Per is not the only one of the Coastal RF fishers that find it difficult to follow the instructions for data collection. During the Coastal RF annual meeting in 2007, several of the fishers expressed some frustration. One fisher said:
At the same meeting, yet another fisher stated that:
According to the RF fishers, collecting the otoliths in itself is quick and easy. While removing the otoliths is considered straightforward by the fishers, they find it very time consuming to make sure that they are traceable according to the IMRs guidelines. This involves weighing and measuring, and then registering this information in the IMR’s forms. At the annual
We don’t have either a computer or a weight. We are drifting around the coast in different places, so it would be ok to have a weight. The way it is now, we have to take the catch in and out of the boat.
The RF is a lot of work: first fishing, all the crabs [by-catch] and the cod and then the bloody marine research [RF work]…
meetings, many of the fishers say that it is difficult to make notes because their hands are freezing and the environment is so wet. While the Offshore RF vessels’ crews have several designated roles, i.e., a skipper, a third officer, a steward and an engineer in addition to the numerous fishers that divide the tasks and work in shifts, the Coastal RF fishers must do everything themselves. In addition, the Coastal RF fishers do all their work outside and the weather conditions can sometimes limit the research work they can do, as they have to work in snow and rain and sometimes cope with large waves that hit the vessel.
The fisher has numerous chores that have to be handled onboard which demand his attention before the RF sampling can be done. The Coastal RF fishers must be organized as effectively as possible to weigh and measure the fish sampled and then fill the information in on the schedules. If the Coastal RF fishers could use an electronic scale this would make it easier for both fishers and scientists, since data is transferred directly into Reg-Fisk. But these scales would in most cases be exposed to water and wind, which makes the electronic scales unstable. Such challenges and possible solutions for installing electronic devices onboard the Coastal RF vessels are often discussed around the coffee table at the FDG.
From the Coastal RF to the IMR
The otoliths are sent from the Coastal RF fishers to the IMR regularly by most of the vessels.
Some of the Coastal RF fishers find the RF sampling easy and just a matter of making new routines while others have more problems finding the time to do the RF sampling. In general, the Coastal RF fishers find it time consuming to collect data according to scientific standards and procedures, since the fish has to taken out of their normal production line before it is returned and melts together with the rest of the catch that the fishers sell.
At the Coastal RF annual meeting, the otoliths are an important topic. The FDG scientists keep reminding the Coastal RF fishers about the importance of filling out the forms correctly through email, phone calls and at the annual meetings. Some of the otoliths from the Coastal RF samples arrive at the IMR without the information necessary for their traceability.
Sometimes, the brown little envelopes come without any information about which vessel they come from, and sometimes the envelope is empty if the fisher has forgotten to seal it. Also, some of the otoliths from the Coastal RF often travel without the weight and the length of the fish. Since the otolith sampling is time consuming and requires more space and time, these are sometimes left inside the fish head and never travel to the IMR. However, with experience, the Coastal RF fishers are becoming quite effective otolith samplers, a process that has been interesting to follow. As Figure 12 below shows, the Coastal RF fishers collected 411 otoliths
in 2006, and in 2009 they collected 2000 otolith samples.
Figure 12: Data gathered by the Coastal RF from 2006 to 2009: otoliths (otolitter) and length measurements (lengdemålinger). The asterisk, 2009*, is added since the numbers are until October. Courtesy of Halvor Godøy.
The otolith readers have a special interest in the samples collected by the Coastal RF fishers, since they catch a mixture of NEA cod and the endangered Coastal Cod. The
importance of the location from which the otoliths are caught is underlined by all the FDG scientists during this annual meeting. Nedreaas explained why:
While the IMR has limited access to the rocky coastal area due to the gear and vessels they use, this is where the Coastal RF vessels operate. Hence, the Coastal RF fishers provide them with valuable samples. Using the microscope, the otolith readers can tell the coastal and NEA cod apart and produce nice figures like those below.
In sum, the scientists dedicate a lot of time in order to make sure that the otoliths sampled can remain loyal representations to the fish. And of course, the fishers are doing a lot of work in order to follow the instructions from the FDG.
Haldorson Odd Yngve
Date Coastal Cod NEA Cod Date Coastal Cod NEA Cod
28.03.2008 21 8 03.01.2008 2 18
Figure 13: Otoliths from the Coastal RF, read and analysed for the 2008 annual meeting. The fishers looked at this in the microscope and the scientists demonstrated the difference. Just a few samples were ready for the annual meeting, where the Coastal Cod and the NEA Cod has been differentiated. Later, all the otoliths were read and placed in the IMR data bank.
From the fisheries we get the sales note, but this information is not accurate enough. Often, the area filled in here is where the fish is landed, which can be far away from where the fish is caught. It is crucial that we get this information from the Coastal RF since they provide us with data from areas where we [with surveys] do not have access.
Picture 18: Otoliths from the NEA cod (Skrei) and the Coastal cod (Kysttorsk). Picture Curtesy of Harald