The following is a message from the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center:
Greetings,
The Population Dynamics Branch in the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) will be hosting a workshop to address the potential use of commercial catch per unit effort information in upcoming Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine Atlantic cod stock assessments in December. The purpose of the meeting is to develop a better understanding of Catch per Unit of Effort (CPUE) and Landings per Unit of Effort (LPUE) as measures of relative stock abundance. Analyses of such data are complicated by changes in the distribution of cod, changes in the spatial distribution of fishing effort over time, and the many changes in fishery management measures that have occurred since the mid 1990’s. NEFSC scientists will present an overview of analyses that have been conducted to date. We are soliciting insights from commercial and recreational fisherman to help improve the utility of such information in stock assessments.
This workshop will consider proposals and alternative hypotheses from fishery experts like you. We are expecting that fishermen, fishing industry leaders, state marine fishery biologists, Council members and staff, and NMFS staff will participate in this workshop.
Your contribution is important. Please plan on attending.
We have 'locked-in' the date for this LPUE workshop: Tuesday August 21, 10 am to 4:30 pm, at the Endicott College Campus in Gloucester, MA. Address: 33 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA. (see directions below. Free parking available)
If you are unable to attend, please send me a list of industry participants that you recommend be invited. We seek industry members from the commercial and recreational fisheries, fisheries science partners, or other interested parties.
Please RSVP (respond to this e-mail using: earl.meredith@noaa.gov) as soon as possible as space may be limited. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions, concerns or suggestions by calling my cell phone: 508 450-5524.
Many thanks,
Earl Meredith
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Directions to the Endicott College Gloucester Campus:
33 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
• I-95 North to Exit 45, Route 128 North. (Note that I-95 splits to the right for NH and ME. Stay straight for Route 128 North.)
• Go to Exit 14; Route 133 Gloucester. (Approximately 20 minutes)
• Go right off of the ramp for Route 133 East.
• Travel approximately 5 minutes until the end of Route 133. Gloucester Harbor is directly in front of you.
• Take a left on Route 127 and travel over the Blynman Bridge and continue on Route 127 for about 2 minutes. You will approach Tally’s Service Station on your right. (Note there are several curves on this road.)
• Take your first right after the service station on Commercial Street. You will immediately see a large mill building marked 33 / Chamber of Commerce. Take a right into the parking lot.
• Enter through the door in the middle of the building. Endicott College is on the first floor, towards the ocean side of the building.