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Contact: Patricia Smith Fishermen Need to be Aware of Observer Requirements MOREHEAD CITY – Individuals fishing in North Carolina’s coastal waters may be monitored by state and/or federal observers and are required to carry observers on their vessels if requested. Observers monitor various types of fishing gear and activities collecting information on catch, discards, bycatch and protected species interactions. Much of the observer effort at this time is focused on the inshore gill net fishery. State observers work with the Division of Marine Fisheries and are either biological technicians or Marine Patrol officers. Fishermen holding any division-issued fishing license are required to cooperate with observers. State observers monitor both commercial and recreational fisheries. For more information on the Division of Marine Fisheries’ observer program, contact Red Munden at (252) 808-8009. Federal observers with the National Marine Fisheries Service are also working in North Carolina coastal waters. Vessels selected to be monitored by federal observers must successfully complete the U.S. Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Examination and display a current safety decal issued within the last two years. Vessels that do not have a current safety decal are deemed unsafe for purposes of carrying a federal observer and are prohibited from fishing. Federal enforcement action may result when a vessel required to take a federal observer does not meet the safety requirements and embarks on a fishing trip without that observer. Federal observers primarily monitor commercial fisheries. For more information on the National Marine Fisheries Service’s observer program, contact Amy Van Atten at (508) 495-2266. For more information on the Commercial Fishing Safety Examination and safety decal, contact the Coast Guard’s Fishing Vessel Safety Office at (252) 247-4526. nr-46-10 |