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OCR for page 7
1
Introduction
CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE AND REPORT OVERVIEW
Overview and Definition
Good fisheries management depends on acquiring high-quality infor-
mation on an ongoing basis. These data provide the backbone of the sci-
ence used in regulation. In the United States and around the world, the
dominant method for obtaining such essential information has been
through centralized, government-staffed research programs. While the data
obtained from these programs have been of enormous value, the method is
not always the most cost effective and often does not make use of the exten-
sive experience of practicing fishermen. In addition to bringing industry
and scientists together to engage in research of significant importance to
fisheries management, there may be other side benefits resulting from co-
operative research, including improved mutual understanding and trust
between the cooperating partners. Recognition of the potential direct and
indirect benefits of cooperative research has been rising. For example, in a
report to Congress on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is-
sued in luly 2001, the National Academy of Public Administration recom-
mended that:
The NMFS Assistant Administrator, in collaboration with regional adminis-
trators, substantially expand cooperative programs in the area of research,
statistics, and dockside extension services to improve external relations.
OCR for page 8
8 COOPERATIVE RESEAR CHIN THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
Whereas in the past, cooperative research was an ad hoc product of
agency individuals and fishing groups working together, NMFS now has
specific policies supporting and encouraging cooperative research (NMFS,
20011. There has been an increase in cooperative research activities in re-
cent years, boosted by separate and substantial funding provided by Con-
gress. The recent and likely continued increase in cooperative research
activity motivated the current study. The committee was charged with iden-
tifying and recommending key elements to meet programmatic objectives,
to ensure scientific rigor, and to effectively design and implement coopera-
tive research programs. The complete committee statement of task is pro-
vided in Appendix A.
It should be noted that in many ways this is not a typical National
Research Council (NRC) report because few studies of cooperative research
have appeared in the published literature and what has appeared have been
the results of cooperative research projects, not an evaluation of cooperative
research. The NRC was asked to address the statement of task using avail-
able information. Because of the limited availability of published work, the
committee had to rely on information provided through case studies,
committee members' own experience, and testimony provided to the com-
mittee to address some aspects of the statement of task.
COOPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
The nature and level of cooperation can vary greatly among projects.
At one end of the spectrum are projects with relatively low levels of coop-
eration, such as NMFS chartering commercial vessels for surveys (in which
the primary form of cooperation is commercial crews helping in the actual
daily operation of the surveys) or fishermen keeping logs of fishing activi-
ties. On the other end of the scale are cooperative research projects where
fishermen and agency personnel work together in all phases of the project,
including development of the research question design of the project, per-
formance of research, analysis and interpretation of results, and communi-
cation and dissemination of study findings. These types of projects are of-
ten referred to as "collaborative research."
SCIENTIFIC POTENTIAL OF COOPERATIVE RESEARCH
A key element in managing the nation's fisheries is our understanding
of the abundance and biology of fish in the ocean and how to reduce the
OCR for page 9
INTRODUCTION
9
impact of fishing activities on fish and protected species. Some of this in-
formation can be collected at the docks (as catch data), while the collection
of other information requires going to sea and putting instruments, nets, or
other sampling gear into the water. Fishermen are at sea every day as part of
their normal work activity, and much of the impetus for cooperative re-
search is to integrate the knowledge of fishermen into the scientific process
used to regulate fisheries. For every day government research vessels spend
on the water, commercial vessels operate for hundreds of days. Some of the
traditional cooperative activities, such as logbooks, are designed to accu-
mulate the information available from commercial activity. Commercial
fishermen have other valuable skills and information gained through expe-
rience that can also be brought to bear in the scientific process.
Fishermen are experts at the use and modification of fishing gear to
achieve specific objectives, such as increasing catch efficiency or avoiding
nontarget species. As shown by the management directives stemming from
studies such as the West Coast Groundfish Mesh Size Study and the Alaska
Seabird Deterrent Study, the efficiency of the national fisheries manage-
ment system can be enhanced if this expertise is used. Thus, it is not
surprising that many research efforts investigating fishing gear design have
been done cooperatively. As concerns about bycatch of nontarget fish, ma-
rine mammals, and birds have increased, the demand for gear research has
grown.
Although fishermen often express frustration that fish surveys include
areas where they know few fish are to be found, research surveys are not
designed to catch fish efficiently but rather to catch them in a well-speci-
fied, repeatable fashion that will provide an index of the trends in abun-
dance over time. Scientific surveys are often designed so that there is more
sampling effort in areas of higher fish density, but some effort needs to
occur in low-density areas. Scientists bring to the process rigor in experi-
mental design and the ability to synthesize large-scale data that are not
available to individual fishermen. While most research surveys around the
world are designed and conducted by national fisheries agencies with little
or no cooperation from fishermen, recent experience on both coasts of the
United States has shown that the expertise of fishermen can be important
in making sure that the survey fishing gear is operated as efficiently as
designed or that the geographic range of the survey is consistent with the
geographic range of the fish.
Data from research surveys form the core of most U.S. fisheries stock
assessments, and general broad-based surveys have been in place for 20
OCR for page 10
10 COOPERATIVE RESEAR CHIN THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
years or more over much of U.S. waters. However, as regulatory demands
for information require greater precision, there is a growing need for addi-
tional targeted surveys on specific species. The current and projected NMFS
fleet will never be able to respond fully to these growing demands for re-
search surveys. These additional surveys are likely to be conducted from
commercial and recreational fishing vessels, if they are to occur at all.
We see great scientific potential in cooperation between scientists and
fishermen. Fishermen bring field experience, practical knowledge, and plat-
forms for collection of data. Scientists bring experimental design, the scien-
tific method, and data synthesis. By bringing together the knowledge and
skills of these two groups, the quality, quantity, and relevance of research
may be greatly improved.
SOCIAL CONTEXT OF COOPERATIVE RESEARCH
A second benefit of cooperative research lies in building better under-
standing between science and industry. It is clear that when the fishing
industry has little confidence in the science, the political process is used to
oppose regulations. For fishermen to have confidence in the regulatory pro-
cess, they must have confidence in the data and the analysis that is used in
developing regulations and management plans. Over the course of its open
meetings, the committee heard numerous examples in which fishermen's
participation in data collection led to greater confidence in the data, the
analysis, and the management recommendations that emerged from the
process.
THE OBJECTWES OF P~TICIP~TS
In the testimony presented to the committee, it became clear that there
is a wide range of objectives in projects labeled as "cooperative." For the
fishing industry, the objectives are primarily associated with improving
management. They see cooperative projects as providing an opportunity to
collect more and better data at lower cost, to provide scientifically accept-
able information about stock dynamics and status for the assessment pro-
cess, to become more aware of how ongoing data collection programs actu-
ally work, and to be true partners in the process.
Bringing fishermen into the data collection process and increasing their
understanding of the scientific process provides benefits to NMFS. Coop-
erative research projects provide a way for NMFS to obtain additional data,
OCR for page 11
INTRODUCTION 1 1
to get access to vessels and time at sea, to take advantage of the practical
knowledge of fishermen, and to develop effective partnerships with indus-
try. Universities have also been major players in cooperative research pro-
. . . . . . . .
grams, participating ( erects .y in cooperative researc 1, sometimes serving as
intermediaries between industry and government, and in other cases
providing scientific input and credibility for projects led by the fishing
industry. Cooperative research projects provide university researchers with
funding, training opportunities for students, and an entree into regional
management issues. Retired university, NMFS, and other scientists should
also be considered for participation in cooperative research projects. Coop-
erative research provides opportunities for these scientists to continue to
make contributions to fisheries science and management.
Recreational fishermen can benefit in ways similar to commercial
fishermen and should be considered for cooperative research projects that
are appropriate to the vessels, gear, and expertise they possess. The long-
standing billfish tagging by recreational fishermen is an example of poten-
tial cooperative research.
The emergence of nongovernmental organizations with expertise in
marine research, facilitation, or fishing community outreach provides a
further opportunity for successful partnerships. Not only can these organi-
zations participate directly in cooperative research projects, they can also
serve as an intermediary between scientists and fishermen. An aquarium or
independent research facility or organization, often with a reputation for
neutrality within the community and an entrepreneurial culture that allows
it to act as an interface, can provide flexible services in a way not easily
accomplished by government or academic institutions.
Indigenous groups throughout the United States have a major interest
in fisheries regulated by NMFS, particularly the salmon fisheries of the
West Coast. Indigenous organizations are intensively involved in co-
management of many salmon resources and conduct significant scientific
research, often in conjunction with state agencies but also with NMFS.
The committee heard of no cases where indigenous groups were funded
through specific cooperative research grants, as most of their money comes
from other sources, but there is nothing to exclude indigenous groups from
becoming involved in the cooperative research programs. However, the
committee felt that the special nature of indigenous treaty rights and salmon
was not a model for other cooperative research activities, and we have ex-
cluded this work from our considerations.
Finally, environmental organizations represent another potential coop-
OCR for page 12
12 COOPERATIVE RESEAR CHIN THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
erative research partner. Although they have not yet been as intensively
involved in cooperative research projects as other parties, there are some
notable exceptions. Cooperative research projects could provide an increas-
ingly important forum for environmental organizations to participate in
the management process and to help solve problems of particular concern.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
national marine
