HALIBUT RESEARCH: ALASKA

Eyes on the Sea:  

What halibut fishermen have to say 
about bycatch and data collection in their fishery

UPDATE: The academic journals Marine Policy and PLoS One have published articles based on this research about the observations and preferences of commercial halibut fishermen in Southeast Alaska! 

Read and download the articles for free, at:
Marine Policy: article about fishermen's observations

PLoS One: article about fishermen's preferences 

Researcher 1: Elizabeth Figus, PhD, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, +1(732) 749-0319, ecfigus@alaska.edu
            I first came to Alaska in 2005, to troll for salmon out of Sitka during the summer. I was a 19 year-old college student from the east coast, and I figured it would be an interesting way to help pay my bills. What I thought would amount to a one-off seasonal job has slowly turned into a lifestyle of working, studying, and researching in fisheries around the world. Since 2005, I returned to Alaska almost every year to work in the fishing industry: salmon trolling, troll-tendering, longlining for halibut, and conducting scientific fishing. I have been lucky enough to work as deckhand, deck boss, scientific sampler, and most recently skipper on a troll tender. I have researched fisheries off Southeast Alaska and Poland, and finally moved to Alaska full-time in 2012. I currently live in Anchorage and plan to work and research in Alaskan fisheries for the rest of my life.

Elizabeth icing halibut on the F/V Kema Sue, Bering Sea 
(2013; taken by MacKenzie Peterson).

Researcher 2: Professor Keith Criddle, Ted Stevens Scholar, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks—Juneau Campus, (907) 796-5449, kcriddle@alaska.edu

Project background:
            This project explores multiple methods for gathering and analyzing bycatch data in the commercial fishery for Pacific halibut off Southeast Alaska. In 2013, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council extended the federal fisheries observer program to include vessels fishing Pacific halibut, in order to address concerns about the poundage and species composition of bycatch. Although the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) collects non-target catch data during annual stock assessment surveys, there is little information about how closely observations from the IPHC mirror bycatch in the commercial fishery. Moreover, there is little information about how bycatch affects commercial fishing practices (whether fishermen actively avoid them, or view retained non-target catch as an important source of income).
            Onboard observers are costly and present logistic challenges for vessel operators. Some halibut fishermen in Southeast Alaska have voiced negative opinions about recent reforms that expand the federal on-board observer program to include the halibut fleet. Thus there is interest in exploring alternative means of meeting management needs for accurate characterization of bycatch. Local fisheries groups have proposed that electronic monitoring (video recordings) be allowed as an alternative to human observers, especially on vessels under 57.5 feet long. A third monitoring option is for fishermen to self-report their bycatch in logbooks.

Project Goals:
(1) Determine how fishing characteristics impact the makeup of different species that fishermen encounter while targeting halibut, and
(2) Document preferences halibut fishermen have about at-sea data collection.

Project methods:
            In order to gather data, Elizabeth interviewed 78 halibut fishermen in four communities within Southeast Alaska, IPHC management Area 2C during the spring of 2015. Interviewees composed an average of 20% of total IFQ shares held in their corresponding communities of residence. Additionally, the interview group was almost exactly reflective of quota classes, or types of quota, in the communities.             Elizabeth and Dr. Criddle are comparing interview data with  bycatch observations from the IPHC annual setline survey. Analysis methods to date include Pearson's correlation coefficient, multiple factor analysis, multinomial logistic regression, and analytic hierarchy process.

Expected outcomes: 
            The data we propose to collect are of crucial interest to fisheries managers, and methods bridge gaps between fishermen and scientists through their direct involvement in research. This project works to increase the participation of fishermen in scientific research, and also develop tangible ways to incorporate fishermen knowledge into management decisions. We hope that this work will strengthen ties between the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the fishing industry.
            Findings will shed light on how fishermen understand monitoring and bycatch, and these understandings have the potential to inform science and management. This project reflects economic value to fishing fleets in Alaska, through its potential to shed light on ways to reduce costs of monitoring to the fishing industry. We hope our findings will provide information about how managers might implement reliable at-sea monitoring with support and compliance from the fleet. Results will be made available to project participants and communities throughout Southeast Alaska.

Funding:
This project is funded through support from a Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center Graduate Research Fellowship (https://www.sfos.uaf.edu/pcc/); a National Science Foundation, MESAS Fellowship (https://www.sfos.uaf.edu/mesas/); a Northern Gulf of Alaska Applied Research Award; and a Mount Holyoke College Bardwell Memorial Fellowship (http://alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/career/alumnae-fellowships/).

Example Consent for Project Participation:
This project has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (Project # 600513-6). Please note:
A. Your participation is voluntary.
B. You may withdraw your consent and discontinue participation in this study at any time.
C. All of the information from this study will be treated as strictly confidential.  No names will be associated with the data in any way. The data will be stored in locked offices in Juneau and the data will be accessible only to the investigator(s).
D. The results of this study will be made part of a final research report and may be used in papers submitted for publication or presented at professional conferences, but under no circumstances will your name or other identifying characteristics be included.

If you have any questions about this research, please contact: Elizabeth Figus at ecfigus@alaska.edu; or Dr. Keith Criddle at kcriddle@alaska.edu; or UAF’s Institutional Review Board at fyori@uaf.edu. Feel free to visit Elizabeth’s website, at: www.fishquota.blogspot.com

Statement of Consent:
I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I am 18 years old or older. I have been provided a copy of this form.

___ Yes, you may record the interview ___ No, you may not record the interview

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Participant’s Name Signature Date


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Researcher’s Name Signature Date