2026 Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Annual Discard Report with Observer Sea Day Allocation by Fleet and Trip Selection System

This document contains a compilation of information that meets the 2026 Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) annual discard report requirements. For fish and invertebrate species groups, several of the required annual discard report elements (discards and precision by fleet) can be found in McAfee (2026), along with a description of the data sources, methods, results, and discussion. Similarly, for sea turtles, further information can be found in Murray (2012, 2023) and Precoda and Murray (2024). In addition, this report also describes the methods used to identify and apportion the observer sea days among selection systems, presents the numbers of sea days by fleet and selection system, and outlines the expected observer coverage by fleet. The values inform the initial SBRM coverage settings within the Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) at the start of a sampling program and will be adjusted as needed to optimize sea day accomplishments.