fishery monitoring
   services

Monitoring programs and data collection systems have become integral to the management of most commercial fisheries. Similarly, the same tools are essential to conducting stock assessment and other scientific research cruises. Archipelago Marine Research Ltd. has been a pioneer and leader in the design, implementation, and delivery of these program for commercial fishing industry groups and government agencies for over 20 years. Archipelago provides technology innovation and data management solutions to our clients, ensuring program delivery in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Fisheries Monitoring includes objective third-party data collection, reporting and analysis. Archipelago is able to provide a variety of tools to meet diverse management and research needs. These include:

Electronic Monitoring: Passive electronic systems monitoring a host of vessel activity parameters including the ability to use digital imagery for catch by species analysis. EM provides an excellent at sea monitoring tool, providing accurate, timely, and verifiable fisheries data.

At Sea Observers: Archipelago is considered a leader in the provision of Observers for At Sea Monitoring in the north-east Pacific. With over 25,000 days at sea providing catch estimates, samples, tagging and support for research programs, we can design and deliver a program suited to most management or research needs.

Dockside Monitoring: Independent, third-party validation of offloaded catch has been key to many commercial groundfish and finfish fisheries. Archipelago has been providing catch verification, data management, and sampling services for dockside montitoring programs since 1989.

Data Capture and Reporting: In addition to third-party data collection, Archipelago is uniquely suited to collect data reported through more traditional means. This includes fisheries hail, fishing log, and remote, vessel-reported catch systems.

Sampling: We have a vast amount of experience in the collection of biophysical measurements, otoliths, DNA, scales, and variety of other samples. We have been integrally involved in the application, recovery, and documentation of a variety of passive and active tags for research purposes. Sampling is integral to most dockside and at sea monitoring programs.

.:

At Sea Monitoring

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 utilize on-board (“at sea”) monitoring programs to ensure compliance with fishery regulations and collect important information supporting in-season fishery management, stock assessment and scientific research.

Archipelago has provided observer services to the Canadian government and commercial fishing industry since 1985. We have specialized in the areas of groundfish and shellfish. Completed and on-going 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 systems.
  • 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.

.:

Electronic Monitoring Services

Archipelago has been actively involved with the use of Electronic Monitoring technology for fishery applications since 1992. Electronic Monitoring involves the placement of tamper-proof automated computing systems aboard fishing vessels to independently monitor a variety of activities to provide accurate, timely and verifiable fisheries data. Recent technology developments enable data capture for many routine fishery operations. Archipelago has been testing and utilizing a variety of technologies in various fisheries to address specific fishery monitoring and management objectives. EM-based monitoring has been successfully applied in a variety of commercial fisheries in North America (both coasts), Australia, and New Zealand. It has been used for a variety of fishery information needs including: fishing time and location; gear deployment and retrieval methods; catch and by-catch handling; and catch identification, enumeration and disposition. The participation of the fishing industry has been essential to developing and implementing EM-based monitoring solutions through industry knowledge of the fishery, and the design of and participation in effective data collection processes. Some of our projects are profiled below:

Featured Projects

.:

At Sea Observer and Monitoring Services

Archipelago has been a leader in the provision of At Sea Services since 1985. During this time, Archipelago has been intrinsically involved with the development and implementation of numerous Commercial Monitoring Programs and Scientific Research Surveys. Highlights of these programs include:

  • Technical staff with over 25,000 days of at sea experience collecting fisheries catch and biological data.
  • Extensive involvement with the development of customized onboard catch and biological sampling procedures.
  • Specialized training, procedural manuals, and the provision of equipment required for the collection and reporting of both catch and biological fisheries data.
  • Customized data collection, verification, analysis, and reporting.
  • Customized electronic data entry, verification and analysis.
  • Timely collection, verification and delivery of biological samples.
  • Production of detailed cruise reports and program summaries.

Featured Projects

.:

Dockside Monitoring and Related Data Collection Services

Archipelago Marine Research Ltd. is a pioneer in the development of Dockside Monitoring and related Data Collection and Catch Reporting services on the west coast of Canada. Archipelago has set the standards for dockside monitoring procedures, developed a wide variety of resources such as training materials, species identification, and data collection technologies; as well as establishing standards in data management.

Dockside Monitoring includes a variety of services carried out at the point of landing for commercial fisheries. Catch data systems include a broad scope of data collection and reporting systems such as on the grounds catch reporting, data entry, or electronic reporting of catch data from sea. Examples of dockside and catch reporting services include:

  • Third-party verification of landings (species identification, weights, and piece counts).
  • Collection of fishing log, hail, and other fisheries-related information.
  • Collection of samples and tag information for scientific purposes.
  • Compliance monitoring of commercial activities.
  • Application of tags and other product identifiers for market tracking, compliance, and research purposes.
  • Data verification, analysis, and reporting.

Featured Projects

.: