The Massachusetts Legislature last week approved a Fiscal Year 2013 budget that includes $200,000 in funding for SMAST’s fisheries research. “This support generates significant opportunities to build up new levels of credibility in the stock assessment process,” said Brian Rothschild, SMAST Professor and Co-Director of the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute (MFI). The MFI has proposed a series of technical stock assessment workshops, Rothschild said, to be conducted jointly with NOAA, on such topics as port sampling, research vessel sampling, and the use of fishing vessels as survey vessels. “We also hope to provide support to graduate students working in this area.” The MFI is a cooperative venture between the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the University of Massachusetts to promote sustainable fisheries through education and research.