In partnership with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), Maine Lobstermen’s Association, University of Maine, and other state agencies and industry associations throughout New England, FBE collected data to understand vertical line use in Gulf of Maine fixed gear fisheries. The project, funded through National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "Section 6 Species Recovery Grants to States" program, collected data from three sources: (1) an online survey to collect information directly from fishermen about where they fish and how they configure their vertical lines, (2) vertical line samples to test the breaking strength of the rope, and (3) load cell deployment on fishing vessels to test the strain vertical lines are under during hauling operations. FBE assisted the DMR with data synthesis to inform management discussions about protecting the North Atlantic right whale.
