mapDed and described by interviewing fishermen and personnel of state and federal 

 resource agencies. The area of interest is within a mile of the disposal buoy. 

 Emphasis will be on direct interference, changes in catches, and condition of 

 catches. Potential pollution problems will also be examined. 



Lobster . Lobstering is the major fishery in the disposal site area. On July 

 21 , 1978 lobster buoys within one-half mile of the disposal buoy were identified 

 by number and mapped. About 30 buoys were seen and four identification numbers 

 were recorded. These were fished by three vessels. Buoy strings were concen- 

 trated on the northen edge of the spoil mound. There were two strings on the 

 northeast part of the mound, a few buoys southeast of the mound, and none were 

 seen on the southwest portion of the mound. 



The twa fishermen operating most of the pots seen in the area were inter- 

 viewed by telephone. The following description is drawn from these conversa- 

 tions and should be considred as a starting point to be corrected and expanded. 



It was reported that in addition to the three fishermen whose buoys were 

 seen at the dump site two others have large numbers of pots close enough to the 

 west to be concerned with dump site management. 



One fisherman reported placing pots at the site in April and remaining there 

 until September or November; another fishes the site from March 15th to Labor 

 Day and from October 15th to January. Pots are moved relatively little as corn- 

 oared to other parts of New England where fishing follows inshore-offshore mi- 

 grations. The preference for leaving pots in place has resulted in fishing 

 close to the site while dumping was taking place. 



One fisherman reported that previous to the 1973 disposal, catches were 

 better in the dump site area than east or west of it. Egg bearing lobsters 



