"Fisheries research that involves testing of fishing gear is difficult at best. In most cases, the researcher is measuring the individual animals caught in both test gear and control gear configurations and looking for differences between the two catches. Given the natural variation of the mixture of animals from place to place on the bottom of the ocean, it is often difficult to separate the effects of the trawl from the effects of this natural variation. If you add on top of that the inherent difficulty of deploying the gear and towing it correctly, as a research scientist you start to realize that you are only defeating yourself by trying to do the fishing as well as the science.

Cooperative effort with competent, thoughtful fishermen is the only way I've found to assure the best results. Not only is the fishing done professionally, but many of the ideas concerning how to improve the gear come from the fishermen during the course of the work. Their knowledge base is inherently much broader and much deeper than mine as to how the gear is working on the bottom. By combining my ability to design an experiment that will show difference with statistical significance and fishermen's ability to visualize the gear and fish it, we end up with the best of all possible worlds."

- Dan Schick, Maine Department of Marine Resources

"This is a fast changing arena we've entered. Fishermen and Scientists working together - imagine that! Twenty years ago, it would not only be unthought of, but it would be considered criminal. But today, we're at a unique turning point for the two entities to work together. Some people consider fishermen the best barometers of the fish stocks that there is.

We have an opportunity to work together for the good of all. We are looking forward to working with researchers to better understand what they look for in their science. Also, from a fisherman's standpoint, to add credibility to their work."