West Coast Groundfish Observer Program Manual, Part2 - NOAA

CHAPTER 5
OTC on Fixed Gear Vessels
There are only two ways to calculate OTC on fixed gear
vessels.
Weight Method 11 – Retained + Discarded
This method is used when 100% of the gear is tally
sampled.
OTC = ∑ All Catch Categories on Catch Form
Weight Method 8 – Extrapolation
This method is used when less than 100% of the gear is
tally sampled.
OTC=
_∑All Catch Category Weights on Catch Form X Total # Hooks in Set
Number of Hooks Sampled
The OTC cannot be calculated on Fixed Gear vessels until
the sampling has been completed and is the last calculation
made each haul.
Prior to Sampling
Before sampling on a fixed gear vessel Observers must do
two things:
1. Define A Set.
2. Determine The Amount Of Gear Fished In Each
Set.
Defining A Set
Due to the wide variety of fixed gear types utilized off the
West Coast, there are two distinct ways to define a set. The
WCGOP Field Manual provides more detailed information
on defining sets for specific gear types.
1. Longline and Pot String Sets.
5-26 1/30/2004