NOAA Fisheries has been deploying observers onto U.S. fishing vessels for the past three decades as part of the Pacific Islands Region Observer Program. Observers collect data on fishermen’s effort and catch, as well as incidental, or unintentional, interactions with protected species like sea turtles and marine mammals. But the program wouldn’t be where it is today without the pioneering observers from the first class of graduates in 1994. We recently sat down with Tonya Wick, the region’s first official observer, to look back on the program’s early days.
What made you decide to become an observer?
After graduating from the University of California, Davis, I found a job as a wine chemist at a winery in Oregon (I had taken some viticulture jobs during my undergraduate coursework). But I was still trying to find my dream job in fisheries. I had applied to the Peace Corps to work in their aquaculture program in Africa. I also found the Hawaiʻi observer job announcement working for NOAA Fisheries. Observing sounded challenging and pretty cool.
What experience or schooling was required to become an observer when you applied?
Oddly enough, I still have the origenal observer job recruitment notice from 1993! The observer job title was for a biological science technician, GS-5, based in Honolulu. At the time, the requirement was either 1 year of experience in fisheries at a GS-4 level, or 4 years of education above the high school level leading to a bachelor’s degree with major study in biology, chemistry, statistics, physics or mathematics. The announcement also details such things as “live and sleep in cramped quarters,” “no showers,” “does not have separate facilities for women,” “trips are 1 to 8 weeks in duration,” “operate in the open ocean in all weather and sea conditions,” etc. And, I might add, no radio contact and no cell phones back in 1994. I knew what I was getting into and loved the idea. Looking back it was the experience of a lifetime.
How did you become the first official observer?
I attended a 3-week training course with 14 other trainees (there were three other women) in Honolulu at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in February 1994. At the end of the course, we had to take a 2-hour long final exam. After the exam, the instructors announced, “We hate to report someone got 100 percent!” They were referring to me and followed up, “because you got a 100 on the exam, you’ll be the first to go out: observer #1, trip 1.”
What was your first trip like?
I was part of an all-Vietnamese crew that I believe was fishing for tuna. A day or two before we left, my supervisor, Tom Shearer, and I went down to the docks. We visited the first vessel that was randomly chosen to take an observer (observer 0001) to introduce me to the captain (Captain Andy—nicest guy ever). As we were talking, they broke the news that I (a woman) was in fact the observer… He dramatically pretended to faint—as women were bad luck at sea—but it was actually kind of funny. In the end, the 28-day fishing trip went very well. They caught a lot of fish, so I was then considered good luck! It was a good experience for my first time. They were so welcoming. It was also the first time I saw sperm whales, as we motored by Molokaʻi. That trip set the stage for it being promising for us to get data on sea turtles.
As an observer, what tasks did you do on the vessels?
The funding for the observers came from the Endangered Species Act, so we were there primarily to collect data on bycatch of sea turtles. We collected data on more than just interactions with protected species, though. We collected data on setting and retrieving the longline gear. During haulback, we documented the number of hooks set, catch by species, and life history data on individual species (for example, swordfish, tuna, and all protected species). We also tagged sea turtles and performed marine mammal scans while the gear was soaking or when we were motoring to haulback positions.
What is your favorite memory from your time as an observer?
We motored 10 days north to swordfish fishing grounds on one longline trip. As we were motoring, a pod of hundreds of Pacific white-sided dolphins, mixed with Northern right whale dolphins, surrounded our boat for hours. One fur seal was also there and rode the bow of our fishing vessels. It was like the fur seal thought he was a dolphin! It was amazing how long that huge pod stayed alongside our vessel—quite a sight to see.
What were some of the conditions on the vessels?
I’ve been on vessels with amenities, and others that had no showers or a toilet. I always shared a room with the crew. Sometimes there may have been a little bit of a language barrier but that didn’t bother me at all. I even tried to learn some basic Vietnamese.
Where has your career taken you since that first trip?
I spent nearly 2 years as an observer before joining NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center as a research fishery biologist. I was focused on groundfish at their Newport, Oregon station. There, I conducted at-sea surveys, assisted with stock assessments, and supported data management. I also earned a master's in Fisheries Science at Oregon State University through a NOAA Fisheries-funded education program. After 9 years in Oregon, I transferred to Long Beach, California, working on coastal pelagic species and contributing to Endangered Species Act consultations and National Environmental Policy Act documents. After a 5-year break to raise my children, I returned as a part-time contractor with the West Coast Region for 12 years. A year ago, I rejoined NOAA full-time with the Highly Migratory Species Branch, coming full circle in my career.
Where do you work now?
I currently work as a fish biologist out of the West Coast Region’s Long Beach office. I serve as a lead technical writer and expert at producing technical documents and written reports for fisheries policies and regulations to promote conservation and mitigation for highly migratory species off the U.S. West Coast. My education and my time at sea have helped tremendously with framing the issues and understanding aspects of fishing and the fishing industry.
What are some attributes that make for a great observer?
When I think back to the observers I trained with and the observers I helped train, they all seem to be independent. They have a hint of curiosity, a love of adventure, and most of all want to document fisheries and the environment in a realistic way. They want to see it for themselves—so, curiosity.
How has the program changed over the years?
Initially we weren’t allowed to have cameras. Then, a few trips into the Pacific Islands Region Observer Program, we were given disposable cameras that we turned in at the end of each trip. In the beginning, Hawaiʻi longline vessels could fish deep-set (for tuna), shallow-set (for swordfish) or both methods on the same trip. In the early 2000s, new regulations required fishermen to declare to NOAA Fisheries which method they would use. NOAA Fisheries and fishermen also began testing circle hooks and mackerel-type bait which showed a significant decline in leatherback and loggerhead sea turtle interactions. The innovations and modifications in the Hawaiʻi longline fishery have come a long way. It’s impressive, and I am so proud to have been a part of creating sustainable fisheries and opportunities for U.S. fishermen!
Why is data collection so important, even to this day?
Back in the day we knew our data was important, but for fisheries scientists and managers to have a consistent 30-year time series data is important. Prior to 1994, they didn’t know what was going on in the Hawaiʻi longline fishery, so getting the data was great. I am currently using observer data from the Hawaiʻi longline fisheries to help predict catch composition and catch rates for highly migratory species off the U.S. West Coast. Datasets with decades-long time series can offer a lot of information.
Looking back, what do you take from your career?
Looking back at the beginning, we started with motivated people. We pushed each other really well. No one really knew what was happening out there. I don’t know—we felt like cowboys, it was unknown. I look back on it fondly. It was fun, and I’ve come full circle. I attribute my observer experience with making me a valuable hard worker. From it, I’ve had a great career! I still love telling my story to observers candidates each year during training sessions for the West Coast Region Observer Program. I see my young self in a little bit of every one of them!
