"The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) initiated, in early 1992, scientific sampling of the U.S. large pelagic fisheries fleet, as mandated by the U.S. Swordfish Fisheries Management Plan. Scientific observers are placed aboard vessels participating in the Atlantic large pelagic fisheries by the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center NEFSC). This newsletter describes the activities of the SEFSC Pelagic Longline Observer Program (PLOP). The PLOP coverage generally occurs on, but is not limited, to vessels fishing in the Atlantic south of Virginia. The scientific observer program contracted and monitored by the NEFSC provides coverage of the large pelagic fleet fishing the waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight to the Grand Banks"--Introduction, paragraph 1.

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