Action Taken To Rid “Rotten Apples” From Observerff

From Atuna.com

The process of debriefing observers when they return from fishing trips needs work and is a “high priority” to better understand what happens onboard tuna vessels, says Peter Sharples, the observer and port sampler coordinator at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). The follow-up procedure verifies the observer’s data collection and highlights any incidents of illegal fishing – two areas that have come under fire in recent weeks.

In June, the Otago Daily Times, a New Zealand newspaper, featured a helicopter pilot who criticized the observer program in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). The pilot, Brian Grant, had been flying tuna “spotters” off fishing boats for three years and claimed the majority of observers he encountered were not doing their jobs properly. He said some were earning second incomes by accepting bribes, something which he never saw but only heard about, to under-report catches and to ignore illegal fishing activities such as the dumping of smaller, less profitable tuna. 

Grant’s story does point out real problems, but it “grossly exaggerates” them, says Sharples. He acknowledges there are “some rotten apples” that they are working to eliminate in the region’s pool of more than 600 observers – all of whom are nationals of the Pacific island countries.

“Naturally, as in any sizable industry, it is difficult to vouch for the integrity of each and every one of them,” says Tim Park, the observer programs manager at the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).

By ensuring suitable debriefers are in place, compliance officers can be alerted to issues quickly and the incidents can be effectively dealt with, says Sharples. The process, which can take half a day to a day, or more depending on the length of the trip at sea, is commonly conducted through a direct interview by a trained debriefer, who also checks the data for accuracy and quality.

Observers are likely to be caught if they fabricate numbers due to “numerous tricks” in the data analysis, says Sharples.

The best debriefers, he explains, are experienced observers and currently there is a lack of both. It’s not easy, he says, to recruit people who are willing to work away from their families and in a potentially hostile environment. Observers face the difficult task of working alone amongst 20-30 crewmembers, who are often suspicious and resentful of their presence.

“As a significant number of our observers are all fairly new, we’ve had to get that experience in observers before we could produce the next level of data scrutiny. Right now, training of debriefers is a high priority,” says Sharples.

As seasoned observers, debriefers are very adept at identifying observers who break reporting protocols and they are skilled at pinpointing areas where observers may need more training, says Park. The process, then, is also an ongoing training opportunity.

Since 2010, the WCPO has had 100% observer coverage on purse seine vessels. The SPC’s certification and training program, which includes meeting ethical standards, police clearances and health checks, has become more extensive in recent years due to the increasing expectations of observers.

“The role of the observer in the Pacific tuna fishery has moved from a purely scientific one, to one that increasingly includes a monitoring role,” says Park. Observers are now expected to be the eyes and ears on the ocean – though they are not law enforcers – documenting any violations of the conservation measures as set out by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

The current basic observer course takes six weeks to complete, but conversely, there are increasing pressures to restrict the training to be more economical, says Park. Fortunately, infrastructure to support observers in their reporting is being developed, he says.

In terms of detecting dishonest behaviour in observers, Sharples says they are always trying to find new methods and it wouldn’t hurt if witnesses notified the authorities instead of newspapers.

“Frankly, we need the Brian Grants of this world, instead of going to newspapers, coming and telling us what they see and showing us the evidence so we can deal with it.”