Category: CRMG updates (Page 1 of 3)

Last year Blue Marine Foundation hosted a one-day Crab and Lobster Symposium attended by a range of scientists, fisheries managers and reps from the catching sector.

Thirty short talks were presented including from CRMG members, covering a wide range of topics in five groups; there were also Q&As and a final open forum. CRMG members spoke about the innovative Western Isles pot limitation scheme, a collaboration between St Andrew’s University and the Western Isles Fishermen’s Association.

Read the article about the symposium here

Peer reviewed paper “Piloting a Regional Scale Ocean Literacy Survey in Fife”

Ocean Literacy (OL) encapsulates the journey of improved awareness of marine and coastal issues, to the adoption of clear values and attitudes based on that knowledge, and intentional lifestyle and other personal choices at an individual and societal level. Understanding a community or group’s position in this transition enables institutions, such as universities, charities or civil society organisations, to target their public engagement efforts to make progress toward a healthier marine environment. To gather a baseline of OL in Fife, Scotland, an online survey was launched to residents of the Local Authority Area, between the 8th May and 30th June 2021. Responses indicated widespread uncertainty about solutions to marine and coastal problems, prompting the promotion of a solutions-based focus for public engagement efforts, particularly regarding local issues. While there was common agreement that the government, businesses and citizens could be doing more to advance the health of the marine environment and climate, only 55% of respondents had already made some changes to their lifestyles with the intention to continue at the point of survey. Some barriers evidently remain. Concern for the marine environment, climate and future generations largely govern the desire to alter behaviour to reap the desired benefits which include the enjoyment of nature, cultural heritage and aids to mental health. Taking a “nested approach” to OL surveying (regional surveys within a national framework) is likely to improve response rates and amplify the voices of rural and coastal communities. Furthermore, the OL surveying platform may opportunistically serve as a useful tool for investigating public priorities in the early stages of marine planning and policy development.

Read the article here

Report

Ocean Literacy (OL), or Ocean Citizenship, is the basis of a movement to sway positive, lasting change in communities that will benefit the sea, coast and climate. An ocean literate person is understanding of the ocean’s influence on their own lives, as well as the way that their behaviours influence the ocean and is knowledgeable concerning ocean threats. A degree of informed-ness (or ‘literacy’) is thought to inspire effective communication and allow for impactful decision-making regarding personal lifestyle and behaviours, which are subsequently beneficial to the marine and coastal environment. Not only that, a collective OL mindset may be translated into policy, informing marine spatial planning authorities of people’s expectations regarding their marine and coastal spaces.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.15664/10023.23981

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) account for two-thirds of the wild-caught fish that people eat. This sector employs more than 100 million people and contributes to food and nutritional security for more than 2 billion. 

Managing SSF has historically been extremely complex, with numerous and diverse fisheries operating in informal economies from remote locations such as small island developing states (SIDS). SIDS are highly vulnerable to climate change due to their reliance on SSF but lack the tools to effectively collect and analyse data to make informed decisions. Using low-cost electronics, sensors, open-source software, and expertise in fisheries, the University of St Andrews has developed technologies, processes and systems designed to collect data from SSF. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to predict and map fishing intensity using data from high-resolution vessel tracking, gear deployment tags and catch monitoring via a customizable mobile app. 

In collaboration with WorldFish and the Government of the Republic of Palau, a two-day workshop was held in Koror, Palau on small-scale fisheries data collection systems and processes. Several topics were presented including an overview of the technology available and open-source systems, approaches to interpreting track data and a discussion on the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of fisheries digitalization. 

With support from Cyantech Biosolutions, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), four fishing vessels and a local marine protected area ranger have now been fitted with tracking systems for the first time in Palau. The potential to track vessels and match this with information on what is being caught has the potential to transform the way fisheries are managed. 

Read more about the project here

You are invited to participate in a research project which aims to gather information on the use, recovery, and disposal of fishing gear within Scotland’s inshore creel fishery. The aim is to gain further insights based on your own experiences at sea and views on this. The survey is being conducted by the University of St Andrews and is completely anonymous. It takes approximately five minutes to complete and the information you choose to share will be treated confidentially and used solely for academic purposes.

If you are a commercial creel fisher and would like to take part, please follow the link below. Thank you

https://standrews.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eaOwAZEggYk31CS

More information can be found here as well.

If you would prefer to talk to us or would like any more information, please contact em323@st-andrews.ac.uk

Published on the 25th October 2021, the project CABFishMan received a write-up in the online Fishing Daily News regarding their latest comprehensive review of existing methods for data collection in Northeast Atlantic small-scale fisheries (SSF).

‘The review is especially relevant as it provides geo-referenced data on fishing effort and catches in the area, information which is crucial for establishing a collaborative co-management framework in the Atlantic region’ explained Murillas.

Read the news article here

This project is part of the wider Fife Sustainable Natural and Cultural Coastal Zone project in partnership with the People Ocean Planet Initiative and seeks to determine the relationship that Fife communities have with the sea and coast. To do this, we are surveying communities within the Fife Local Authority to understand your knowledge of and attitudes towards the sea, threats to it and, in turn, the solutions. This will provide a baseline of information that we can build upon, reflecting how Fife communities interact with and perceive the sea and coast. This enables us to identify what people are passionate about and what issues may require further engagement to support positive change for our marine area and the communities that benefit from it.

If you are a Fife resident * and would like to take part in the survey, please follow the link below. If you would prefer to talk to us, please get in touch with the Coastal Resource Management Group at crmg@st-andrews.ac.uk 

Participants will be entered into a prize draw to the value of £50.

Survey link here!

*Please note that all participants must be resident in Fife Local Authority Area on a permanent or temporary basis and be aged 16 or over.