Moirs Environmental Dialogues

Rob’s guests are Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Craig McDonald and John Williamson, Fisherman, New England Fisheries Management Council former member representing fishermen from two states, and now president of Stellwagen Alive. After nineteen years of Sanctuary management and research, a proposal to close 14% of the area to fishing has been developed. Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary in its entirety has four bottom types, one third gravel, one third sand, one third mud and a bit of boulders. Subarea A, the 89 square miles to be closed (14% of 640 sq mi Sanctuary) also contains a third gravel, sand and mud plus boulders. Subarea B, 106 sq mi to the east, is proposed to be closed to commercial and open to recreational fishing; while subarea C 56 sq mi to the north, closest to Gloucester, would be closed to recreational fishing and open to commercial. Why ecosystem-based research is so important along with population-based research is explained. How the Sanctuary arrived at these specific research areas