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State fisheries program joins fisherman
The Narragansett Times
19th May 2004
According to the story, the old-time lobsterman never used bait. He believed that lobsters were primarily visual predators, so he lured them with a bright china teacup set in the corner of each trap.
Years later, many contemporary lobstermen use shiny soda cans in their traps for the same reason.
Observations like the one from this old-timer drive fishing practices more than people may realize. Fishermen are instinctive naturalists, and even if their insights are not formal science, their perceptions are valid contributions to scientific research and fisheries management policy.
This is one premise of a newly funded Fisheries Extension Enhancement Initiative developed by Rhode Island Sea Grant's Fisheries Extension Program. With a $56,659 annual grant from the National Sea Grant Office, the Rhode Island Fisheries program is building partnerships intended to support sustainable fisheries.
One element of the project is incorporation of fishermen's field observations into traditional scientific data collection.
This contribution to "a solid base of credible information" supports ecosystem-based management that responds to constantly changing resource conditions and environmental influences, says Kathleen Castro, Rhode Island Sea grant assistant director for sustainable fisheries.
As the lead researcher for the extension initiative, Castro believes that building cooperative working relationships is the first step toward needs-based research and effective, responsive management.
Fishermen, fisheries managers, environmentalists, and researchers share the goal of sustainable fisheries, Castro noted. But because these groups often disagree about the means for achieving that goal, or simply have problems working together, they first need to move discussions beyond the public hearing and courtroom interactions that traditionally characterized their relationships.
The extension enhancement initiative encourages the process by providing a neutral forum for information exchange and education. As cooperative working relationships produce more extensive, more accessible data, the data point to appropriate research questions, and the research contributes to adaptive management, Castro adds.
The five-year extension enhancement initiative also provides for a bycatch forum that brings together fishermen, fish behaviourists, and fishing gear specialists to share their work, explore funding resources, and consider solutions to the bycatch problem.
For additional information about the enhancement initiative,
contact Kathy Castro at 401-874-5063.
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