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Feature Articles
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Tips for interested fishermen, scientists
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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.
By Becky Clauss
DURHAM, NH - With the recent hype around cooperative research, many on-lookers may be wondering "Why should I get involved with cooperative research?" or even "What are the benefits for me?"
For a fisherman, the most important benefit may be taking an active role in improving fisheries data, which may impact future management decisions that could affect you.
Along with participation in a research project comes decision-making and data interpretation. These projects offer a chance to share your knowledge and add your perspective.
There are a few things to consider before diving into a cooperative research project.
The following list of "tips" is a summary of some of the issues brought up during a discussion last year with fishermen and scientists working on research projects.
The Oct. 3 talk in Portsmouth, NH was titled "Real World Impediments to Cooperative Research" and was facilitated by Rollie Barnaby of New Hampshire Sea Grant/University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension.
Tips
- Have a plan - First and foremost when entering into cooperative research, is to have a plan. This means clearly articulating the goals of your project and the experimental design in your proposal. Ask yourself questions like these: Why is this work important? How will it get accomplished? Who is involved? What are the obstacles and what strategies can I use to get around them?
- Focus on communications - No matter what stage of the process you're in, keep the lines of communication open. This entails discussing a time line early in the process, which should address different interpretations of terms like "days-at-sea." A day-at-sea may mean 24 hours for a fisherman but may mean eight hours for a scientist.
- Discuss insurance - Vessel owners and all other project participants should discuss insurance issues during the proposal development stages. Remember to factor additional insurance charges when nonfishermen, such as students or scientists, will be coming aboard during sea-trials.
- Build trust - Trust is a crucial component to a successful research project. Listen to input and advice from your partners. You may learn about something you had not anticipated.
- Plan for gear-up - Don't forget about "gear-up" time. Fishermen should ask their research partners if they will require a large amount of equipment set-up time before heading out to sea. This additional time should be incorporated into the budget under vessel costs.
- Decide on the day's activities - In general, do not try to fish and do research on the same day. Make sure the entire cost of a day's trip is factored into the budget if research is going to be conducted.
- Be upfront about costs - If you encounter unforeseen expenses during the project, let the program manager know. Sometimes additional funding for unforeseen expenses can be made available.
- Involve crewmen - Be sure to involve all participating crewmembers early in the process to give them an understanding of the work. Fishermen need to have some feeling of ownership and a genuine interest in the nature of the research.
- Plan for foul weather days - Factor weather into the sampling schedule. Don't rely on a handful of specific dates. Always schedule back-up days.
Fishermen and scientists interested in cooperative research will have another chance to apply for funding later this spring. The Northeast Consortium plans to issue a request for proposals on June 1 as part of its ongoing project development program.
Under this program, the consortium will provide 10-12 awards of up to $25,000 to test the feasibility of an idea, try out new gear, or otherwise lay the groundwork for a new project, according to Project CoordinatorBecky Clauss.
To help fishermen anticipate some of the challenges involved in cooperative research projects and proposal writing, Clauss pulled together the following two articles, which offer tips on making projects work and hints for navigating the difficult experimental fisheries permit process.
Fishermen looking for scientists to partner up with can check out the web site where more than 40 scientists interested in cooperative research are registered. Information is also available from the Northeast Consortium. Call Troy Hartley, consortium executive director, at (603) 862-1729 or visit the consortium's web site at http://www.northeastconsortium.org.
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