Alaskan fishing boats to test electronic catch monitoring

A NOAA catch observer (Credit: NOAA)

Ten Alaskan fishing boats are participating in an experimental catch monitoring program that will help gather data for fisheries, according to an AP story on KTOO.org.

The longliners, sailing from Sitka and Homer, Ala., have been outfitted with cameras that will snap photos of every fish caught, while also recording GPS coordinates. The program aims to determine if electronic monitoring equipment can effectively replace onboard observers.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration requires certain halibut and groundfish boats to carry observers onboard to record fishery data.

Image: A NOAA catch observer (Credit: NOAA)