COMMERCE
Subscriber Services
Classified Ads
Subscribe
Advertise
NEWS
This Month
Editorial
Letters
F/V Safety
Past Issues
ABOUT US
Contact Us
Latest Issue
Subscribe
History
MORE CONTENT
CFN Archives
Links
Each month exclusively in the PRINT edition of CFN
Along the Coast
Ask the Lobster Doc
Bearin’s
Classifieds
Coming Events
Editorial
Enforcement Report
FISH SAFE
Fleet Additions
Letters
Lobster Market Report
New Boats
News Catch
Quahog Market Report
|
Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 36 Number 8
April 2009
RI foundation funds 6 collaborative projects
NARRAGANSETT, RI – After an extensive review process and a lot of hard work by its fishermen-filled board of directors, the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation announced funding of six collaborative research projects on March 2.
The projects focus on a variety of species, including scup, Loligo squid, lobster, summer flounder, and butterfish and even include a socioeconomic study on how changes in the industry are affecting fishermen and fishing communities.
The awards were made possible by $1.34 million in federal funding secured by US Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) in the 2008 appropriations spending bill.
According to the foundation, the purpose of the funding is to create “effective partnerships among commercial fishermen, scientists, universities, government agencies, and other stakeholders to engage in fisheries and resource-related collaborative research and monitoring projects in Southern New England.”
Foundation Executive Director Peg Parker said the board, which is made up entirely of commercial fishermen and others who work in commercial fishing support businesses, deeply appreciated Reed’s efforts as an advocate and supporter of the industry in his home state.
“He understands the importance of the fishing industry in Rhode Island and the region,” she said. “He also understands the importance of research and the value of having fishermen and scientists working together to gather and analyze information that will better inform fisheries management decisions. Both can learn from each other and have a lot to contribute.”
Project selection
The foundation received a total of 18 proposals by its Oct. 28, 2008 deadline seeking a total of $2,630,597. In all, the various project teams that submitted proposals included 51 scientists from 13 different academic/research institutions, 12 managers from state or federal agencies, 10 graduate students, and 29 fishing industry members.
These proposals were reviewed by 56 scientists from academic institutions, federal and state agencies, private conservancies, and laboratories and research institutes from across the US and abroad.
Then, a scientific review panel made up of out-of-state scientists reviewed all of the proposals and, with additional input from the executive committee of the foundation’s board of directors, ranked the proposals based on scientific merit and management relevance.
The board of directors accepted the technical review panel’s recommendations at its January meeting, giving the go-ahead to fund the six top-ranked projects for a total of $894,978.
Said foundation President David Spencer, “I am very excited to see the number of state and federal agencies, the academic institutions, and, most importantly, the fishing industry members that are becoming engaged in this collaborative process. I am confident that these numbers will grow.”
Funded projects
The six funded projects are as follows.
“The Reduction of Butterfish and Scup Bycatch in the Inshore Loligo Squid Fishery” – Project team members are: David Beutel and Laura Skrobe of University of Rhode Island (URI) Sea Grant; Chris Brown, F/V Grandville Davis; and Steve Arnold, F/V Elizabeth Helen.
“Evaluation of a New Turtle Excluder Device Design in the Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic Summer Flounder Trawl Fisheries” – Project team: Joe DeAlteris and Chris Parkins, URI; Joel Hovanesian, F/V Excalibur; and Jim Ruhle, F/V Darana R.
“Examining Settlement Dynamics of Postlarval American Lobster in Lobster Management Area 2” – Project team: Bob Glenn, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF); Mark Gibson, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM); Rick Wahle, Bigelow Lab; Jim Manning, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); Lanny Dellinger, Rhode Island Lobstermen’s Association; Arthur DeCosta, Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association; Tom Angel, DEM; and Tracy Pugh, Kelly Whitmore, and Steve Wilcox, DMF.
“Discard Mortality Estimation of the Southern New England Flatfish Complex Using RAMP Methods” – Project team: Kevin Stokesbury, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST); Adam Barkley, SMAST; Steve Cadrin, SMAST/NMFS; Chris Brown; and Jim Kendall, New Bedford Seafood Consulting.
“Job Satisfaction, Well-being, and Change in Southern New England Fishing Communities” – Project team: Richard Pollnac, URI; Russell Wallis, Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island; Rich Fuka, Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance; and Lisa Colburn, NMFS. And
“The Buzzards Bay Lobster Resource: Are Changes in Reproduction Having a Negative Impact on the Fishery?” – Project team: Win Watson, University of New Hampshire (UNH); Bob Glenn; Arthur DeCosta; Tracy Pugh; and Jason Goldstein, UNH.
More information on the funded projects is available online at <www.cfrfoundation.org>. /cfn/
Back to story list
|
|
Tell us what you think.
