Stellwagen Bank Final EIS and Management Plan 



Page 43 



Other Finfish 



American Shad, Alosa sapidissima 

 Striped Bass (Rockfish^. Morone saxatihs 

 Spiny Dogfish, Squalus acanthias 

 Skates, Rajidae spp . 

 Mako Shark, Isurus oxvrinchus 

 Atlantic Silverside (Capelin), Menidia 



Invertebrates 



c. Fishing Gear 



Depending on the target fishery, several types of 

 gear traditionally have been employed, and are 

 currently used in commercial fishing operations 

 throughout the Gulf of Maine. "Mobile" or "fixed" 

 fishing gear are classified by the nature of their 

 catching properties. Specific gear types used in the 

 Gulf of Maine, and around Stellwagen Bank are 

 desscribed below: 



Short-Finned Squid, Illex illecebrosus 



Long-Finned Squid. Loligo pealei 



American Lobster, Homarus americanus 



Northern Shrimp (Pink Shrimpl Pandalus boreahs 



Surf Clam, Spisula solidissima 



Ocean Quahog, Artica islandica 



Sea Scallop, Placopecten magellanicus 



In its annual assessment of Northeastern fishery 

 stocks, NMFS makes a general analysis of 

 species/stocks, by weighing each species or stock's 

 "stock level" against its "exploitation rate." Stock 

 levels are categorized as "low", "medium", or "high." 

 These are weighed against categories of exploitation 

 rates, classified as "unknown", "protected", "not 

 exploited","under-exp]oited","moderately-exploited", 

 "fully-exploited", and "over-exploited." Although 

 exploitation levels of individual species vary, the 

 overall exploitation level for commercial species in 

 the Stellwagen Bank/Gulf of Maine area is high. 

 NMFS has assessed the 1990 overall status of stocks 

 for the following species: (NOAA, 1986) 



Under-exploited : Red Hake, Mackerel, Butterfish, 

 Spiny Dogfish, Skates, Short-finned Squid, 

 Long-fmned Squid 



Fully-exploited : Silver Hake, Black Sea Bass, White 

 Hake, Atlantic Herring, Bluefish, American 

 Lobster, Northern Shrimp, Surf Clam, Ocean Pout, 

 Windowpane Flounder, Ocean Quahog (in some 

 areas) 



Over-exploited : Atlantic Cod, Haddock, Redfish, 

 Pollock, Yellowtail Flounder, Summer Flounder, 

 Witch Flounder, Winter Flounder, American Plaice, 

 Scup, Wolffish, Sea Scallop 



1) Mobile Gear 



Otter Trawls are the most commonly-used trawl in 

 New England, accounting for more than 50% of the 

 gear types used at Stellwagen Bank. (C. Kellogg, 

 NEFMC, pers. comm., 1990.) Otter trawls are 

 conical nets towed along the seabed to catch 

 bottom-dwelling fish, such as Atlantic cod, haddock, 

 pollack, redfish, flounder, hakes, and other 

 groundfish species. When fully constructed and 

 rigged, the otter trawl takes on the shape of a 

 funnel when towed along the ocean bottom. Floats 

 and weights are used to keep the mouth of the net 

 open while in motion, further aided by otterboards 

 (or trawl doors), pulling in different directions in 

 reaction to the water's resistance. 



Scottish Seines are also conical nets used in 

 combination with long ropes to herd bottom- 

 dwelling fish species into the net along the seabed. 



Purse Seines are encircling nets used to catch 

 pelagic fish species that live or grow at or near the 

 ocean's surface. Included in this group of fisheries 

 are Atlantic mackerel and bluefin tuna. 



Scallop Dredges are metal-framed devices used 

 primarily for harvesting shellfish species from the 

 seabed surface. Hydrauhc or jet dredges are 

 specifically designed to wash out scallops resting on 

 the ocean floor. 



Clam Dredges are essentially the same device as 

 scallop dredges; however, the metal-framed 

 apparatus is specifically designed to harvest shellfish 

 from within the seabed. 



Protected : Striped Bass Unknown: Cusk 



