PORTLAND, ME -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/14/08 -- Today, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute announced that it has commissioned Howard McElderry, principal of Archipelago Marine Research Ltd., and Bruce Turris, principal of Pacific Fisheries Management Inc., to assess monitoring and reporting needs for groundfish fishery sector management in New England. McElderry and Turris have extensive experience designing, implementing and operating monitoring and reporting systems for fisheries operating under output controls. The improved process is expected to deliver timely and effective monitoring of catch in the groundfish fishery.

The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is currently considering 19 proposals by several groundfishing groups to opt out of the current Days-At-Sea effort control system of management to form harvesting cooperatives called "sectors" in New England. These self-organizing groups of fishermen will receive an annual quota of each of the groundfish species they catch in return for devising and implementing a legally binding plan to keep their total catch below their allocation.

There is a widespread recognition by the fishing industry, environmental community, and fishery managers that the current monitoring and reporting system for the groundfish fishery is unlikely to be adequate for sector management. However, there is a lack of consensus on exactly what changes to the system are needed.

McElderry's and Turris' initial analysis of monitoring and reporting needs and recommendations for a phased implementation of a new monitoring and reporting system for sectors will be presented to the NEFMC on Wednesday, April 16, at the Council meeting in Providence, Rhode Island.

The report highlights the need to expand the current monitoring system and find new ways to accelerate the flow of information. "It is apparent that changes are necessary in how the groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Maine are monitored. Indeed, new legislation and the advent of sector management only serve to expedite and focus the discussion on necessary and overdue monitoring improvements," state McElderry and Turris.

McElderry and Turris have found that the current monitoring and reporting system is inadequate for timely and effective monitoring of catch in the groundfish fishery. They recommend a phased introduction of a new comprehensive monitoring system that will ensure all catches are fully accounted for. The first phase would introduce an enhanced dockside monitoring program in the initial year of sector operation followed by a second phase introduction of an at-sea monitoring program using a combination of human observers and electronic monitoring. The recommended system will provide more accurate data on catches by species and area much more rapidly than the current system.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from the GMRI Web site at www.gmri.org/community.

About the Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Established in 1968, GMRI exists to develop pragmatic solutions to complex problems to support the evolution of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the human community that depends on it. GMRI's new facility provides a neutral, collaborative platform for research partnerships among leading research organizations, the fishing community, and private industry with a focus on fishery ecosystem research. A hybrid marine research and education facility, the Institute is closely linked to the community, strategically focused on the Gulf of Maine bioregion, and complemented by a unique research interface that engages primary school students and the general public with marine science.

For more information about the Gulf of Maine Research Institute visit www.gmri.org or call (207) 772-2321.

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Media contact:
Dan Holland
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
207-228-1643
dholland@gmri.org