A 10-man team from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Acushnet boarded the trawler Alaska Victory yesterday just south of Amchitka Island and found the crew was "overreporting fish production weights." The 226-foot factory trawler, part of the Fishing Company of Alaska fleet, was fishing for Atka mackerel. The boarding team sent a field report to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which regulates the catch, "so the vessel can be inspected pierside to verify they are following federal reporting procedures," says a Coast Guard press release issued today. USCG photoWednesday, February 3, 2010
Trawler trouble
A 10-man team from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Acushnet boarded the trawler Alaska Victory yesterday just south of Amchitka Island and found the crew was "overreporting fish production weights." The 226-foot factory trawler, part of the Fishing Company of Alaska fleet, was fishing for Atka mackerel. The boarding team sent a field report to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which regulates the catch, "so the vessel can be inspected pierside to verify they are following federal reporting procedures," says a Coast Guard press release issued today. USCG photo
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dirty, lieing, draggers!! 100% on-deck Observer Coverage or OUTLAW these dirty, politician/council member buying THEIVES!! IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE!! OR STARVATION!!
ReplyDeleteThere is always lying and cover-up out there in the Bering Sea. Look at what they are doing to the salmon that are not coming back to their spawning grounds. Leaving the poor people high and dry.
ReplyDeleteYes they do lie and steal!! I Second the Statement above, and invite the UNKnown Soldier/WITNESS and Others to comment at MY version of A.C.C.! Click MY Title to GO THERE! Wonder why Wes won't put this HORRIBLE TRAVESTY AND CRIME AGAINST the AMERICAN PUBLIC on the Front Page?? IT IS A DISASTER!! Obama's Man had to DECLARE what the Alaskan corrupt bastards club has been HIDING for DECADES!! ENJOY!! -PEACE-
ReplyDeleteAngry Crabber: Since the AK Victory is over 125 ft, it does have 100% observer coverage.
ReplyDeleteHold on a second, the dragger was "overreporting fish production weights"? If I understand this correctly, this means the dragger was reporting that it was harvesting MORE fish than it really was. I am not sure WHY any fisher would want to do this...?
ReplyDeletePossibility #1 - STUPIDITY. It is possible the mate in charge of keeping the reports simply used the wrong report codes, or extrapolated round weights using the wrong PRR (Product Recovery Rate).
Possibility #2 - ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY. It is possible that the management of the vessel was concerned that they be sure to account for all fish caught, and to err on the side of caution they decided to count more fish rather than less.
Possibility #3 - LONELINESS. It is possible that the crew, being stuck on a hellhole factory dragger at bumf*ck Amchitka wanted to go home, but knew the only way that would happen is if they filled the boat, so they artificially inflated the case counts to try to convince the captain that it was time to go in.
Possibility #4 - DEVIOUSNESS. It is possible that, having landed more than its share of Atka Mackerel, FCA management wanted the season to close quickly to prevent other competing draggers from increasing market share and creating a glut of inveenotries, thus propping up market demand and prices.
Oh, and by the way - observer coverage is not particularly relevant to the charge of "overreporting fish production weights." The observer data is independent of and separate from the responsibility of the vessel to accurately report its catch. Vessel logbooks and observer reports are kept and submitted separately. Also, 100% observer coverage is really only about 30% coverage on a random sampling basis - the observer has to eat and sleep sometime, and since the lowest paid person on the boat, is typically not that mortivated to volunteer for more duties than minimally necessary.