Volume 67
A Cartographic Demonstration on the Value of Fishers’ Ecological Knowledge in Mapping Reef Fish Communities and Fishing Grounds
Authors
Carr, L. Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2014
Pages: 422
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty seven Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Christ Church
Country: Barbados
Abstract
In 2010, NOAA conducted a rigorous fish trap survey of the nearshore and shelf-edge waters of St. Croix, Virgin Islands. At the same time, and independent of the NOAA-funded study, a study quantifying the fishers ecological knowledge (FEK) of the St. Croix commercial fishing community was underway. As part of the FEK study, community participants were asked to draw cognitive maps of their primary fishing grounds, based on their own understanding of species, seasonal, and geomorphological information and interactions. These cognitive maps were digitized, analyzed, and then compared to the reef fish community maps produced by the NOAA study. There is high agreement between the NOAA and FEK maps, affirming that fishing community members can provide valuable insights for researchers that improve our understanding of reef community dynamics. The scientific value of FEK is particularly relevant for reef systems that are under-studied, lack historical records, or face insufficient research and management resources. Research-ers should continue pursuing opportunities to study and utilize FEK.