As Atlantic cod management shifts from a two-stock model to a four-stock model, there is a greater need for location-specific biological and catch data from the recreational sector to support effective assessment and management. The Recreational Biological Sampling Program (RecBio) was launched in 2023 to support the collection of critical catch-at-length and catch-at- age information for Atlantic cod from the for-hire sector. Members of the Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association and other participating charter captains in the region have teamed up with scientists at Pelagic Strategies, the New England Aquarium, and NOAA Fisheries to collect data using a mobile app, which is then passed directly to stock assessment scientists. Initially
designed for Atlantic cod, the program has subsequently expanded to include winter flounder.

This month, Drs. Willy Goldsmith (Pelagic Strategies) and Jeff Kneebone (New England Aquarium) will chronicle the program’s success to date, which includes the collection of length samples for over 1,000 Atlantic cod and 1,500 winter flounder, along with the collection of otoliths (for ageing) and fin clips (for DNA analysis) from nearly 300 Atlantic cod. They will also describe plans for the future expansion of RecBio to establish consistent and reliable
recreational data streams that can make meaningful contributions to stock assessments.

 

 

Thanks

 

Capt. Mike Pierdinock