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by Lorelei Stevens.
ROCKPORT, ME - The notion of cooperative research is rapidly moving from promising idea to concrete reality. Fueled by millions of federal dollars, scientists and fishermen now are successfully working together on numerous projects.
Just how successfully became clear during a cooperative research seminar held on March 2 at the Maine Fishermen's Forum. As dozens of people from both worlds shared experiences of working together, the atmosphere was so positive that one participant characterized the gathering as a "love-fest."
Not that anyone made it sound easy. Participants on both sides acknowledged that it takes a tremendous amount of work to do scientific research aboard commercial fishing vessels.
But, in the end, everyone who spoke said it was well worth the effort.
"Last year, we declared that there was a new fishery out there -- research -- and the product was data," said Craig Pendleton, a Saco, ME vessel owner and coordinator for the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance.
Pendleton, whose boat is involved in an oceanographic research project called "Fleetlink," said cooperative research is what made it possible to propose an experimental fishery to assess groundfish bycatch in the shrimp fishery outside of the 25600 loran line (see story, page 4B).
"We've been asking to do shrimp research outside of the imaginary line for years. We finally got it because of the cooperative relationships we've been able to build," he said.
The data that fishermen are now helping to gather will empower the industry, Pendleton predicted.
"We've been killed and killed again in the past by what we don't know."
Added Proctor Wells of the Maine Fishermen's Cooperative Association, "I'm really excited to think that we have an excellent opportunity to prove what we can do."
Communication
Kim McClellan, whose husband, Cameron, has worked on the Gulf of Maine Aquarium herring survey and the Fleetlink project, said that cooperative research has allowed her family to build close working relationships and even real friendships with scientists.
"It's been a great experience," she said.
But McClellan was plain spoken in her advice to fishermen going into these projects for the first time.
She strongly suggested that they check out on the Internet. The web site features practical advice for both fishermen and scientists on how to set realistic goals and speak each others' language.
The most important thing of all is that fishermen and researchers talk to one another, McClellan said, because both are coming from vastly different experiences.
For example, when a boat is chartered to do scientific research, the fishermen involved have to give up some of the freedom and autonomy they are used to and, instead, do what they have to do to make the project work.
Fishermen and scientists also need to talk to make sure that the boat can accommodate the equipment needed for the research project. They need to work out insurance issues and come to agreements on when they will be available to work together. And they have to agree on whether the boat can both fish and do the research within the same timeframe.
"Keep the lines of communication open, both for the good and the bad. That's the key to making it work," McClellan advised. "Doing research is not quick and easy money. It's probably the hardest money you've ever made, but it's for the benefit of the future."
Permit problems
Scientists, too, praised the cooperative research experience and the fishermen they had worked with.
"The process is working incredibly well. It's not without pain and a learning curve, but there is a huge diversity of ideas out there," said Linda Mercer of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Ann Bucklin, director of the University of New Hampshire Sea Grant Program and spokesman for the Northeast Consortium, offered this piece of advice to researchers in the audience.
"You have to understand that fishing is a really complicated business and you have to interface with fishermen in a way that doesn't cost them money," she said. "It's no easier to catch fish than it is to catch federal research dollars."
One point of tremendous frustration voiced by a number of researchers was the difficulties they have experienced in getting crucial experimental fishery permits from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
NMFS Regional Administrator Pat Kurkul explained that the experimental fishery permit process is "bound by the same statutory and legislative" requirements as the fishery management plan process.
There has been progress in a positive direction, however, according to Kurkul. She explained that the authority for approval of these permits had recently been delegated to the region, except for issues related to NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act.
"That should shorten the timeframe somewhat," she said.
Don Perkins, president of the Gulf of Maine Aquarium, encouraged NMFS to keep working on it.
"Let's fix this permitting issue," he said. "It is right now the most serious problem in the process."
