INACTIVE New England ocean perch - hook and line/otter trawl

Primary tabs

Reason for Inactivity
  • Other
  • FisheryProgress could not reach the FIP leads in order to demonstrate they are included in the MSC certificate for this fishery.
  • Overview

    Note: This FIP went inactive on July 17, 2019.

    Ocean perch (Acadian redfish) is harvested from the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, where it is mainly caught with otter trawls and occasionally hook and line gear.  Ocean perch are doing well in the New England area of the Atlantic Ocean, where estimates of abundance have been increasing in recent years. The stock was declared rebuilt in 2012.  

    The fishery is unique within the multispecies groundfish complex for several reasons.  Vessel owners that elect to participate in sector-based management agree to additional controls, like weekly monitoring reports, to help catches stay within bounds during the fishing season.  Vessels are accountable for any groundfish bycatch, including juvenile groundfish.  To control for impacts across the species, all groundfish caught are counted against a vessel’s or sector’s allocation. Fishermen follow a number of strict regulations and use modified fishing gear to reduce bycatch of other species. For example, the mesh on trawl nets must be above a minimum size to reduce bycatch of juvenile redfish and non-target species. 

    The Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) was launched in February 2014 and the first activity was to complete a preliminary assessment of the fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard. Three gaps were identified. One was the need for better gear selectivity for redfish capture, and was addressed by the REDNET program from 2014-2016.  Two other gaps remain, concerning the distribution of juveniles and habitat in the region.  Deep sea corals are believed to provide juvenile habitat and NOAA completed a multi-year research project on deep sea corals in 2013.  The MSC pre-assessment was updated in early 2016 and new gaps will be addressed by the FIP in coming years.  

    FIP Description 

    Note: This FIP went inactive on July 17, 2019.

    FIP Objective(s) 

    To reach MSC certification by 2020.

    FIP Type 
    Comprehensive
    FIP Stage 
    Stage 3: FIP Implementation
    Start and Projected End Dates
    February 2014
    December 2020
    Species 
    Common Name 
    Acadian Redfish
    Scientific Name
    Sebastes fasciatus
    Gear Type 
    Hook & Line
    Otter Trawl
    Location
    FAO Major Fishing Area
    Area 21 (Atlantic, Northwest)
    Exclusive Economic Zones
    Country 
    United States of America (the)
    Landings
    Estimated Total FIP Landings 
    9,437 metric tons
    PrintPDF

    FIP Leads

    Organization Name 
    Pier Fish
    Organization Type 
    Industry
    Primary Contact 
    Rich Barry
    Organization Name 
    Sustainability Incubator
    Organization Type 
    Consultant
    Primary Contact 
    Katrina Nakamura
    Organization Name 
    Pier Fish
    Organization Type 
    Industry
    Primary Contact 
    Scott Bode
    FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
    30