WOODS HOLE, Massachusetts -- October 31, 2012 -- Among my highest priorities as the new NOAA Fisheries Northeast Science and Research Director is to improve communication among the fishing industry and fisheries scientists in this region.

As a first step, NOAA Fisheries' Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Northeast Regional Office, and the New England Fishery Management Council have scheduled a one-day groundfish science forum for fishermen on Friday, November 9th in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The forum will focus on groundfish fishery assessment data, models, methods, results, and issues.

Although we will have some short presentations to provide background on the status of northeast groundfish stocks and the assessment process, most of the time will set aside for questions and answers, and to discuss next steps in the communication process and begin to explore possible research collaborations. 

I encourage you to attend the forum and participate in the discussions. While this is only a small first step, I look forward to working with you on the challenges associated with improving both the fishery science and management of the Northeast groundfish fisheries.