthens the operational skills of scientific observers.