Take the Online Survey for Fishermen’s Knowledge

TAKE THE SURVEY NOW!

Your views are very important

so please GET INVOLVED FOR A CHANCE TO WIN £200!

Time: 15/20min
Deadline: 25th September 2011
Prize: £200

In recent years fisheries scientists, economists and policy makers have increasingly recognised the importance and value of information and knowledge held by fishermen who, from the deck or wheelhouse, can often spot signs of change in a fishery long before they show up on scientific stock assessments.

Through early involvement with the Fisheries Science Partnership programme the NFFO has been at the forefront of this drive to accommodate fishermen’s information more formally into the decision-making process and stock assessments.

The AFR project, first piloted by NFFO in 2009, seeks to build on this foundation by developing a means of recording skippers’ observations in a systematic and consistent way. Over a longer time period the benefit of these reports will increase as they will provide an invaluable reference guide.

Your views, observations and comments are therefore vital, please ‘get involved’ and take the short online survey (15-20mins). We are looking for information on a range of topics, these include:

VESSEL - length/power/crew/days at sea/area of operation
CATCHES - observations on abundance/seasonality/distribution of species
DISCARDING - are you affected?
REGULATION - is it effective? Could it be improved? share your comments!
ECONOMICS - how is your business performing?

By completing the survey you will automatically be entered into a £200 cash prize draw (only one entry per vessel). But please be quick – the survey deadline is 25th September. Prize winner will be drawn at random on 30th September.

If you do not have access to the internet or would rather do the interview over the phone or require further assistance then please contact the NFFO office on 01904 635432 who will arrange for a member of the AFR project team to contact you.

The NFFO Annual Fisheries Reports (AFR) project is funded by the Fisheries Challenge Fund. Survey is carried out via a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) meaning there is a secure and encrypted connection between your computer browser and the server where the survey data is collected and stored.

Thank you

Barrie DeasNFFO Chief Executive

TAKE THE SURVEY

Background info on the survey - how and why it will be useful and of benefit to the industry.


In a determined attempt to break with the era when fishermen’s knowledge was invariably relegated to the “interesting but unusable” category, the NFFO has introduced a simple-to-use online survey which allows individual fishermen to contribute to the scientific understanding of stock and fleet trends.

The survey is part of a broader initiative to bring industry knowledge into the fore in fisheries science and fisheries policy through annual fisheries reports.
A step-by-step format guides all those willing to contribute their knowledge and experience through the process. The results put fishermen’s knowledge on a much more systematic and therefore influential, footing.
    Davy Hill, President of the NFFO said: “This is how we can break free of the claim that fishermen’s knowledge is merely “anecdotal” and therefore incapable of being taken into account in fish stock assessments”.

    “The more fishermen who complete this survey, the more difficult it will be for scientists and fisheries managers to ignore the results. It will be possible to compare and contrast the industry’s direct experience with the views based on assessment models. This is very exciting and if enough people support the survey will amount to a breakthrough” he added.

“Over the years I have heard plenty dissatisfaction expressed about fisheries science on the quayside and in the wheelhouse. With this survey it is possible to move beyond moaning to actually change the science. If the survey, in good faith, generates enough evidence for an emerging trend, the scientists are duty bound to take it into account.

“I strongly urge you all to take the very short time that it takes to complete the survey. This is your and our future.”


 Davy Hill, President of the NFFO

National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations
30 Monkgate, York YO31 7PF
Phone numbers:-
Tel: 01904 635430
NFFO Services: 01904 635432
Accounts Dept: 01904 635428
Fax: 01904 635431
Email: nffo@nffo.org.uk

How to find us here

	President Davy Hill		Chairman Arnold Locker
	Chief Executive Barrie C. Deas		NFFO Services Operations Assistant Alan Piggot
	NFFO Services David Bevan		Assistant Chief Executive Dale Rodmell