# Who watches Alaska's fishing boats in 2027

> In 2027 camera hardware moves into Alaska's fisheries monitoring budget while the AI that could review the video waits on staff.

Published 2026-11-14 by Alaska AI. 9 slides.
Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-11-14/

## The story

This camera watches an Alaska fishing boat. Who watches the footage?

One review provider, priced by the hard drive.

NMFS prices camera review by the hard drive, a year of review spending divided by drives reviewed. The program currently has one EM review provider.

Congress paid for the cameras. That money is expected to end this year.

Since 2023, Congressional Directed Spending covered new EM systems and replacements. With it spent by the end of 2026, the 2027 plan carries that cost itself, about $6,002.96 a year per fixed-gear camera boat.

A preliminary $5.45M, with cameras off the top.

Trawl cameras come off the top at $732K. About $4.72M is left for observers and fixed-gear cameras, subject to change.

Nobody is chosen.

Boats under 40 feet and jig boats have no chance of carrying an observer or a camera in 2027. The draft expects 1,427 such trips.

Some trips still carry a person.

In the draft, an observer rides 79 of 253 expected fixed-gear trips in the Bering Sea and Aleutians, 31.35 percent. In the Gulf it is 174 of 1,868, or 9.31 percent.

Who gets watched in 2027.

The AI that could review the video is on a list.

NMFS intends to support it in 2027, "pending availability of staff resources." The title is in the draft. The staffing is pending.

Should the AI review line get staff before the fleet pays for more cameras?

The final plan goes to the Council, meeting November 30th through December 9th.

## What we verified

- NOAA Fisheries posted the Draft 2027 Annual Deployment Plan resource page on November 6th. [NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/draft-2027-annual-deployment-plan-observers-and-electronic-monitoring-groundfish), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The PDF cover of the draft plan is dated September 2026. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS set a preliminary budget of $5.45M for monitoring the partial coverage fisheries in 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The preliminary budget includes 2025 ex-vessel fee revenue, estimated 2026 ex-vessel fees and any federal funds secured for monitoring. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS estimated trawl EM would cost $732K and deducted it from the $5.45M budget first. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- About $4.72M remains to deploy at-sea observers and fixed-gear EM after the trawl EM deduction. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS lists a sharp increase in travel costs and other inflationary pressures in 2026 as a source of budget uncertainty. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- Since 2023 Congressional Directed Spending funds went directly to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission for new EM installations and equipment replacements. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The Congressional Directed Spending funds are expected to run out by the end of 2026, so EM equipment installation and replacement costs now sit in the 2027 ADP budget. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The North Pacific Observer Program monitors a fleet of nearly a thousand vessels. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The fleet fishes across an Alaska Exclusive Economic Zone of roughly 3.77 million square kilometers. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS expects to monitor 2,742 trips in the full coverage component in 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The full coverage component is estimated at 16,374 monitored days in 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS expects to monitor 1,404 trips in the partial coverage component in 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The partial coverage component is estimated at 4,408 monitored days in 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The at-sea observer fixed-gear BSAI stratum has a draft selection rate of 31.35 percent, with 79 of an expected 253 trips monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The at-sea observer fixed-gear GOA stratum has a draft selection rate of 9.31 percent, with 174 of an expected 1,868 trips monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The at-sea observer trawl BSAI stratum has a draft selection rate of 46.54 percent, with 16 of an expected 35 trips monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The at-sea observer trawl GOA stratum has a draft selection rate of 15.34 percent, with 47 of an expected 305 trips monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The EM fixed-gear BSAI stratum has a draft selection rate of 42.99 percent, with 40 of an expected 92 trips monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The EM fixed-gear GOA stratum has a draft selection rate of 15.24 percent, with 154 of an expected 1,010 trips monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- All 894 expected EM trawl GOA trips get at-sea EM compliance monitoring, and about 298 deliveries get dockside biological sampling at a one in three rate. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The full coverage observer stratum expects 968 trips in 2027, all monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The full coverage EM trawl BSAI stratum expects 1,774 trips in 2027, all monitored. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The no-selection stratum expects 1,427 trips in 2027 with a zero percent selection rate. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The no-selection pool covers vessels under 40 feet length overall and vessels fishing jig gear, which have no chance of carrying an observer or EM system in 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS will run 6 selection pools and 10 sampling strata in 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- Starting in 2028, fixed-gear EM vessels with at least three years in the pool must complete at least nine trips over the latest three years to stay in it. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- Vessels that miss the minimum effort rule are automatically moved into the at-sea observer pool. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- For 2027 a vessel re-enters the EM pool after logging 15 trips in the last 3 years in the at-sea observer pool. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- Of 172 vessels in the fixed-gear EM pool for all three years from 2023 to 2025, 39 completed no trips. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The draft lists an AI project titled Scaling AI tools to Modernize Data Collections and Analytical Practices of Electronic Monitoring Videos among EM development projects for 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS says it intends to support the listed EM development projects in 2027 pending availability of staff resources. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The Council recommended keeping the fixed-gear EM selection pool at up to 181 vessels for the 2027 ADP. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office), reproducing an NPFMC letter](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS estimated the recurring annual equipment cost per fixed-gear EM vessel at $6,002.96. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS calculates average EM video review cost by dividing a full year's video review spending by the number of hard drives reviewed. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- NMFS will present the final 2027 ADP to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in December 2026. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The North Pacific Fishery Management Council meets November 30th through December 9th in Anchorage. [North Pacific Fishery Management Council](https://www.npfmc.org/future-council-meetings/), primary document, 2026-11-14.
- The final 2026 ADP set a partial coverage budget of $4.75M for EM and observer deployment. [NOAA Fisheries Information Bulletin IB-26-02](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/ib-26-02-final-2026-annual-deployment-plan-observers-and-electronic-monitoring), primary document, 2026-01-13.
- An independent expert panel reviewed the ADP design in 2026 and made no recommendations to change the core ADP for 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The full coverage fleet is served by three NMFS-permitted observer providers, two EM hardware providers and one EM review provider. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- The EM trawl BSAI stratum has been planned at 100 percent at-sea EM compliance every year from 2023 through 2027. [NOAA Fisheries (AFSC and Alaska Regional Office)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-11/draft-2027-adp-akro.pdf), primary document, 2026-11-06.
- KTUU reported in August 2025 that the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association received a $485,000 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to develop AI for electronic monitoring. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/08/17/inflation-continues-rise-some-fisheries-turn-artificial-intelligence-lower-costs/), report, 2025-08-17.
- ALFA policy coordinator Lauren Howard told KTUU that 'We have a 3% cap on our cost recovery.'. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/08/17/inflation-continues-rise-some-fisheries-turn-artificial-intelligence-lower-costs/), report, 2025-08-17.
- The News-Miner reported that the Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission unanimously recommended a data center moratorium. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/borough-planning-commission-weighs-in-on-data-center-moratorium/article_13c587a1-d510-49fa-a9f5-8d8c10838d1e.html), report, 2026-11-13.
- The News-Miner reported that the commission lengthened the recommended moratorium to 18 months from the 12 months the borough administration requested. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/borough-planning-commission-weighs-in-on-data-center-moratorium/article_13c587a1-d510-49fa-a9f5-8d8c10838d1e.html), report, 2026-11-13.
- The News-Miner reported that GU-1 general use zoning covers about 97 percent of the borough. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/borough-planning-commission-weighs-in-on-data-center-moratorium/article_13c587a1-d510-49fa-a9f5-8d8c10838d1e.html), report, 2026-11-13.
- Planning Commissioner Eric Muehling said 'I'm hearing anxiety from people over AI in general.'. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner](https://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/borough-planning-commission-weighs-in-on-data-center-moratorium/article_13c587a1-d510-49fa-a9f5-8d8c10838d1e.html), report, 2026-11-13.

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