The Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF), the nonprofit organization formed in New Jersey to seek scientific and legislative solutions to the crisis facing those whose livelihoods depend on a healthy and vibrant recreational summer flounder fishery, has announced the hiring of internationally recognized fisheries biologist Mark Maunder, Ph.D., to assist in its pursuit of those scientific solutions.
Dr Maunder is recognized internationally as a leader in the development of methodology for fisheries stock assessment and population dynamics modeling. He has been the team leader or participant in numerous stock assessments. Dr Maunder has been a main developer of three general stock assessment models used by several organizations worldwide. He has taught several courses in stock assessment and ecological modeling, including a graduate course at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
"Dr. Maunder has already completed his initial review of the current assessment, identifying several key areas where further investigation and research is needed," said Greg Hueth, president of the Shark River Surf Anglers and one of the founders of SSFFF.
Dr Maunder is currently a senior scientist at the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. Through his company, Quantitative Resource Assessment, LLC, Dr Maunder has served as a consultant for several national and international governmental and nongovernmental organizations. He has been an invited speaker on many occasions, reviewed stock assessments for several national and international organizations, has more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, numerous reports, attended many international conferences and workshops on fisheries, ecology and statistics, and has obtained substantial external funding as lead or co-principle investigator.
"We seek to safeguard and improve fishing access to summer flounder, for those who enjoy it and to ensure the survival of those who depend on it, through scientific and legislative means."
"One of our goals in hiring a scientist was to assure that he or she was not only well-respected, but also highly qualified to review and comment on stock assessments," said Dave Arbeitman, owner of The Reel Seat tackle shop in Brielle, NJ, and also a founder of SSFFF. "Dr. Maunder is that person."
The Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund (SSFFF) is a nonprofit organization comprised of party and charter boat owners, tackle and bait store owners, tackle distributors, bait wholesalers, and others whose livelihoods are dependent on a healthy and vibrant recreational fishing industry. Its mission: "We seek to safeguard and improve fishing access to summer flounder, for those who enjoy it and to ensure the survival of those who depend on it, through scientific and legislative means."
