PORTLAND, Maine — Fishery regulators are giving researchers about $450,000 for projects focusing on commercial fish species in the Gulf of Maine and southern New England.
The New England Fishery Management Council is funding the work. One project will seek to develop ways for cod and haddock fishermen to avoid accidentally catching flatfish in Georges Bank. Another will assess the performance of fishing gear designed to avoid accidental catch of windowpane flounder.
A third project seeks to improve capture and handling methods for haddock discarded in recreational Gulf of Maine fisheries. A final project will assess recreational haddock discard mortality on Jeffreys Ledge.
The fishery council contracted the Northeast Consortium to hold a competition for the grants. A spokesman for the consortium says the amount each project will receive hasn't yet been determined.