Salt Water Sportsman – August 2019

E E Estimating the number of fish

that offshore anglers harvest has

been a major challenge for federal

fishery managers, and figuring out

what anglers release during a fishing

trip is even more difficult. To help fill

these key data gaps, the South Atlantic

Fishery Management Council recently

initiated its first citizen science pilot

project, the SAFMC Scamp Release,

which allows fishermen to use a mobile

app to provide information on caught

and released scamp grouper.

“Fishermen have frequently offered

to help collect data, many offering the

use of their boats to serve as research

platforms for sampling and observa-

tions,” explains council chair Jessica

McCawley. “The council’s Citizen

Science Program, developed with the

guidance of a wide array of partners

and stakeholders over the last three

years, now allows for that information

to be collected. We are very proud of

this new program, and are hopeful that

the data collected in this first pilot proj-

ect can be used in an upcoming stock

assessment for scamp grouper.”

SAFMC Release, the mobile app the

project centers around, was devel-

oped by Harbor Light Software with

the support of the Pew Charitable

Trusts and Atlantic Coastal

SEPTEMBER 2019 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM 13

South Atlantic Council Launches Citizens

Data-Collection Project

A new project gives fishermen the opportunity to participate in a stock assessment of scamp

grouper with a mobile app, bringing fisheries data collection into the 21st century.

NEWS LINES

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TARGET SPECIES: Scamp is chosen for

a new data-collection pilot project.

continued E

Talk on

the Dock

READER’S & KIDS’ CATCHES

Proud anglers show off a

redfish, hogfish, grouper and

chinook, page 16

NEW GEAR

Costas for her, Z-Man’s latest

soft plastic, and Yeti’s storage

solution, page 20

CONSERVATION

Healthy fisheries mean more

than one species, page 22