REMINDER: Fall 2017 ME-NH Inshore Trawl Survey Starts October 2nd

The fall groundfish trawl survey conducted by the State of Maine Dept. of Marine Resources is scheduled to begin October 2nd in New Hampshire working east to Lubec.  The better information we have about ALL our fishery resources, the better we can defend our fisheries and your livelihoods.  The ME-NH trawl survey provides valuable information for the management of important commercially harvested species.  However, not completing all of the proposed tows could jeopardize the use of our data for state and federal lobster and finfish management.  To address this, we will be stepping up our effort to move gear within the published tows.  If gear continues to be a problem, stronger measures may be considered.

You can avoid the need for our Marine Patrol to handle gear by clearing an area of gear 1/8th mile on either side of the 1 nautical mile towline for day of the tow. 

Latitude/Longitude and TD coordinates for tow locations (pair of dots with a line on the chart mark each tow) and schedules can be found at http://www.maine.gov/dmr/science-research/projects/trawlsurvey/fl17/index.html.  For more detailed charts, please call Matt Cieri 633-9520, cell 215-3709, or email (Matthew.Cieri@maine.gov) . 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Tow Schedule and Updates are available via several methods.

Boat Contacts:        

F/V Robert Michael monitors Channels 16 and 13
Boat cell phone 557-5276 (Chief Scientist Fran Pierce, Scientist Matt Cieri)

Web Site:  http://www.maine.gov/dmr/science-research/projects/trawlsurvey/index.html

 

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