NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — August 15, 2011 — Scientists from UMass Dartmouth's School of Marine Science and Technology are working with their counterparts from an environmental group, the Environmental Defense Fund, to develop a better understanding of the role that closed areas play in the management of fish stocks.
SMAST's involvement with EDF is certain to raise eyebrows on the New Bedford waterfront. The environmental group's advocacy for the controversial catch share system now governing the groundfishery in New England has convinced many in the industry that the EDF agenda is hostile to commercial fishing.
The goal is to determine how well closed areas are working, according to EDF senior marine scientist Jake Kritzer. "We're going to be looking at the permanent groundfish closed areas on Georges Bank, the Nantucket Lightship, the Gulf of Maine and Jeffrey's Ledge," he said. "And other closures used to control groundfish mortality, like habitat areas and seasonal closures."
Kritzer will partner with SMAST's Steve Cadrin to guide the project. Both men already work together on the Science and Statistical Committee, which advises the New England Fishery Management Council. The study will proceed in phases, mining existing data and, where gaps are identified, conducting new field research. Most of the actual research will be conducted by SMAST's Lisa Kerr with assistance from the University of New Hampshire's Jamie Cournane, who works closely with EDF.
"We feel this is a good scientific partnership," Cadrin said. "Some people believe that anything with the EDF stamp on it has a conservation agenda and is anti-fishing while others think that SMAST is a pro-fishing industry researcher.
"Neither one of those is true," he said. "SMAST does research that is important to fishermen but the science is objective."
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