June 29, 2016 — Fishermen opposing the cost-shift of at-sea monitoring say they are moving forward with a federal lawsuit despite the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concession that it will help pay for the cost of the monitors for New England fishermen.
The at-sea monitoring program analyzes the fishing area, as well as the catch and gear type, in order to monitor sector quotas. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the research arm of NOAA Fisheries, is required to collect scientific, management, regulatory compliance and economic data for fisheries.