WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Department of Marine Resources will receive $264,516 in grant funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support the Maine - New Hampshire Inshore Trawl Survey. The survey gathers important data on the groundfish and lobster populations in near shore waters in the Gulf of Maine, spanning from the Massachusetts coast to the Canadian border.

“The health and sustainability of Maine’s fishing industry is vital to our economy and the livelihood of our coastal communities,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This grant will help fund the inshore trawl survey that provides invaluable insight to assess our groundfish and lobster populations.”

The Maine - New Hampshire Inshore Trawl Survey is a collaborative research project between the Maine Department of Marine Resources, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and commercial fishermen. Bi-annual surveys are conducted in the spring and fall using a commercial fishing vessel. Both Senators Collins, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and King supported federal funding for the trawl survey in the NOAA appropriations process.

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