Category: Fisheries Services

Project Overview:

Archipelago has been contracted by DFO and fishing industry groups to provide observer staff, custom data processing and reporting services for many different research survey programs. Archipelago currently participates in the following fisheries research surveys conducted in Canada’s Pacific region: Sablefish Research and Stock Assessment Survey; Queen Charlotte Sound Multi-Species Synoptic Bottom Trawl Survey; West Coast Haida Gwaii Multi-Species Synoptic Bottom Trawl Survey; PHMA Depth Stratified, Random Design Longline Survey and the Scientific Data Collection Program for SK-Bowie Seamount.

Project Overview:
In 1998, the DFO implemented a commercial salmon catch reporting program for all South Coast commercial salmon fisheries. This program required commercial salmon fishers to record their retained catch, at sea releases, and time and location information in a DFO Salmon Logbook for all fishing activities. There was also a requirement for fishers to report their catch and release information by telephone immediately following each opening. In 1999 and 2000 DFO contracted Archipelago to print and distribute the South Coast Salmon logbooks and set up and manage a telephone service to collect in-season catch reports. Phone-in information was recorded into a central DFO database via web based (intranet) input screens. This provided catch data on a timely basis so that it could be used for in-season management of the fisheries. In 2001, the program was expanded coast wide, since that time Archipelago has provided catch reporting services to the commercial salmon fleet in BC.

Project Overview:
Archipelago provides at-sea observer services to Pacific Region domestic and joint venture fisheries. These services were contracted to DFO between 1987 and 2013 and are currently contracted to industry associations. The programs involve a variety of tasks including the collection of catch and effort information, biological samples and compliance monitoring data, providing observers to collect data on different commercial (groundfish trawl, shrimp trawl and groundfish hook and line/trap) and experimental fisheries (e.g. tanner crab, hagfish, squid fishing, seamount fishing). Archipelago is responsible for observer recruitment, training, and certification, as well as the management of observer deployments, data audit and reporting, observer debriefing and trip report preparation.

Project Overview:
In 1989 the geoduck fishery on the west coast transitioned to an ITQ fishery whereby the total quota was distributed equally among the 55 geoduck license holders. The geoduck fishers, represented by the Underwater Harvesters’ Association, contracted Archipelago to set up and conduct a dockside monitoring system for the 4-6 million pounds of geoduck landed at a variety of ports in BC. The company has been continually contracted since 1989 to provide DMP services for the geoduck fishery. Archipelago is responsible for collecting landing information, fishing information and Geoduck fishery data management, which provides up-to-date landing information for each license and fishery management area. As well, Archipelago coordinates on-grounds monitors, quota block transfers, mapping diver harvest data the paralytic shellfish poisoning sampling to coordinate fishery openings.

Project Overview:
Archipelago is contracted by the BCCIGS to provide the services of dockside monitoring and electronic monitoring for the Ground fish Hook and Line Catch Monitoring Program (GHLCMP). This service involves the electronic monitoring (EM) of all fishing trips, and the monitoring of all offloads of ground fish landed by vessels participating in the program and verifying landed weights and numbers of pieces by species. An audit and data consolidation component of the program involves analysis of EM data, and integration of these data with DMP, hail and fishing logbook data to provide a consolidated data summary for fisheries management. Since its inception in 2006, the EM program within this fishery has clearly demonstrated how EM can effectively address a variety of monitoring issues, including retained and discarded catch identification, enumeration, and size determination, as well as time and area restrictions. This program is often used as a benchmark EM program example worldwide.

Project Overview:
In January 1994 Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) instituted a user-pay DMP for BC’s groundfish trawl fishery. DFO contracted Archipelago to set up and conduct the DMP as well as to design and manage a data system capable of providing real time data on all trawl vessel landing activities and landed weights by species. This information was necessary for in-season management of this complex multi species fishery. Archipelago was initially contracted by DFO, then later by the CGRCS, and has provided dockside monitoring services to the groundfish trawl fishery annually since 1994.