July 31, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — NOAA Fisheries and the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils have announced three new cooperative research projects that will improve the understanding of monkfish biology, as well as how to reduce catch of skates in monkfish gillnet gear. 500 days-at-sea have been set aside by the councils to be awarded to projects that address monkfish research priorities.
Coonamessett Farm Foundation was awarded 296 monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) days-at-sea to conduct a 2 years study on determining sex and maturity stage in Southern New England monkfish. Coonamessett Farm Foundation will use ultrasound methods to determine sex and maturity stage. In addition, they will also be conducting hormone analyses to “create a reproductive profile based on sex and maturity stage of monkfish.”
Meanwhile, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County was awarded 303 monkfish RSA days-at-sea to conduct a 2-year experiment evaluating a modified gillnet designed to reduce skate bycatch. The University of New England was awarded 401 monkfish RSA days-at-sea to conduct a 2-year study on monkfish vertebrae and illicia.
This story originally was originally published in Seafood News, it is republished here with permission.