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Introduction

Observer Training Guide

Chapter Objectives

  1. Review a vessel’s structural elements and identifying information.
  2. Summarize purse seine fishing operations, gear, and equipment, including fish aggregating devices (FADs).
  3. Review how to describe fishing effort and strategies.
  4. Briefly address safety on board. Before you collect any details about a vessel’s catch, it is important to record a vessel’s basic information so that it can be correctly identified by the RFMO. This information also includes details about how the vessel fishes: the size of its net, its use of electronics, and its deployment of buoys and FADs. You will record this information on the forms the RFMO will provide.

We will also briefly cover in this section a vessel’s compliance with the use of a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and standard safety at sea.