In 2010, the redfish cooperative research project or REDNET, was funded by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Cooperative Research Program. REDNET was formed as a way to address the feasibility/ viability of reviving a redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) trawl fishery in the Gulf of Maine through a cooperative and integrated network approach.
REDNET seeks to achieve three fishery conservation and management goals:
REDIRECT fishing effort in the multi species fishery away from depleted stocks to stocks that are considered rebuilt-such as redfish.
ACHIEVE optimum yield through the increase of commercial landings of redfish through development of a directed fishery under the adaptive management ability of ground fish sectors
INCREASE the economic viability of ground fish sectors by providing access to Annual Catch Limits (ACL) of a recovered species and generating critical revenue for the industry.
REDNET Objectives
In order to redevelop a successful and sustainable redfish fishery, REDNET has six primary objectives:
Create a network of experts,convene meetings & establish a baseline of information.
Use exploratory fishing to gather temporal & spatial distribution of redfish data.
Evaluate appropriate codend mesh sizes & shapes.
Develop bycatch reduction methods or strategies if necessary.
Evaluate potential markets & processing capacity.
Provide outreach & recommendations.
The REDNET "Network"
The "Network" approach adopted by REDNET is one that is:
Outcome based
Inclusive
People-based
Efficient
Integrated
Non-hierarchical
Flexible
Funding for REDNET is through the Northeast Cooperative Research Program (NOAA/NEFSC).