March 21, 2013 — In the fall of 2010, the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Cooperative Research Program (NCRP) awarded more than $3 million to network groups designed to tackle difficult challenges in New England and Mid-Atlantic fisheries. These network projects provide a cross-discipline platform for fishermen, scientists, gear manufacturers and managers to work together to address their most pressing issues.
“By bringing people together with various technical and practical knowledge, we can develop more selective strategies for people to fish so that they can better reach their annual catch quotas and avoid species they don’t want to catch such as non-target fish or protected species,” said Dr. John Hoey, Director, Northeast Cooperative Research Program.
To date, more than 80 individuals from 35 organizations have participated in these network groups, with work still on-going. Areas of focus include developing more selective fishing gear, gathering information on fish distribution patterns and environmental conditions, facilitating the real-time exchange of information to identify areas where catches of non-target species are highest (bycatch hot spots), and exploring innovative survey methods to enhance stock assessments for selected species.
Read the full release from NOAA