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Sustainability
Working alongside industry, government agencies, and the scientific community, our fishing fleet has participated in the research of a variety of forward-thinking measures to benefit and further marine ecology and fisheries management. Some of these initiatives include:
Gear - Dredges
- Ring size allows small scallops to stay on the ocean bottom.
- Twine top mesh size prevents unwanted bycatch, protecting a variety of fish species.
- Turtle chain mats reduce mortality and injury to sea turtles.
Science
Eastern contributes financially and in-kind to the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at UMass Dartmouth.
- In cooperation with the U.S. Sea Scallop Fishing Industry, SMAST conducts video surveys to estimate the abundance of scallops on the Continental Shelf, from the Southern Mid-Atlantic to the USA-Canadian border on eastern Georges Bank.
- From a scallop vessel, SMAST scientists deploy a video sampling pyramid, which relays information to a mobile studio in the vessel’s wheelhouse.
- After each survey, the video footage is reviewed and scallop densities and estimates of scallop meat weight are calculated. This information plays a critical role in ongoing area-based scallop management.
Eastern vessel owners, captains, and crew aid the efforts of SMAST by donating vessel time and fuel; making recommendations regarding the design of sampling gear; and participating in the Industry Steering Committee, which plans and coordinates the surveys.
Associations
- U.S. Scallop Advisory Panel: Vice President Ronald Enoksen has been a member for 5 plus years.
- Groundfish Forum: A trade association representing companies that harvest flatfish in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. The forum works to find solutions to industry problems, including discards, incidental catches, and impact on habitat. Eastern is an associate member.
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