Characterization of the northeast and Mid-Atlantic bottom and mid-water trawl fisheries based on Vessel Trip Report (VTR) data

An overview of the United States Northeast and Mid-Atlantic trawl fisheries was created to support the development of a Take Reduction Plan (TRP) by the Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Team (ATGTRT). The analysis focused on aspects of the fisheries that correlated with marine mammal bycatch and characterized the trawl fisheries from Maine to North Carolina for the period 1996 to 2004 by temporal and spatial effort distributions, harvest patterns, vessel characteristics, gear configurations, and environmental relationships. The primary data used were vessel trip reports (VTRs); additional data sources included remotely sensed data for environmental variables, federal commercial dealer records, and vessel permit data. by Christopher D. Orphanides and Gisele M. Magnusson. "Septemer 2007." Includes bibliographical references.