Commercial catch sampling of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus)

Since 1960 the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has collected and processed Atlantic herring commercial catch samples. Sampling was historically carried out with the cooperation of private companies (canneries) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). This system of sampling the commercial catch resulted in incomplete coverage of the fishery and insufficient collection of population data. In an effort to improve the commercial catch sampling program, DMR wrote a grant proposal to the Atlantic States Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program in 2000 and was awarded funding to hire a dedicated sampler. This position began on May 1st, 2001 and continued through April 30th 2002. Project: 3-ACA-093 Completion Report Grant no. NA16FG115