HOW LOCAL FISHERS ’ KNOWLEDGE IMPROVES THE MANAGEMENT OF FISHERIES IN NEW ZEALAND – A SEAFOOD INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

• Main Authors: Greg Lydon, Langley A. D
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: New Zealand; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.163.341; http://www.fisheries.ubc.ca/publications/reports/11-1/38_Lydon_Langley.pdf

This paper focuses on how local fishers’ knowledge contributes to the science based management of commercial fisheries in New Zealand. The role of the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council in communicating fishers’ knowledge to fisheries management fora is explained. A case study of the Adaptive Management Programme for the bluenose (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) fishery (BNS 1), illustrates the contribution of the knowledge of fishers to the understanding of changes in a fishery over time. Fishers provide information from their local knowledge of changes in fishing methods, fish stocks and market behaviour and the relationships between these factors. Their interpretation and explanation of data, behaviour or the results of research is important especially when the scientific data are inconclusive. The future of fisheries management in New Zealand, and the role of Fisheries Plans, is discussed.