Michael Lake

Alaskan Observers, Inc. (AOI) recruits biologists year-round to work as Domestic Groundfish Observers in Alaska. We also recruit biologists to work as observers in Washington, California, and Oregon. We are in the business of helping the government obtain the data necessary to achieve a sound management plan for the protection and benefit of future fisheries resources in the Bering Sea, North Pacific, and on the West Coast. While working and living aboard domestic fishing vessels, AOI's observers sample catches for species composition, and for the incidence of salmon, halibut, and crab; they make estimates of total catch; and they collect age structures and gather biological data from target species. The National Marine Fisheries Service uses this information for the purposes of both in-season management and to establish fishing quotas for future seasons. Fisheries Observing is a challenging and unique position. This is not a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. job--rather, twelve to fourteen hour days are the rule. Gathering, sorting, and weighing a sample at sea is a physically demanding job, and recording the data gathered requires a biologist's attention to detail. The work is further complicated by the fact that observers and fisherman have different objectives--diplomatic efforts on the observer's part, aimed at securing a mutually agreeable working environment, are often part of the job.