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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In 2021, Archipelago, partnered with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), embarked on a journey to test the efficacy of the FishVue LIME system. This innovative tool aimed to improve the accuracy and consistency of data collection, leading to the modernization of the management of the coastal WA Commercial Dungeness crab fishery. During […]
Archipelago provides electronic monitoring equipment (EM) and services to groundfish trawl vessels in the Pacific region based on the management and monitoring requirements of the fishery. EM services consist of providing equipment and technical support, managing and processing EM data and sharing results with industry and DFO stakeholders. Program services involve collecting and processing electronic […]
The Alaska Pollock Trawl EM program operates under an exempted fishery permit (EFP) allowing the use of EM as a substitute for human at-sea observers on 30 midwater trawl vessels fishing in the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska pollock fisheries. This EM program is split between federally funded (via grants) and industry funded […]
The West Coast Groundfish EM program operates under an exempted fishery permit (EFP) to use EM for three fleets: Pacific whiting, longline/trap (fixed gear), and trawl vessels. This project started in 2013 and is ongoing in the West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington) region. This EM program is coordinated by fishing industry association to meet Federal […]
Run through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, this project operates under an exempted fishing permit (EFP) allowing the use of EM as a substitute for at-sea observers on five crab fishing vessels in California. The project uses EM to evaluate the commercial viability of an experimental box crab fishery. Archipelago provides equipment and […]
Project Overview: US Alaska Cooperative Research (Fixed Gear) EM Program started in 2014 and is currently still ongoing. It is primarily directed at ground fish hook and line (and trap) vessels targeting halibut, sablefish, and Pacific cod. The existing EM pool consists of over 140 vessels that carry EM for all fishing operations. This is […]
Project Overview: This program started as a pilot, with a pioneering company in the fishery. After demonstrating the success in data collection and value of the data, the government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands made electronic monitoring a license requirement. Individual vessel owners are now required in their license agreements to have a […]
Archipelago delivers a full range of EM services to several national fisheries in Australia. These include the Eastern and Western tuna and billfish fisheries (pelagic longline) as well as the groundfish hook and trap fisheries (gillnet and auto-longline.
This pilot project is a joint effort by Archipelago, Marine Instruments and Marine Instruments local dealer in France, ISIFISH. Following reports of dolphin bycatch in gillnet fisheries in the Bay of Biscay, the French government commissioned a demonstration EM project to assess the data collection capabilities on these small vessels. A new MarineObserve EM system […]
Overview of project: Since 2005 Archipelago has partnered with the Stewardship Centre for BC in the development and implementation of Green Shores (www.greenshores.ca), a credit and rating program for sustainable coastal design and development. The Green Shores program provides resources and tools for coastal land-owners and managers to minimize development impacts and restore coastal […]
Overview of project: In recent years, many development projects have been proposed for the Port of Prince Rupert. These projects generally require restoration initiatives in order to offset projected impacts to nearshore fish habitat. Habitat restoration is also a key priority of environmental stewardship initiatives by the port, First Nations and NGO’s. The need to […]
Located off the coast of British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii islands in Hecate Strait, the site of the proposed NaiKun wind energy project is said to offer some of the strongest and most consistent winds anywhere in the world—ideal conditions for a renewable energy initiative of this type. This region is also highly valued by residents and visitors alike for its natural beauty and unspoiled wilderness….
Overview of project: Archipelago provided the environmental assessment for the marine component of the gas pipeline project that was located in Portland Inlet and Chatham Sound and ended at Ridley Island (south of the proposed Vopak project). This assessment involved a thorough technical overview of marine resources and features along the marine portion of the […]
Project Overview: With a natural habitat bank planned for Greater Victoria’s Esquimalt Harbour, Archipelago in partnership with SNC Lavalin—was contracted by the Department of National Defense (CFB Esquimalt) to facilitate the project from an environmental perspective. This involved identifying the best locations for three rocky reefs, creating a design for each of the structures, and […]
Project Overview: The Capital Regional District (CRD) of Greater Victoria recently sponsored a pilot project to investigate and determine accurate, economically efficient, and easily repeatable methodologies to update the outdated ecological inventory of the urban harbours. The objective of the ecological inventory and classification is to provide data and maps that can be used to […]
Project Overview: Defense Construction Canada, on behalf of the Department of National Defense (DND), undertook dredging in Constance Cove, Esquimalt Harbour, as part of DND’s multi-year, harbour-wide sediment remediation program. One of the mitigation measures recently implemented with the Constance Cove remedial dredging is the salvage of understory kelp within the project’s dredge footprint prior […]
Archipelago was involved in three rigorous survey programs: an Ecosystem Health Assessment, Long Term Monitoring Program, and Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment Program (BMAP). The Ecosystem Health Assessment was developed to use biological indicators to benchmark the health of the local marine ecosystem prior to development. The Long-Term Monitoring Program centered on the collection and analysis of synoptic water, sediment, and biota quality data in Bish Cove, Emsley Cove (as a reference site), Kitimat Arm, and two nearby creeks
Archipelago was contracted by the Fraser River Pile and Dredge on behalf of Public Services and Procurement Canada to provide environmental monitoring services during the South Jetty Reconstruction project at the Esquimalt Graving Dock in the Greater Victoria area…
