US fishing cooperatives

Things are starting to come together, everyone has generously given me their time and recommended people that I should get in touch with.  Week three has been very productive, I have had some in depth and useful conversations regarding how temporary fishing area closures are being used in the States.

Since the Fisherman's Collection Market Act of 1934, US fishermen have been allowed to jointly harvest, market and price their product and subsequently fishing cooperatives were set.  This week I was fortunate enough to speak to Dave Fraser, who manages the Pacific whiting cooperative.  Dave gave me some really interesting insights into the implementation, operation and management of  whiting fishing cooperative.  The cooperative was set-up in 2011 to minimise the risk of cooperative members catching prohibited bycatch, which were managed using very low levels of quota, which if caught could close the fishery.  The fishing cooperative agreement allowed members to better manage target and bycatch species by pooling their quota.  A spatial management plan defines areas of high and low areas risk which members should avoid to minimise the risk of catching prohibited bycatch species.   It is early days but it seems an interesting alternative approach to fisheries management driven to an extent by the fishing industry.

A Pacific whiting. Source: www.fishwatch.gov

I also talked to Michael Bell from The Nature Conservancy, a non-government organisation, whom in 2011 were involved in setting-up a non-whiting west coast groundfish fishery cooperative.  The cooperative agreement works along similar lines to the Pacific whiting cooperative but this cooperative have their own rules and a separate agreement which their members must abide to.  Whilst fishing cooperative agreements are not regulatory they are legally binding to all signatories.  The fishing cooperative agreements seem, at least to myself as an outsider, very complicated but from what I hear they do appear to be achieving their objectives.  Hopefully, the early success of these fishing cooperatives will continue as teething problems are ironed out.

Martin Hall from Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), told me about management initiatives to reduce bycatch involving co-management.  From Martin's experience, of working in South American, there is often little political will, social problems, poor compliance and weak enforcement from government authorities when it comes to fisheries management.  Martin described a leatherback turtle co-management project he is currently involved in.  IATTC are working closely with stakeholders, including fishermen, to define area closures to protect female nesting turtles. Hopefully this partnership will prove successful both in terms of marine spatial planning co-management and reducing the threat of bycatch on vulnerable nesting leatherback turtle populations.

During Ray Hilborn's weekly lab group meeting I presented my Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (WCMT) travelling fellowship.  As I hand out my WCMT business cards and spread the word of the Trust I am yet to come across someone who is familiar with the WCMT, hopefully it won't be too long before I meet somone who is.

Final thought of the day.  This short 135 page pamphlet dropped on the doormat, I wonder if there is an election coming-up?!