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Project Overview
Project Overview
Catch data for reporting and management purposes is generally recorded in metric tons/ year. This means that when an at-sea observer reports that a Pacific sleeper shark (or other large shark species) was caught, a weight needs to be assigned to that shark. However, in longline fisheries, many sharks are not brought onboard, or the at-sea observer cannot access them to obtain measurements or weights. In these cases, weights are assigned by looking back at catch of that species in similar circumstances- similar area, similar time, or with similar fishing gear. But, since the larger sharks are generally excluded from this (as they are the hardest to get on deck and weigh), weights are biased towards smaller individuals. This makes the weight of large sharks caught each year by longline vessels highly prone to error, and difficult to correct for.
This project seeks to increase the amount of data available on sharks in Alaskan waters through use of electronic monitoring (EM) technology and machine learning. Thanks to the participation of numerous partners and fishery vessels, we are increasing our knowledge of these species while simultaneously expanding the field of EM fisheries applications.
Examine the ability of EM cameras to detect large sharks and estimate discards
Develop methods to estimate the size of large sharks not brought on board
(from 2020 Sleeper Shark Stock Assessment, Tribuzio et al.)
Integrate size information in the catch estimation process
This project is funded through the NOAA Catch Shares Program and collaborative with the NOAA Alaska Regional Office, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Alaska Pacific University, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and industry partners
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