Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Division of Marine Fisheries
251 Causeway Street, Suite 400
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 626.1520
Fax (617) 626.1509
 
 
September 23, 2002
Press Release
 
BOTTOM TRAWL SURVEYS WITH COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS
PILOT PROGRAM TO BEGIN 2003
 
 
The Division of Marine Fisheries (Marine Fisheries) has been selected by NOAA
Fisheries (NMFS) to launch a pilot program for Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod
surveys beginning early next year. Working in close coordination with Maine,
New Hampshire, and NMFS officials and scientists at the Northeast Fisheries
Center, Marine Fisheries will be the Program Manager for this new survey pilot
program using commercial fishing vessels.
 
According to Marine Fisheries' Director Paul Diodati, "This type of program
was championed by Marine Fisheries in 1999 through the Massachusetts Fisheries
Recovery Commission. In the intervening years the benefits of this type of
collaborative research with the fishing industry have become obvious. Now we
have federal funds and widespread support to move forward." Director Diodati
added, "These surveys represent a very timely opportunity for the states and
the federal government to work together to improve our knowledge of GOM cod
distribution and to gather information sure to improve cod stock assessments.
Involving commercial fishermen at the ground level and using their knowledge
of cod movements and net design will be tremendous assets. It will
demonstrate to fishermen that those who assess cod abundance and manage their
fisheries understand fishermen have a wealth of knowledge to contribute."
 
Three-quarters of a million dollars has been provided by NMFS for this survey
work involving 10-day survey cruises using at least four commercial vessels
fishing standardized bottom trawls. Deputy Director, Dr. David Pierce, one of
the originators of this approach for improving assessments, expressed his
gratitude to NMFS and the other states that supported Marine Fisheries' lead
role in these industry-based surveys. He stated, "Everyone seems to
understand that we are committed to making this research concept work well.
This pilot program must be successful to justify a long-term program.
Challenges and obstacles will be overcome with fishermen's knowledge and
expertise. Value of these surveys is unquestionable, and we all look forward
to this new research partnership with commercial fishermen in Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, and Maine."
 
An important part of the survey design will be selection of some stations by
fishermen and their involvement in determining sampling strata (distinct
areas with set numbers of stations).  Fishermen selecting stations is a new
twist to the stratified random sampling design used by NMFS in its bottom
trawl surveys of fish abundance. A Survey Implementation Team, including
representatives from the commercial fishing industry, will work out all these
details in the next few months in time for a January start date for the first
cod survey.
 
This new partnership will be coordinated by the NMFS Cooperative Research
Partners Initiative (CRPI) with its objective of "collecting data that will
improve our knowledge of fish populations and translate this data as an
expanded information base for monitoring of existing and developing new
fishery management strategies." The 12-member CRPI Implementation Team will
have its first meeting no later than October 31. Anyone from the fishing
industry willing to serve on that committee should contact David Pierce at
617-626-1532. The deadline for submission is September 30.
 
Marine Fisheries will schedule a meeting(s) in early October with commercial
fishermen to answer questions, discuss survey design details, and get ideas
about how to ensure survey success. Notice of the meeting date and location
will be sent via the Marine Fisheries listserv and will be posted on our
website: www.mass.gov/marinefisheries.
Anyone interested in participating should attend the meeting and review the
report: "Implementing an industry-based survey pilot fleet in New England".
 
 
 
 
For more information or to join the MarineFisheries listserv
contact Melanie Griffin at 617.626.1528.