DEVELOPING A FISHERIESBASED RESOURCE MONITORING SYSTEM

1
DEVELOPING A FISHERIES-BASED RESOURCE MONITORING
SYSTEM

• The case of Norwegian Coastal Cod
• By
• Petter Holm/Aslak Kristiansen
• UiT/Norwegian Fishermens Association

2
Management problems and Scientific Challenges

• Environmental conditions in the coastal zone are
  complex and the variations great
• Optimal management must take variations into
  consideration
• Traditional assessment methodology (trawling) not
  well suited to coastal conditions
• Management of NEA cod largely a success
• Norwegian Coastal Cod (NCC) another story.
  Declining stock especially after 1994

3

• NEA cod and NCC cod harvested in mixed fisheries
• Managed under common quota regime
• Absence of appropriate management measures
  adapted to NCC stock probably an important reason
  for continuous decline
• One main concern is absence of suitable knowledge
  infrastructure
• NCC stock could profitably be treated as complex
  of different stocks adapted to local
  environmental conditions
• At least be seen in two basic categories one
  stationary fjord stock and one migratory stock

4
Over all aim of proposed project

• Develop a robust and effective fisheries-based
  monitoring system for marine resources
• Build on cooperation between local fishermen and
  scientists
• Undertake an assessment of the structure and
  status of key components of the coastal
  ecosystem, with particular emphasis on cod stocks

5
Objectives

• Two kinds
• First, at the organisational level, to develop
  and test a model of management-relevant
  fisheries-based resource monitoring
• Second, on a technical-scientific level, to
  design and operate a fisheries-based resource
  monitoring system

6
Expected outcomes

• Develop and implement a fisheries-based
  monitoring system focusing on cod resources in
  the municipality of Steigen
• Generate practical experience regarding technical
  and organisational requirements and challenges of
  such a model
• Generate outcomes with regard to the specific
  structure and status of the marine resources in
  Steigen
• Expected to resulting in robust information
  methodologies that will be operated by fishermen

7
Methodological approach

• Project organised with limited number (6) coastal
  fishing vessels as data collecting platforms
• Selected on basis of normal fishing operations to
  cover key sections of geographical area
• Information system designed with basis in
  existing electronic catch diary and landing
  records redesigned to improve precision
• Standardised sampling
• A few modifications of the fishing vessels to
  improve quality as data collecting platforms

8
Roles of scientists and stakeholders

• Fishermen to take a strong and autonomous
  position in the project from the start
• Fishing vessels equipped in such a way that
  reliable and robust routines for data collection
  becomes possible as part of fishing operations
• In order to ensure the production of reliable and
  robust resource indicators, the science partners
  must take an active part in the overall planning
  of the project and in the design of the data
  collection process

9
Benefits to participants of the project

• For scientists
• Development of information systems and new
  methodologies for local resource monitoring
• Possibility to develop and test practical models
  for fishermen scientist cooperation
• For fishermen
• Active participation in development of
  information system
• Experience in information generation
• Insight in the way science works
• Develop skill in working with scientists

10
Benefit at the European level

• Benefit both in terms of organisational
  development and methodology
• In Norway, the social distance between scientists
  and fishermen is relatively short
• Norwegian fishermen have organisational
  experience through the Norwegian Fishermens
  Assosiation
• We believe this dimension will be an important
  contribution to the European project

11
The planning process

• The Norwegian GAP-project started with an idea to
  work with the model developed within IMRs
  ongoing Coastal reference fleet
• First regional meeting agreed on this model gives
  a too restricted role for fishermen. Decided on a
  model which would give the fishermen an active
  role in the project
• Second meeting decided to focus on the Steigen
  area
• Third meeting, which took place in Steigen,
  involved local fishermen and discussed practical
  design and planning of the project

12
Thank you