The Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) will commence its semi-annual resource assessment trawl survey on May 8th. The survey, conducted in the spring and fall, provides information for many uses including stock assessments and environmental reviews. It is critical to the integrity of the survey that MarineFisheries maintain access to sampling sites.

MarineFisheries asks that all fixed gear fishermen review the attached table of station location details, which plot the locations of all selected sample sites from north of Cape Ann to Cape Cod. Further details including charts of the station locations are available on the MarineFisheries website: www.mass.gov/marinefisheries. MarineFisheires requests that all fixed gear be kept clear of a 1.5 nautical mile diameter circle surrounding station locations for the indicated periods.

MarineFisheries will make every attempt to complete stations during the assigned period to minimize inconvenience to fixed gear fishermen. Fishermen can contact the R/V Gloria Michelle on VHF channels 13 or 16 to determine the updated daily schedule. In the event of a delay due to weather, we will resume our schedule as soon as working conditions are safe. Personnel aboard the NOAA R/V Gloria Michelle (65’ western rigged steel stern trawler with a blue hull and white deckhouse) will carefully check each site for marked gear by cruising along a selected tow path at least once before the net is set. We encourage communicating helpful information to the R/V officers (via channels 13 or 16).

As reported in the past, MarineFisheries is prepared to attach restrictions to permit renewals (under 322 CMR 7.01 (7)) mandating that fixed gear not be set on designated trawl survey sites for the dates stipulated. It remains our hope that this action will be unnecessary.

SPRING 2006 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT TRAWL SURVEY

The MarineFisheries trawl survey provides information for many uses including environmental reviews and groundfish assessments. It is critical to the integrity of the survey that we maintain access to sampling sites.

We ask that all fixed gear fishermen review the attached table of station location details and the accompanying figures, which plot the locations of all selected sample sites from north of Cape Ann to east of Cape Cod. We request that all fixed gear be kept clear of station locations (1.5 n. mi. diameter circle as shown in figure - center point reported in table) for the indicated periods. We will make every attempt to complete stations during the assigned period to minimize inconvenience to fixed gear fishermen. Fishermen can contact the R/V Gloria Michelle on VHF channels 13 or 16 to determine the updated daily schedule. In the event of a delay due to weather, we will resume our schedule as soon as working conditions are safe.

As reported in the past, the DMF Director is prepared to attach restrictions to permit renewals (under 322 CMR 7.01 (7)) mandating that fixed gear not be set on designated trawl survey sites for the dates stipulated. It remains our hope that this action will be unnecessary.

Personnel aboard the NOAA R/V Gloria Michelle (65’ western rigged steel stern trawler with a blue hull and white deckhouse) will carefully check each site for marked gear by cruising along a selected tow path at least once before the net is set. Undertaken at 2.5 knots, twenty-minute tows cover approximately 0.8 n mi., generally along a depth contour. We encourage communicating helpful information to the R/V officers (via channels 13 or 16).

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries - 2006 Spring Trawl Survey Station Locations
Massachusetts Bay to New Hampshire

* Loran coordinates converted by plotter software without local correction factor.
Please refer to Lat/Long. For best accuracy.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries - 2006 Spring Trawl Survey Station Locations
Cape Cod Bay - East of Cape Cod