6:30PM Tonight – UAF PhD Student to Host Research Outreach Event in Sand Point; Monday, Dec. 5th at the QTT Community Center
Attention: Commercial Halibut Fishermen and Marine Enthusiasts
UAF PhD Student to Host Research Outreach Event in Sand Point; Monday, Dec. 5th at the Community Tribal Building, 630pm
Title of the Talk: “Eyes on the Sea: What halibut fishermen have to say about bycatch and data collection in their fisheryâ€
In 2013, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council extended the federal fisheries observer program to include vessels commercially fishing Pacific halibut. But what sort of information does the observer program gather in the halibut fleet? And what kinds of preferences do halibut fishermen have about data collection while they fish?
During the spring of 2015, Elizabeth Figus interviewed 78 halibut fishermen in Southeast Alaska. She asked them about what different species come up on their hooks, and how that affects their fishing strategies. She also asked them to describe their preferences between data collection strategies: human observers, electronic monitoring, detailed logbooks, or how things were before 2013.
Elizabeth invites the public to hear about her research on Monday, the 5th. There will be time for discussion and feedback after a short presentation. Refreshments will be provided. If you would like to schedule a separate presentation/meeting time with Elizabeth during her stay in Sand Point, email her, at: ecfigus@alaska.edu.
Elizabeth Figus is a 5th year Fisheries PhD student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working with Dr. Keith Criddle. Don’t forget to “Like†the research, at: www.facebook.com/halibutresearch.