The purpose of the project was to produce maps that can be used by fishermen when they participate in marine planning and other management initiatives. Living Oceans Society also uses this information to inform our MPA work. That way we can put forward proposals that avoid and/or minimize overlap with important fishing areas and reduce economic impacts on fishermen. Over 100 commercial and recreational fishermen participated in our Area 12 Pilot Study (Johnstone and Queen Charlotte Straits/Broughton Archipelago) between 2002 and 2005. This information has been analyzed and the individual fisheries summary maps are currently available to participants. After these summary maps have been reviewed by participants, they will be available for viewing on this web page.
This project has been a success thanks to the participation of many fishermen. The information obtained from commercial fishermen will allow Living Oceans Society to prepare an MPA analysis which meets conservation objectives while minimizing impacts to important fishing grounds. In addition, the summary maps and database produced from the interviews will be available to fishermen.
If you are a commercial or recreational fisherman and would like to participate in this project, sign up here or contact Vern Sampson at 250-973-6580 or vsampson@livingoceans.org
