Politics & Government

Local Fishermen to Work With Researchers on Cod Fish Study

Over the coming weeks, local fishermen will work with researchers to catch spawning cod, implant electronic tags and then release them back to sea.

A collaboration between federal and state officials and local fishermen will gather critical and accurate data on the spawning and behavior of cod fish over the next few weeks.

“Cod fishing is an integral part of our history and economy, particularly in my district,” Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth, said in a statement Wednesday following an announcement of the project in Scituate.

"I am pleased this collaboration between regulators and fishermen has
been developed to help make certain the data we use is scientific and not anecdotal."

Hedlund joined representatives from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Nature Conservancy (TNC), UMass-Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, and South Shore fishermen in announcing the collaboration.

The research will help create a plan to cultivate the cod population, according to Hedlund's statement. Local fishermen have noted a decrease in the levels of cod over the years, observing that they are only seeing cod during the late fall and early winter as compared to years past when cod would be present throughout much of the year.

"Restoring the levels of cod is integral to preserving our fishing industry for years to come," the senator said.

He added:

Over the coming weeks, local fishermen will work with researchers to catch spawning cod, implant electronic tags and then release them back to sea. Each electronic tag will emit a coded sound that will be recorded whenever the cod comes within the range of a network of receivers that are being deployed on to the ocean floor.

Researchers will also record the grunting noises made by male cod to defend their territories and attract females. This data will be used to figure out the timing of the winter spawning period and compare the relative abundance of the species in the territory to past data.

Fishermen and scientists will bring the data to the New England Fisheries Management Council to help inform them of future management decisions designed to manage the cod population.

“This collaboration will provide regulators with the information they need as it relates to the management of ground fish. Bringing together fishermen, state agencies and scientists is a great step forward in researching this important species and finding solutions to help restore the abundance of cod,” Hedlund said.


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