An Interdisciplinary Method for Collecting and Integrating Fishers' Ecological Knowledge into Resource Management

Lead Researcher and Department
Barbara Neis, Department of Sociology; Lawrence Felt, Department of Sociology; Richard Haedrich, Department of Biology and David Schneider, Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University

Funding Resources
Tri-Council funding of Eco Research Project at Memorial University

Summary
Most of the world's major fish stocks are overfished, many to the point of collapse. This situation has prompted debate concerning whether fisheries science and associated management, in their present forms, can provide a basis for the sustainable use of fishery resources. Some argue that finding ways to incorporate fishers' participation would improve the capacity to manage fisheries sustainably.

Researchers from many disciplinary backgrounds have argued that users' traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) represents at least a critical supplement to scientific understanding and perhaps an alternative foundation for sustainable resource management. One of the primary barriers to greater use of TEK lies in the absence of agreed-on methods for gathering information on it. The development of a framework for collecting and using fishers' TEK is the central focus of this paper. We review the literature on fisheries TEK from a methodological perspective, provide a sample method designed for research among commercial fishers in Newfoundland, and illustrate some potential benefits associated with combining data derived from fishers' TEK with data derived from more traditional sources.

Published in: Fishing Places, Fishing People: Traditions and Issues in Canadian Small-Scale Fisheries. D. Newell, R. Ommer, eds. University of Toronto Press, Toronto. 1999, p. 217-238.

Dates
1999

Keywords
Fisheries management, Local ecological knowledge, Sustainability

Locations
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
St. John's
Avalon Peninsula

Industry Sectors
Salt water fishing (Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting — Fishing, hunting and trapping — Fishing)
Fisheries research and development laboratories (Professional, scientific and technical services — Scientific research and development services — Research and development in the physical, engineering and life sciences)
Social science research and development (Professional, scientific and technical services — Scientific research and development services — Research and development in the social sciences and humanities)

Thematic Categories
Environmental Management (Environment and Conservation)
Fishery Management (Fisheries)

Departments
Sociology, Faculty of Arts (STJ)
Biology, Faculty of Science (STJ)
Ocean Sciences, Faculty of Science (STJ)