In 2005, 1 in 10 fishery observers experienced some form of harassment. These are the folks we rely on to get accurate information about what's actually being hauled out of the sea, and the numbers from NOAA, the agency that hires them, indicate that threats and intimidation are on the rise. Or at least they were until the agency stopped collecting data last year (which is always a really good time to stop tracking a trend in your data, just when you start noticing a change).

Observers are essential to fishery management. It's an unusual job that attracts smart young wayfarers and veteran boaters alike. I have a number of friends who've been observers over the years and they've had wild experiences out on the water watching whales, eating giant Ocean sunfish, and bunking amidst stacks of, ah, specially wrapped magazines. Without someone to keep an eye on what's hauled onto the deck, the incentive to cheat is strong. Why not throw back that fish you weren't supposed to catch in the first place? Who would know?

The observers know, and that's why we need them and we need to keep them safe. Maybe it's time to move towards a privatized observer system, like they have in British Columbia, and ask fishermen to contribute to paying for observers, especially as more fisheries transition to valuable quotas. Then again, at least you can FOIA the government to find out what's going on. Too bad the government isn't keeping track.