Successfully managed commercial fisheries must ensure that harvesting practices fit within long-term
resource conservation targets and sustainability goals. In meeting these objectives, fisheries data
systems must become more comprehensive and higher quality in terms of accuracy, timeliness, and
verifiability. Many commercial fisheries in British Columbia use at-sea monitoring programs to ensure
compliance with fishery regulations, and to collect important information supporting in-season fishery
management, stock assessment, and scientific research.
Archipelago is listed with the Canadian General Standards Board as an accredited dockside monitoring
company, and is approved for training and certifying fisheries observers. For a quarter century,
Archipelago has provided certified observer services to the Canadian government and commercial fishing
industry, specializing in groundfish and shellfish. Completed and ongoing observer contracts include the
provision of dockside monitoring programs and at-sea observer services for domestic and foreign fisheries
on Canada's Pacific Coast.
Typical components of these projects have included:
- Design, production, and implementation of data collection and reporting programs.
- Collection of biological and commercial catch data, and the provision of these data in a verified electronic format.
- Documentation and tracking of individual quotas for in-season fishery management purposes.
- Monitoring commercial offloads of fish and shellfish.
- Provision of offshore fisheries observers for foreign and domestic vessels fishing both inside and outside Canada's EEZ.
As Western Canada’s largest and longest running observer services company, Archipelago is a trusted provider
of observer services, both at sea and dockside.
For more information, contact Archipelago.