FBE was hired by Tidal Bay Consulting to work with the NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office to improve recreational fisheries management in New England. Over the course of three workshops, FBE worked with NOAA and partners to collect stakeholder input on developing potential short- and long-term management approaches for the recreational fishing community, such as improved management approaches and methods to reduce bycatch. The goal of these workshops was to facilitate a collaborative process for developing potential management approaches for the recreational groundfish fishery that balances conservation of fish populations with enabling profitability in the for-hire fleet and providing worthwhile fishing opportunities for anglers. The findings and recommendations of these workshops were summarized and shared with the New England Fishery Management Council, including its Groundfish Committee and Recreational Advisory Panel. The recommendations will help inform the current Council's process for developing recreational management measures with input from stakeholders.
