August 31, 2013 — BOSTON (AP) — Scientists this month completed a pilot project to measure the health of flatfish species off New England that relied heavily on the expertise of fishermen, right down to using their trawlers.
The survey comes amid intense criticism of traditional scientific methods for counting fish.
Fish sampling surveys provide critical data for assessing the health of fish populations, which are at the core of fishing rules. Critics say the assessments have proven to be deeply flawed and it’s wrong to use them as the basis for setting the struggling industry’s catch limits.
Scientists say their overall methods are sound, but they acknowledge some consistent problems.
“We can learn, and we do want to build confidence and be responsive,” said Bill Karp, the Northeast’s chief federal fisheries scientist.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at CBS Boston