NOAA is looking for commercial fishermen and fishing vessels to participate in a new yellowtail flounder survey alongside agency scientists.
The following article on the survey appeared in the New Bedford Standard-Times.
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — June 27, 2013 — Five fisheries scientists based in Woods Hole came to the city Wednesday and spelled out the details of a new yellowtail flounder survey to be performed from commercial fishing vessels in August.
The effort is designed to bring commercial fishermen into the process of conducting surveys, and to give the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's survey ship Bigelow something to compare to.
The NOAA is looking for two boats big enough to berth five scientists and five crew members, who will work 24-hour days in shifts for 12 days. They will survey Closed Area 2 on Georges Bank, just west of the Hague line, where yellowtail populations are typically concentrated.
The need for large boats with so many berths and the capacity to carry enough fuel and provisions may exclude many yellowtail fishermen, who typically operate smaller boats. So NOAA wants to include yellowtail fishermen as part of the scientific team or even as co-captain or first mate on the large boat.
The yellowtail survey, the first done by NOAA, will be followed up by an October survey in which one commercial boat will accompany the Bigelow.
The yellowtail survey is critical because disappointing survey results have resulted in sharp quota reductions.
Yellowtail have become a "choke species," and boats are landing their quota very fast, forcing them to stop fishing even for abundant stocks. It is leading many to believe the surveys are wrong and need to be repeated.
NOAA scientist Russ Brown noted that Richard Canastra, owner of the BASE fish auction, has told him about the poor quality of yellowtail being landed, and few juvenile fish are being surveyed. Poor nutrition may be causing the fish to choose between reproduction and growth, Brown said.
About 20 people attended the session at the Whaling Museum. Carolyn Woodhead of NOAA, who is conducting the bid process, said NOAA has extended the bidding period, which originally ended Wednesday, for one week, to July 3.
Read the story at the New Bedford Standard-Times
Read NOAA's release and application for participation in the flatfish survey