ON-BOARD PROCESSING OF DOGFISH AND SKATES

THE DECLINE IN THE NEW ENGLAND (NE) GROUND FISH STOCK IS SEVERELY AFFECTING THE NE FISHERIES' ECONOMY. TO REVERSE THIS DESTRUCTIVE TREND, NMFS HAS THE DIFFICULT AND UNPOPULARTASK OF IMPLEMENTING STOCK RECOVERY PROGRAMS WHICH REQUIRE CATCH REDUCTIONS. NMFS REPORTS 70% OF PRESENT FISH STOCKS ARE DOGFISH AND SKATES WHICH ARE UNDER-UTILIZED AND ARE GROUND FISH PREDATORS. ALTHOUGH THESE ABUNDANT FISH HAVE A STRONG EXPORT AND GROWING U.S. MARKET, THEY REPRESENT LESS THAN 5% OF NE CATCH. THIS CONDITION EXISTS BECAUSE IT IS NOT ECONOMICAL, IN LONG TERM, FOR MAJORITY OF VESSELS AND PROCESS PLANTS TO INVEST IN DOGFISH/SKATE FISHERIES. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVE ON BOARD PROCESSING WILL ENABLE BROADER AND PROFITABLE LONG TERM DOGFISH AND SKATE FISHERIES TO BE ACHIEVED. THE FEASIBILITY OF UNIQUE PROCESSING EQUIPMENT DESIGNED FOR VESSEL NEEDS AND CONSTRAINTS IS A KEY PART OF THIS PROOF. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS SBIR PROJECT WOULD NOT ONLY PROVIDE COMMERCIAL VALUE BUT ALSO; PROVIDE A POSITIVE METHODTO REDUCE GROUND FISH CATCH VOLUMES; RESTORE BALANCE OF GROUND FISH PREDATORS; AND PROVIDE A LONG TERM SOLUTION TO OVER FISHING WITHOUT SACRIFICING NE FISHERMEN JOBS. FISHERMEN ARE THE ROOTS OF U.S. FISHERIES INDUSTRY AND THEIRECONOMICAL SURVIVAL WILL ENSURE LONG TERM U.S. FISHERIES CAPABILITY.