by Lorelei Stevens
This article is reprinted with permission of Commercial Fisheries News, the Northeast's fishing newspaper for over 30 years, ©2003 Compass Publications Inc. Commercial Fisheries News is published monthly; annual subscriptions are $21.95. To subscribe or request a sample issue: call (877) 263-4496; fax (207) 367-2490; e-mail (cfoster@fish-news.com); or click on the hot link.
PORTLAND, ME - Internet-connected fishermen have a new resource for information and support to help them break into the rapidly expanding world of cooperative research.
On Dec. 18, as Commercial Fisheries News (CFN) was going to press, fishresearch.org was scheduled to go on-line.
On the site, fishermen will be able to let the world know that they are available to participate in cooperative research projects. All they have to do is enter some basic information about themselves and their boats. That information will then be included in a registry of commercial fishing vessels and experienced fishermen that scientists looking for fishermen partners can tap.
For fishermen with project ideas, the site also features a similar registry of marine scientists.
By teaming up, fishermen and researchers are eligible to apply for some of the millions of dollars in federal cooperative research monies now making their way into the region (see related story page 8A).
The web site itself is a cooperative effort, with funding provided by the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, and the Henry P. Kendall Foundation.
Other fishresearch.org web site "partners" include the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, or NAMA, a Portland-based group that is organizing fishermen to work toward self-government, and CR Environmental, an East Falmouth, MA-based company that has been bringing fishermen and oceanographic researchers together in recent years.
Actual web site construction and facilitation is being handled by the Gulf of Maine Aquarium.
According to aquarium President Don Perkins, web site organizers are committed to keeping the site "open."
"We are trying to get as many people in as possible to increase the site's credibility and its richness," he said. "We're still reaching out for more."
Commercial Fisheries News has agreed to provide news content to the site, according to CFN Publisher Rick Martin.
"Participating as a news provider to fishresearch.org is a logical extension of the kind of 'bridging' role that CFN has played for years," he said.
"We have consistently taken a leadership position in helping fishermen and the science/research community to communicate and cooperate. This site is another vehicle through which that goal can be accomplished, and we are glad to be a part of it," Martin said.
Getting the word out
Phil Yund, a scientist with the University of Maine Darling Marine Center, is now working half-time with the Gulf of Maine Aquarium on cooperative research development. He sees the web site as a way to greatly expand people's understanding of the opportunities now available to fishermen and scientists alike.
"The web site is a great idea. Too much of the information about who is doing what, or who wants to do what, is currently only available by word of mouth," he said.
Organizers also hope the site will help an ongoing effort to bring better balance to the "cooperative" research equation.
"At the moment, most collaborative projects are initiated by scientists, so scientists still largely control the research agenda," Yund observed. "Consequently, we particularly seek involvement of fishermen with ideas for specific projects."
Yund and others are working to let fishermen know that the web site and other cooperative research information sources (see contact box page 8A) are available to help people make connections and write funding proposals.
"Fishermen interested in getting involved in cooperative research should get in touch," he said. "We can arrange partnerships between scientists and fishermen who share research interests, and provide advice on structuring contracts and negotiating charter rates."
Other site features
Fishresearch.org will feature several written contributions from experienced professionals addressing questions commonly asked by people looking to get involved in cooperative research projects for the first time.
Cameron McClellan, a fisherman who has participated in these kinds of projects, has addressed the subject from a fisherman's perspective. Kris Boehmer of Ocean Marine Underwriters has offered a piece examining insurance concerns. And Yund has written an article answering questions scientists may have about working with fishermen.
The site will also offer real-time weather and sea-state information. Eventually, Perkins said, site organizers also hope to provide links to cooperative research funding sources and to start an interactive feature where people can talk about research priorities.
