"The Atlantic monkfish fishery is now valued at over $44 million annually and is the third most valuable commercial species in New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions," explained Senator Collins. "Due to the importance of this fishery to the coastal Atlantic economy, it is critical that the resource be managed with the most recent and accurate information."
Lack of accurate survey data on monkfish prompted the Monkfish Defense Fund (an industry-funded advocacy group) to work with members of Congress and NMFS to develop a one-time cooperative trawl survey in 2001. By all accounts, this survey was reportedly a success, and the stock was found to be double that of previous estimates.
In a letter dated May 24, 2002, to the New England Fishery Management Council, Dr. Mike P. Sissenwine, Science and Research Director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, supported the recommendation of the 34th Stock Assessment Workshop that "another cooperative survey for monkfish should be conducted in 2004." Despite NMFS and Council support for this concept, many are concerned that a lack of funds, recent problems with the NMFS's trawl survey, and the absence of updated cooperative monkfish trawl survey information may jeopardize the future collection of accurate monkfish data and lead to a needless closure of this valuable fishery.
Senator Collins recognizes the need to institutionalize a comprehensive, cooperative, biennial monkfish trawl survey to ensure accurate management of the Atlantic monkfish resource. "This fishery is far too important to Maine's coastal communities to be governed by faulty science," said Senator Collins.