Chen’s Cod, Cusk Research Cited in Press Herald Article
Research being conducted by Yong Chen, a fisheries scientist at the University of Maine, was mentioned in the Portland Press Herald article, “Fishermen say new restrictions unfairly overlook cod caught in lobster traps.” According to the article, emergency restrictions aimed at protecting declining cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine have some fishermen worried that the region’s lobstermen — who routinely kill cod — won’t be affected by the new rules. Chen recently began studying the survival rates of cod and cusk after they are captured in lobster traps, and he plans to survey lobstermen to determine what they do with captured cod, the article states. Chen said he has found that most cusk survive, and he suspects he also will find high survival rates next year when he studies cod. The Ellsworth American also cited Chen’s research project.