Given the recent drought in federal funds to support science and industry collaboration, UNH Cooperative Extension Sea Grant and the Northeast Consortium set out on a two-week tour to ask coastal communities the question, "How has collaborative research impacted your community?" Should this type of research continue and be supported by local, state and federal government?

Informal discussions were held in eight communities from Machias, Maine, to Chatham, Massachusetts. This project was significant because it was the first attempt to help individual coastal communities and the Northeast region consider the impact of collaboration and what future opportunities may await. It became clear from all who participated the impact has been great and the loss would be significant.

In addition to these meetings, a survey went to over 1,500 fishermen, scientists, fishery managers, non-governmental staff, and public officials in the focus regions and beyond.  Data was collated from the meetings and the survey responses, not only about the impacts of specific collaborative research projects, but on individual perceptions of the benefits of collaborative research, and the impacts that may result from a loss of funding.

Several common perceptions were held by the majority of participants. The ability for management and academic groups to conduct fisheries research has been dramatically enhanced by collaborating with industry. These collaborations moved well beyond an industry “taxi” service and now represent a true sharing of ideas from initial project development through field research. In addition to the social impacts of collaborative research, participants discussed economic benefits, including enhanced gear efficiency through gear design, new fisheries and fishing opportunities as in the ocean quahog, Atlantic halibut and shrimp fisheries, as well as collaborative research dollars to help sustain fishing operations.

Viewpoints from most participants felt that loss of funds would limit research capacity and the capability for science and management to address local immerging concerns or non-regulatory priorities.

Encouraging news include the return of the Saltonstall-Kennedy $5 million grant program to support priorities in aquaculture, fisheries socioeconomics, conservation engineering and right whale entanglement mitigation research. A new grant program is the Southern New England Collaborative Research Initiative of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation with an appropriation of just under $900,000. However, the Northeast Consortium, that provided the framework for collaborative fisheries research to the region, needs to continue to fund a broad range of fisheries initiatives throughout the Gulf of Maine.