Natural Resources Job Board

Frank Orth & Associates (FOA) is accepting applications for qualified Fishery Observers to participate in the West Coast Region Fisheries Observer Program. FOA is under contract with the National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Region (NMFS) to provide biologists serving as observers on board commercial fishing vessels participating in drift gillnet, buoy gear, pelagic longline and other fisheries off the California and Oregon coasts through January 2025.

The training for these positions will be May 28-June 14 in Long Beach, CA to serve as observers aboard vessels targeting swordfish, sharks, and tuna. The position requires working and living aboard commercial fishing vessels 40-100 feet in length for 1-30 days at a time and travel to a variety of ports in California and Oregon, primarily San Diego to Santa Barbara with the possibility of traveling farther north. These positions are highly competitive and we often have many prior observers return to the program for multiple seasons.

Sampling duties include: identification and tallying of all catch, measurements of various species, biological specimen collections from the catch, identification and sampling of marine mammals, sea turtles and sea birds, and maintaining marine mammal and protected species sighting records. All new hires will go through a two week training class administered my NMFS in Long Beach, CA.

Minimum Qualifications: Candidates must be a natural U.S. Citizen or a non-U.S. Citizen with at least 5 years of continuous residency in the U.S. A Bachelor degree in biology, wildlife, fisheries or other related field with at least 30 semester hours of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, ichthyology, animal husbandry, physics, or mathematics of which at least 6 semester hours are in marine science or fisheries.