Earlier this month the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Office of Long Island Sound Program announced it has received a state-of-the-art underwater research camera on behalf of the New England Regional Ocean Council from Coastal America's Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP).
Coastal America is a partnership between federal, state and local governments and private organizations. The camera will be used by the DEP to study coastal and marine habitats and for public education efforts.
"We are grateful to the CWRP for demonstrating their commitment to coastal and marine management efforts by providing DEP with this underwater camera," said Brian Thompson, Director of DEP's Office of Long Island Sound Programs. "By adding underwater video to the DEP's coastal management efforts, the public and stakeholders will have a better understanding of the health of coastal and marine habitat."
On July 19, 2010, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes. To support that initiative, Coastal America's National Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership Board committed to provide an industry standard underwater video camera system to organizations that study coastal and marine habitat. Several New England State Chapters of the CWRP, including ME, MA, NH, & RI provided funding toward the purchase of the camera.
"We whole heartily supported the funding of these cameras," said Ruthanne Calabrese, Chairperson of the Connecticut chapter of CWRP. As an Environmental Manager at Northeast Utilities, she appreciates the opportunity to align industry and government toward the common goal of environmental stewardship. You can learn more about the CT chapter of the CWRP at www.CTCWRP.org.
The DEP plans to use the underwater camera for a variety of purpose including: Assessing the natural habitat in the Long Island Sound and inland waters; Assisting with submerged aquatic vegetation sampling in Connecticut's lakes and ponds; Analyzing use of manmade structures by fish and other marine life and Educating the public, particularly schoolchildren, on the underwater habitat of Connecticut's waters.
The DEP Office of Long Island Sound Programs (OLISP) implements, oversees, and enforces the state's coastal management and coastal permit laws and regulations. The office also manages programs to protect and restore coastal resources and habitat, and helps coastal towns to plan and implement programs to protect coastal resources and encourage water-dependent uses of the shorefront.
The DEP Marine Fisheries Division will be hosting an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Public Hearing on Tautog (blackfish) Management in February.
The Draft Addendum proposes two changes to the tautog management program: address the illegal trade of live tautog and prevent increases in fishing mortality prior to the completion of the next assessment given that the actual harvest has exceeded the target in recent years.
The illegal taking of blackfish is rampant in Connecticut. Blackfish are taken from the Sound and kept alive in trucks equipped with large environmentally controlled tanks. The fish are then taken to New York's China Town where they are sold to local restaurants. The fish are often placed into live tanks where customers can choose one for their meal much like what is done with lobsters.
At the same time, Marine Fisheries will be holding an informational meeting to hear public input on proposed approaches to meet the mandatory harvest target for the 2011 recreational summer flounder, scup and black sea bass fisheries.
Connecticut may relax its summer flounder regulations in response to an approximately 33 percent increase in the 2011 harvest limit under the provisions of the Fishery Management Plan of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. These groups worked to avoid a serious reduction in scup fishing opportunity in 2011 and voted to allow states to maintain 2010 regulations.
Black sea bass are managed on a coast wide basis. That fishery is facing greater restrictions in 2011 including an increase in minimum size and a more abbreviated open season The Department is seeking input on various options that include changes to the open season, creel limit and/or minimum size for summer flounder and will provide more detail on regional and coast wide management actions for scup and sea bass.
The meeting will be held at the DEP Marine Headquarters Education Center, 333 Ferry Road in Old Lyme on Feb. 8, 2011. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
q
Are you tired of the snow yet? I know I am.
Last week's weather has kept virtually every local angler off the water and local bait stores closed. Fisherman's World in Norwalk, however, was open.
Nick at Fisherman's World said that his customers are heading up to Rhode Island to fish for cod and are stopping by the store to get the equipment and baits they need. Cod fishing is excellent. Almost everyone is catching their limits of cod in the 4 to 6-pound range. Nick said that one of his customers stopped by the store to say he caught a 40-pounder.
Nick said that the fish was probably a `little' smaller. Who knows?
Underwater camera to give DEP new look at fishes
Martin Armstrong, Correspondent
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Fishing-Column-Underwater-camera-to-give-DEP-new-985619.php#ixzz1CZO5tCA6
There are still plenty of herring in the local harbors and striped bass are biting in the Housatonic River. Baring any more snow in the near future I am sure that we will have some freshwater reports next week.
Martin Armstrong is a member of the Fisheries Advisory Council, a lifetime member in Trout Unlimited and a member of the Outdoors Writers Association.
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Fishing-Column-Underwater-camera-to-give-DEP-new-985619.php#ixzz1CZNq3dgp
Coastal America is a partnership between federal, state and local governments and private organizations. The camera will be used by the DEP to study coastal and marine habitats and for public education efforts.
"We are grateful to the CWRP for demonstrating their commitment to coastal and marine management efforts by providing DEP with this underwater camera," said Brian Thompson, Director of DEP's Office of Long Island Sound Programs. "By adding underwater video to the DEP's coastal management efforts, the public and stakeholders will have a better understanding of the health of coastal and marine habitat."
On July 19, 2010, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes. To support that initiative, Coastal America's National Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership Board committed to provide an industry standard underwater video camera system to organizations that study coastal and marine habitat. Several New England State Chapters of the CWRP, including ME, MA, NH, & RI provided funding toward the purchase of the camera.
"We whole heartily supported the funding of these cameras," said Ruthanne Calabrese, Chairperson of the Connecticut chapter of CWRP. As an Environmental Manager at Northeast Utilities, she appreciates the opportunity to align industry and government toward the common goal of environmental stewardship. You can learn more about the CT chapter of the CWRP at www.CTCWRP.org.
The DEP plans to use the underwater camera for a variety of purpose including: Assessing the natural habitat in the Long Island Sound and inland waters; Assisting with submerged aquatic vegetation sampling in Connecticut's lakes and ponds; Analyzing use of manmade structures by fish and other marine life and Educating the public, particularly schoolchildren, on the underwater habitat of Connecticut's waters.
The DEP Office of Long Island Sound Programs (OLISP) implements, oversees, and enforces the state's coastal management and coastal permit laws and regulations. The office also manages programs to protect and restore coastal resources and habitat, and helps coastal towns to plan and implement programs to protect coastal resources and encourage water-dependent uses of the shorefront.
The DEP Marine Fisheries Division will be hosting an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Public Hearing on Tautog (blackfish) Management in February.
The Draft Addendum proposes two changes to the tautog management program: address the illegal trade of live tautog and prevent increases in fishing mortality prior to the completion of the next assessment given that the actual harvest has exceeded the target in recent years.
The illegal taking of blackfish is rampant in Connecticut. Blackfish are taken from the Sound and kept alive in trucks equipped with large environmentally controlled tanks. The fish are then taken to New York's China Town where they are sold to local restaurants. The fish are often placed into live tanks where customers can choose one for their meal much like what is done with lobsters.
At the same time, Marine Fisheries will be holding an informational meeting to hear public input on proposed approaches to meet the mandatory harvest target for the 2011 recreational summer flounder, scup and black sea bass fisheries.
Connecticut may relax its summer flounder regulations in response to an approximately 33 percent increase in the 2011 harvest limit under the provisions of the Fishery Management Plan of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. These groups worked to avoid a serious reduction in scup fishing opportunity in 2011 and voted to allow states to maintain 2010 regulations.
Black sea bass are managed on a coast wide basis. That fishery is facing greater restrictions in 2011 including an increase in minimum size and a more abbreviated open season The Department is seeking input on various options that include changes to the open season, creel limit and/or minimum size for summer flounder and will provide more detail on regional and coast wide management actions for scup and sea bass.
The meeting will be held at the DEP Marine Headquarters Education Center, 333 Ferry Road in Old Lyme on Feb. 8, 2011. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
q
Are you tired of the snow yet? I know I am.
Last week's weather has kept virtually every local angler off the water and local bait stores closed. Fisherman's World in Norwalk, however, was open.
Nick at Fisherman's World said that his customers are heading up to Rhode Island to fish for cod and are stopping by the store to get the equipment and baits they need. Cod fishing is excellent. Almost everyone is catching their limits of cod in the 4 to 6-pound range. Nick said that one of his customers stopped by the store to say he caught a 40-pounder.
Nick said that the fish was probably a `little' smaller. Who knows?
Underwater camera to give DEP new look at fishes
Martin Armstrong, Correspondent
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Fishing-Column-Underwater-camera-to-give-DEP-new-985619.php#ixzz1CZO5tCA6
There are still plenty of herring in the local harbors and striped bass are biting in the Housatonic River. Baring any more snow in the near future I am sure that we will have some freshwater reports next week.
Martin Armstrong is a member of the Fisheries Advisory Council, a lifetime member in Trout Unlimited and a member of the Outdoors Writers Association.
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Fishing-Column-Underwater-camera-to-give-DEP-new-985619.php#ixzz1CZNq3dgp