2004 Trawl Gear Workshop

Participants

Workshop Leader

Pingguo He
Pingguo He is a research scientist at the Ocean Processes Analysis in the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. He specializes in fishing gear selectivity and fish behavior research. This is the third workshop for New England's fishermen that Pingguo has led to Newfoundland. Prior to coming to UNH, Pingguo was the fish behavior specialist at the Marine Institute for several years, so these trips are a bit of a homecoming for him!

Workshop Participants

Lendall Alexander, Jr.
Lendall Alexander is the owner/operator of the otter trawl F/V Julie from Cundys Harbor, ME and fishes for shrimp and groundfish. He is a member of the Maine Fishermen's Cooperative Association and Associated Fisheries of Maine. Lendall has invested about $1,000 into St. John's local economy (on George's Street) and is taking home a better understanding of trawl door, net, and bridal relationships. He has found Newfoundlander's to be great people; they are professional, humorous, and hard working.
Terry Alexander
Terry Alexander is a fishermen out of Cundys Harbor, ME that serves on Maine's Shrimp Advisory Panel. He is a member of Associated Fisheries of Maine and is the vice president of the Maine Fishermen's Cooperative Association. Terry has valued seeing the different gear types and how they perform in the water, how very minor adjustments to trawl gear can make big changes in performance. He has learned more about Canadian regulations and how the management here is adapting to the crash in the cod fishery.
Russell Brown
Russell Brown of Falmouth, MA supervises the Northeast Fisheries Science Center group that is responsible for conducting the stock assessment surveys for groundfish, herring, and northern shrimp, scallop, and surfclam/ocean quahog. Russell is learning a great deal about the capabilities of gear modeling and flume tank testing and feels that the opportunity to interact with the commercial fishery stakeholders in this forum is quite valuable. Russell is amazed that it can be so cold and windy, and yet the daffodils and dandelions are blooming just like on Cape Cod. He also notes that the density of bars on George's Street is much higher than adjacent to most college campuses in the states!
Rachel Gallant
Rachel Gallant works at the Northeast Consortium in Durham, NH. She conducts collaborative research project visits and facilitates the transfer of research results into the fisheries management process. She has been impressed with the stark beauty of Newfoundland and feels that the professionalism, knowledge, and graciousness of the Marine Institute staff have gone way beyond her expectations. She has learned a lot about gear, fish behavior, and the differences in fisheries management between the two countries.
Rachel Hamilton
Rachel Hamilton works as a technician for Pingguo He at the Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory in Durham, NH. She conducts sea trials on gear selectivity and conservation with New England fishermen. This is Rachel's second time in Newfoundland and she is continually amazed by the breath of knowledge, skill, and helpfulness of the Marine Institute staff. She has been particularly excited to learn about fish behavior in relation to fishing gear, and hopes to continue learning about the issues and research projects relative to the fishing industry.
John Hoey
John Hoey of North Kingston, RI is the manager of collaborative research at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center of NMFS. John values this opportunity to learn the details of gear construction and performance and to discuss gear performance with fishermen. The workshop is an outstanding opportunity. It creates a problem solving environment that allows better conversations to occur between fishermen and scientists than occur in oftentimes contentious management forums.
James O'Grady
James O'Grady, of South Kingston, RI, is the owner/operator of two trawl vessels, the F/V Iron Horse and the F/V Rhonda Denise. He is the president of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen's Research Foundation and Vice President of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishing Association. James has valued this chance to interact with different users of our local fisheries and has a new outlook on Newfoundland's fishermen and managers. It's been interesting for him to see how a different country is tackling bycatch problems, especially how they are being proactive about finding solutions. He is impressed with how socially acceptable and important fishing is to the community here.
Tim MacDonald
Tim MacDonald operates the Dory-I, a day boat out of Gloucester, MA. Tim is enjoying learning about fish behavior, cutting-edge gear technology designs, and how variables such as tow speed and spread effect net behavior. As a result of attending the workshop, Tim will likely change a few old methods of fishing and incorporate aspects of new methods that he is learning. Tim finds that the cultural impact of the fishing industry is much more significant in Canada than at home.
Olivia Rugo
Olivia Rugo of Rockport, MA is the collaborative research coordinator at the Massachusetts Fishermen's Partnership in Gloucester, MA. The MFP is made up of seventeen commercial fishing organizations, representing all gear sectors and major ports throughout the state. The MFP facilitates collaborative research by helping connect fishermen and scientists, write proposals, secure and administer grants for projects. This workshop is extremely useful for Olivia to better understand the technical aspects and responses of commercial gear and to discuss at length ideas, issues, and concerns of both fishermen and scientists.
Jim Ruhle
Jim Ruhle has been a commercial fishermen for 40 years and is the owner/operator of the 90' F/V Darana R. out of Hampton, VA. He serves as the chair of the trawl survey committee and as a voting member of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Jim feels that all of the presentations by the Marine Institute staff have been excellent and he has considerable new information to use in own fishing practices and in the MAFMC trawl committee's recommendations. He is impressed with the shear beauty of the island and the courteousness of the people, particularly the staff of the Marine Institute. They have been extremely generous with their time and the workshop has been very professional.
Phil Ruhle
Phil owns the F/V Sea Breeze, a groundfish trawler out of Newport, RI. He serves on the New England Fishery Management Council's Research Steering Committee and is an advisor to several other committees. The lectures on gear development have been very informative for him. He has a better understanding of management problems in both Newfoundland and New England. He feels that this workshop has been well worth the trip.
Robert Scammon
Robert Scammon is the captain of the 86' F/V Princess Diana, a groundfish dragger out of Portland, ME and the owner/operator of the 36' lobster F/V Rhumb Line out of Freeport, ME. He has learned a lot about fish behavior and has gotten ideas for future research projects and how he can effect future fisheries regulations at home. He has been impressed by the positive involvement of fishermen in fisheries management and the friendliness of the people here in Newfoundland.
Mike Stinchfield
Mike Stinchfield is the owner/operator of the F/V Stella G. and the operator of the F/V Susan and Caitlyn, both out of Portland, ME. He fishes primarily for scallops, shrimp, and groundfish. He is a board member of the Portland Fishermen's Monument Project Commission. He has been struck by how windy, cold, and expensive it is in Newfoundland, but also how friendly the people are. Mike has learned a lot about gear, species selectivity, and how culture effects regulations. This workshop has been “an experience of a lifetime!”
Richard Syphers
Richars Syphers of Amesbury, MA is the captain of F/V Janice Marie and F/V Ashleigh E. out of Hampton, NH and is a member of the Yankee Fishermen's Cooperative. He's learning a lot about different gear types, ways to reduce bycatch, and how the fishermen are surviving up here through the crash of the cod fishery. The interaction with everyone involved in the workshop has been great for him and his new knowledge will stay with him to use on his boats and to pass onto others.
Greg Turner
Greg Turner is the captain of the F/V Theresa and Allyson out of Scarborough, ME. Seeing the performance of the various nets in the tank has been most valuable for him. He's taking home some useful knowledge that may be applied to real fishing. He thinks the attitude of St. John's people is great.
Stacey Wahlstrom
Stacey Wahlstrom of Boothbay, ME runs the business aspects of the F/V Elizabeth's operations. She has been a field technician on collaborative research projects and has gotten involved in writing proposals and attending most fisheries management meetings. As a result of the workshop, she now has a much deeper knowledge of the industry, which will improve her collaborative research proposal writing skills. She has new ideas for how the gap between fishermen and management can be bridged. She has been struck by how the fishing industry and its heritage are so highly valued in Newfoundland.

Additional Participants

Chris Allen
Bill Train
Shawn McLellan
Marc Bichrist
Dale Page