Fisheries Science Collaborations: The Critical Role of the Community

The present paper is based on a collation of information, through both a literature review and an internet search, on North American programs that involve some kind of scientific collaboration between fishers and fisheries scientists. It identifies four basic models of such collaboration and offers examples of collaborative activities that seem to fit into each of them. The first model defers to the expertise of the scientist for all major decisions and creates a strong programmatic distinction between what is science, and shall be done by scientists, and what are other, related activities that can be carried out by others. Various kinds of tagging programs, fisher advisory boards, at-sea research collaboration and many other activities fit this model. The second model, traditional ecological knowledge, recognizes that fishers have available to them a unique, local knowledge of the resource that can make a supplementary contribution to fisheries science. Several government, community and environmental groups are engaged in finding, recording and using this knowledge....