“Considered essential workers, federal fishery observers have continued monitoring Pacific commercial operations during the pandemic, but COVID-19 restrictions have forced them to reduce — or even cease — operations in some areas.
In 2016, the Association for Professional Observers and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility released statistics showing that the number of reported incidents of intimidation, harassment and assault of observers hired by NOAA more than doubled from 35 in 2013 to 84 in 2015.”