Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP)

Northeast Fisheries Observers gather data onboard commercial fishing vessels off the East coast. Observers will be deployed on a variety of vessels fishing in the Atlantic Ocean from Maine through North Carolina.

Vessels range in size from 30-100 feet in length, with trips lasting from 1-14 days. Vessels can travel from 3-200 miles off shore in all weather conditions. Observers are required to be flexible, resourceful, have the ability to work long and sometimes odd hours, and do some heavy lifting in strenuous working conditions. At times, observers will be required to travel to multiple ports. The workday is determined by the vessel's fishing schedule and NMFS sampling protocols and can range from 5-15 hours a day. Back-to-back deployments are common.

Training is 3 weeks long, and is located at the Observer Training Center in Falmouth, MA.

Observer Duties:

• Provide independent catch estimates
• Sample species composition
• Provide fish IDs and measurements
• Collect biological samples
• Monitor marine mammal and bird interactions
• Document fishing activity (set times, positions, gear performance, etc.)
• Record and report all data to NMFS
• Comply with all regulatory requirements
• Collect specific vessel data
• Carry out assigned special projects

Observer Requirements:

• In addition to the general requirements that must be met by all observer candidates (see About Observing), NEFOP observers must also fulfill the following specific requirements:
• 30 semester hours in applicable biological sciences
• A college level course in math and statistics (minimum of 5 credit hours combined)
• A college level course with the use of dichotomous (taxonomic) keys
• Computer experience
• A CPR and First Aid certification

If interested, please click “How Do I Apply?” to be directed to our online application.