[kokanee]

I agree with this, but I really think the rationale for surveillance legislation like this is "all of the above." Some stakeholders are only interested in protecting marine resources, but others are in fact focused on identifying anglers who are poaching. See https://globalfishingwatch.org.

I have been on salmon charters in Alaska and Canada, and it is surprisingly easy for even a well-intentioned skipper to drift out of a legal fishing zone while tending to everything else happening on the boat. I'm not excusing those mistakes, but I can definitely understand their reluctance to carry surveillance units onboard.

It's a tough problem; all parties have strong arguments, but the interests aren't aligned. I do think there are some actionable areas most folks would agree on, like investing in measures to deincentivize rogue international fishing operations and bottom trawlers/dredgers.

[javajosh]

> it is surprisingly easy for even a well-intentioned skipper to drift out of a legal fishing zone while tending to everything else happening on the boat

Skippers do have a lot to deal with, but I don't think it's asking too much of them to have accurate awareness and control of the position of their craft at all times.

If staying out of forbidden areas is difficult, then perhaps one could use a geofencing app that would work offline using GPS signals, which are generally easy to pick up on the water in good weather. You would input some boundary on a map, and the app will periodically check position and alarm if you've entered the forbidden area. I bet this is even a feature on marine navigation systems and even some watches.