Department of Fish and Game Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 2018 Annual Report Atlantic cod, post‐release. Photography by Steve de Neef. Division staff conducting fyke net sampling for rainbow smelt on the north shore Department of Fish and Game Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 2018 Annual Report Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Charles D. Baker Lieutenant Governor Karyn E. Polito Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew A. Beaton Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ronald Amidon Division of Marine Fisheries Director David E. Pierce, Ph.D. www.mass.gov/marinefisheries January 1–December 31, 2018 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 2018 Annual Report 2 Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Frequently Used Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................. 6 FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SECTION ....................................................................................................................... 7 Fisheries Policy and Management Program ...................................................................................................... 7 Personnel ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Advisory Groups ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Fisheries Management Actions ..................................................................................................................... 9 Adjudicatory Proceedings ........................................................................................................................... 17 Other Activities ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Permitting and Fisheries Statistics Program .................................................................................................... 20 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 20 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 Permitting Project ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Fisheries Statistics Project .......................................................................................................................... 25 SHELLFISH AND HABITAT SECTION ....................................................................................................................... 30 Shellfish Sanitation and Management Program .............................................................................................. 30 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 30 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 30 Shellfish Sanitation and Public Health Protection Project .......................................................................... 31 Shellfisheries Management Project ............................................................................................................ 35 Environmental Protection Activities ........................................................................................................... 39 Aquaculture and Propagation Project ........................................................................................................ 40 Vibrio Management .................................................................................................................................... 45 Other Activities ........................................................................................................................................... 45 Habitat Program .............................................................................................................................................. 46 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 46 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Technical Review Project ............................................................................................................................ 46 Fisheries Habitat Research Project ............................................................................................................. 49 FISHERIES BIOLOGY SECTION ................................................................................................................................ 56 Fish Biology Program ....................................................................................................................................... 56 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 56 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 56 Age and Growth Project .............................................................................................................................. 56 Fisheries Dependent Sampling Project ....................................................................................................... 58 Fisheries Research Project .......................................................................................................................... 60 Striped Bass Project .................................................................................................................................... 64 Other Activities ........................................................................................................................................... 65 Assessment and Survey Program ..................................................................................................................... 66 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 66 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 66 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 2018 Annual Report 3 Conservation Engineering Project............................................................................................................... 67 Invertebrate Fisheries Project ..................................................................................................................... 68 Protected Species Project ........................................................................................................................... 74 Resource Assessment Project ..................................................................................................................... 75 Recreational and Diadromous Fisheries Program ........................................................................................... 78 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 78 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 78 Recreational Fisheries Project .................................................................................................................... 79 Large Pelagics Research Project .................................................................................................................. 81 Diadromous Fisheries Project ..................................................................................................................... 82 ADMINISTRATION ................................................................................................................................................. 89 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 89 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 89 Budget ......................................................................................................................................................... 90 Staffing .......................................................................................................................................................