For the shrimp fishery, there is a heavy focus on bycatch and discards. Federal Gulf shrimp permit holders are required to carry an onboard observer if selected by NOAA’s Southeast Regional Office (SERO) to participate in the Galveston Laboratory Observer Program, and participation is a condition for permit renewal. Data collected from observers is utilized by the Shrimp Bycatch Reduction Device Evaluation Research program, which is conducted through NOAA’s lab in Galveston, Texas. This project consists of onboard monitoring and scientific data analysis. The Galveston Lab Observer Program is part of National Observer Program under NOAA Office of Science and Technology (NOAA OST: National Observer Program). Observer data between 2007 and 2010 indicated that 185 species may be caught incidentally in shrimp trawls (Raborn et al 2014), including endangered and commercially and recreationally important species.
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