What happens with photographs taken by observers and who is allowed access to them?
Observers have collected thousands of images while at sea, usually with the permission of the owner or skipper onboard. Observers are supplied with digital cameras to take photos for identification purposes, but they have also collected an ever-increasing range of more general images. Although these photographs are not specifically required by the Fisheries Observer Program (FOP), they are a valuable resource. However, the FOP must ensure confidentiality, and therefore will not supply images that contain identifiable vessels or people’s faces, without their explicit permission. As such, there is an acquisition protocol to follow. If pictures are required, please email the FOP Coordinator or contact the Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23 with details of the required images from the FOP image database. The photos are kept in a secure environment and can be searched by keyword to select the desired and appropriate ones. Since observers take the photos and maintain this database voluntari
