Paper. Fisheries Observers and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fisheries Observers oversee the harvesting, handling, and processing of fish and other marine resources, as well as collect biological data during commercial fishing. Their importance on board a vessel is often overlooked and at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic it was a scary place to be.

There have been numerous reports of entire crews’ bunk bound because they had contracted COVID-19. With nowhere to go, the only option is to lie low and wait out the period of isolation. The question is how does this affect the observer’s work, which is hands on?

This is the topic of interesting research published recently. Titled “Impacts of COVID-19 on at-sea data collection and regulatory activities and fisheries catches off Namibia”, the paper is written by Victoria Ndinelago Erasmus, who is employed by the Namibian Fisheries Observer Agency. She draw on the assistance of her counterparts, Vasana Tutjavi, Abisai Konstantinus, Toivo Uahengo, and Stanley Ndara.