Congratulations to Elizabeth Figus on a successful defense of her Ph.D.!

On Friday 17 November 2017 Elizabeth Figus defended her Ph.D. dissertation:

"Eyes on the Sea: Demonstrating the usefulness of local knowledge to inform commercial fisheries management in Poland and Alaska" Science and decision making in commercial fisheries management take place in the context of uncertainty. This research demonstrates ways that local knowledge held by fishermen can be used to mitigate that uncertainty. This dissertation documents how fishermen in Poland and Alaska perceive management strategies in their fisheries, and compares those perceptions with traditional measures of management performance. Specific case study examples were developed through exploratory interviews with stakeholders in two study regions. Interviews were conducted with Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) fishermen in Poland (n = 31) and Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) fishermen in Alaska (n = 78). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze stakeholder knowledge about ecosystems, as well as their preferences about regulations. Findings show how the inclusion of stakeholder input in fisheries management need not be limited to ad hoc data collection methods in order to be meaningfully interpretable by managers.

Photo: Molly Fox Zaleski

Karl Bratvold, Aleutian Spray Fisheries joins the PCCRC advisory board!

The PCCRC would like to welcome Karl Bratvold of Aleutian Spray Fisheries to the advisory board. Karl will bring to the board decades of experience fishing in Alaska's marine waters. He first began fishing for salmon and tuna in high school during the summers. In the early 1980's he participated in the Alaska crab fishery and later transitioned to trawlers. He has worked in nearly every capacity on a fishing boat: cook, deckhand, engineer, mate and captain. He has worked for Aleutian Spray Fisheries since 1981 and served as the captain of their catcher processor Starbound for 22 years. He currently serves as senior executive and part owner of the company. Recently he led a $40 million rebuilding of the CP Starbound to decrease fish waste and achieve fuller utilization of the Pollock harvest. His dedication to preserving the sustainability of Alaska marine resources is evident in his long history with Aleutian Spray Fisheries and we are excited to benefit from his 'on the water' perspective.

Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center Letters of Interest due September 18, 2017

Each LOI must include a cover sheet, a short narrative (3 pages or less), a one page anticipated budget request, and a one-page resume for each Principle Investigator (PI) or co-PI. The LOI and all ancillary documents must be formatted in 12-point Times, Times New Roman, or Arial font. Non-conforming LOIs will not be considered.

For more information download the call for LOI HERE