This data set contains data that were collected by trained observers aboard Japanese pelagic longline vessels operating in the US EEZ. Observers collected information on the catch, bycatch, and fishing effort details of these fishing operations. Of particular concern were catches of bluefin tuna, and bycatch of marlins.

This data set contains catch and effort, landings, and observer data from longline vessels fishing in the North Pacific outside the U.S. west coast EEZ. Logbooks and landings data are available from 1991 to the present and observer data is available from 2001 to present. California-based longliners target swordfish and bigeye tunas, however, other species of tunas, billfishes, and sharks are also caught.

This data set contains catch (numbers) and effort data from RP022 and RP023 data collected by commercial fishery vessels. Date, latitude, longitude, float line length, mainline length, gear type, number of hooks per basket, number of baskets fished, number of hooks fished and number of various tunas, sharks, marlins and fishes caught are included in this dataset.

This data set contains data that were collected by trained observers aboard domestic pelagic longline vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. Observers collected information on the catch, bycatch, and fishing effort details of these fishing operations.

This data set contains the logbook data of U.S. longline vessels based in Hawaii from 1990 to the present that fish in the central Pacific (120 deg W - 170 deg E and 50 deg N - 20 deg S). Tunas (Thunnus spp.) are the dominant species of the longline catch. Swordfish and blue shark were also numerous in the longline catch prior to April 2001. In addition, there are approximately 10 to 15 other Pelagic Management Unit Species (PMUS). Since April 2001, there have been numerous regulation changes that affect the catch and effort and fishing area of the fleet; the point of contact should be contacted for more information.

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center Mississippi Laboratories conducts research and develops gear modifications to mitigate bycatch in fisheries. The data set includes data from three pelagic longline bycatch mitigation research projects, including the Grand Banks sea turtle mitigation research (2002-2003), Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Cooperative Research Project (2005), and Gulf of Mexico bluefin tuna mitigation research (2008-2012). These data were collected in conjunction with the SEFSC Pelagic Observer Program (POP) to augment the existing POP data by including set position, haul position, and surface temperature for the start and end of each section of longline.

Table of variables collected by observers documenting the date, location, and basic gear and environmental characteristics of gear deployed during observed trips.

In the U.S., driftnet observer data were managed and archived by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and disseminated to NMFS driftnet program scientists in the AKFSC and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Using the combined edited data from all 1990-1991 observer deployments on the squid and large-mesh vessels, Marian Yong of the SWFSC Honolulu Laboratory produced a text file of operation-level, species-specific summary statistics. For each observed operation, separate records of details were created for each species taken during the operation within each observed combination of retrieval type and net depth. In most operations there was just a single category - ordinary retrieval of gear set at the sea surface. All records included a set of header fields including information on vessel ID, flag state, observer nationality, date and location of gear deployment, environmental characteristics, and more. For fish and squid species, each record included additional fields of summary statistics pertaining to the totality of sections monitored: number of sections, mean mesh size, number of standardized (50-m) tans deployed, number of animals decked, number of dropouts, and number of animals of unknown status (this was always empty for squid and fish, as explained below). Other fields contained the same set of aggregate statistics for sections which were monitored for dropouts. In the case of mammals, birds and turtles, some of the fields just described for fish and squid were overloaded with different data pertinent to protected species. The field for decked animals represented the number of animals that were decked and discarded dead, the field for dropouts contained the number of decked animals released alive, and the field for unknown status referred to the number of animals released in unknown condition. In addition to the species-specific records detailing primary monitoring information, data for each operation included a single "Null Species - Operation Marker" record. This was designated by species code 999 and included all the operation-level header data and operation-level summary statistics for average mesh size, total number of sections monitored, and total standardized tans deployed. These statistics were detailed for all the sections monitored and for the subset of sections where dropouts were assessed. The Augmented Data The original text files of observation-level data were prepared in 1992 (dn90obs, dn91obs, and a combined file DNALLOBS). They have been circulated and used in a few subsequent analyses and published papers. However, they have remained largely unavailable and undocumented. The purpose of this project was to create and describe an enhanced version of the original file of combined operation-level data that is easier to use for data analysis and visualization. The enhanced version includes several new fields. To augment the 'species code' field in the original file, new hierarchical taxonomic fields were added to provide species common name, scientific name, group and category. In addition, a new 'date' field was added based on the original fields of operation day, month and year. Finally, new decimal fields of operation 'latitude' and 'longitude' were added. The new data set is provided in an accompanying Excel file: Driftnet Observer Data_12Aug24.xls

In the U.S., driftnet observer data were managed and archived by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and disseminated to NMFS driftnet program scientists in the AKFSC and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Using the combined edited data from all 1990-1991 observer deployments on the squid and large-mesh vessels, Marian Yong of the SWFSC Honolulu Laboratory produced a text file of operation-level, species-specific summary statistics. For each observed operation, separate records of details were created for each species taken during the operation within each observed combination of retrieval type and net depth. In most operations there was just a single category - ordinary retrieval of gear set at the sea surface. All records included a set of header fields including information on vessel ID, flag state, observer nationality, date and location of gear deployment, environmental characteristics, and more. For fish and squid species, each record included additional fields of summary statistics pertaining to the totality of sections monitored: number of sections, mean mesh size, number of standardized (50-m) tans deployed, number of animals decked, number of dropouts, and number of animals of unknown status (this was always empty for squid and fish, as explained below). Other fields contained the same set of aggregate statistics for sections which were monitored for dropouts. In the case of mammals, birds and turtles, some of the fields just described for fish and squid were overloaded with different data pertinent to protected species. The field for decked animals represented the number of animals that were decked and discarded dead, the field for dropouts contained the number of decked animals released alive, and the field for unknown status referred to the number of animals released in unknown condition. In addition to the species-specific records detailing primary monitoring information, data for each operation included a single "Null Species - Operation Marker" record. This was designated by species code 999 and included all the operation-level header data and operation-level summary statistics for average mesh size, total number of sections monitored, and total standardized tans deployed. These statistics were detailed for all the sections monitored and for the subset of sections where dropouts were assessed. The Augmented Data The original text files of observation-level data were prepared in 1992 (dn90obs, dn91obs, and a combined file DNALLOBS). They have been circulated and used in a few subsequent analyses and published papers. However, they have remained largely unavailable and undocumented. The purpose of this project was to create and describe an enhanced version of the original file of combined operation-level data that is easier to use for data analysis and visualization. The enhanced version includes several new fields. To augment the 'species code' field in the original file, new hierarchical taxonomic fields were added to provide species common name, scientific name, group and category. In addition, a new 'date' field was added based on the original fields of operation day, month and year. Finally, new decimal fields of operation 'latitude' and 'longitude' were added. The new data set is provided in an accompanying Excel file: Driftnet Observer Data_12Aug24.xls

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) began placing observers on foreign fishing vessels operating off the northwest and Alaskan coasts of the United States in 1973, creating the North Pacific Foreign Fisheries Observer Program. Initially, observers were placed on vessels only upon invitation by host countries. In the early years of the program the primary purposes of observers were to determine incidental catch rates of Pacific halibut in groundfish catches and to verify catch statistics in the Japanese crab fishery. Later, observers collected data on the incidence of king crab, snow (Tanner) crab, and Pacific salmon, and obtained biological data on other important species. Following the implementation of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, which mandated that fishery observers be placed on foreign fishing vessels operating within the US 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the Alaska coast of the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, observer coverage rapidly expanded. By 1986, the foreign fisheries that were not joint-venture were halted.