The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) will offer reimbursements for at-sea observers it requires on all boats in the New England groundfish fleet, according to an announcement made last week by the authority that regulates commercial fishing the United States.
Trips beginning on or after 1 July will be eligible for reimbursement of an estimated 85 percent of total monitoring costs through a new program NOAA is developing with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the organization said on 23 July. Reimbursements will be made until newly available funding runs out, NOAA said.
After NOAA announced last year that fishermen in New England would be responsible for paying for the monitors themselves, the organization faced bitter complaints about the added cost. The monitors, who live on board and aim to ensure compliance with U.S. fishing rules and regulations, can cost up to USD 800 (EUR 720) per day.
U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire) both praised the move, according to Seacoast Online.
"While I have fought for and continue to strongly believe that NOAA should fully fund its at-sea monitoring program, I am pleased the administration will reimburse fishermen for a percentage of the costs incurred for the program,” Ayotte said. “These unfair fees place an impossible burden on our small business fishermen and going forward, I will continue my efforts to support New Hampshire fishermen in their fight against the fees."
Environmental groups, however, decried the fact that NOAA only requires monitoring on 14 percent of all trips taken by New England groundfishermen, calling the number inadequate, according to WBUR.
"The current monitoring program, regardless of who is paying, is a waste of money," Johanna Thomas, the Northeast regional director of the Environmental Defense Fund's Oceans Program, said. She told WBUR the fishery is "in crisis" and NOAA should take steps to "create a viable, robust monitoring program."
In a press conference, Samuel D. Rauch, NOAA Fisheries deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs, said the funding is a short-term program only valid for the remainder of 2016 and said there is no expectation for NOAA to fund any at-sea monitoring in 2017, according to Seacoast Online.
