Atlas Halieutique
WP4.1 – The Fishermen’s Story

Citation : Reid et al., 2017. DiscardLess Deliverable D4.1: Initial avoidance manuals by case study including tactical, strategic and gear based approaches agreed by scientists and fishers



Photo Credit: Bjorn Haldorsen To date skippers, owner/skippers and shore based managers have been interviewed representing a wide range of fisheries and countries (Ireland, Denmark, Spain-the Balearics, France-Eastern Channel, Greece-North Aegean Sea, and Portugal-Azores). They include whitefish and pelagic trawlers (both single and twin rig trawlers), prawn trawlers and seine netters. It also includes small scale fishers using gill and trammel nets and bottom deep-water longlines and handlines. The semi-structured interviews addressed a range of issues relating to the fishermen’s responses to the Landing Obligation regulations. They were asked initially about what they saw as the causes of discarding and the levels of that. They were then asked about methods of mitigating the impacts of the Landing Obligation in their day to day operations. The interviews were carried out following a semi-structured design. The interviewer had a core list of issues that they wished to address. However, the interview was based on asking very broad questions, and allowing the interviewee to talk first about what they wanted to discuss, and following up to obtain the more specific responses sought in the outline (An example used in the Irish interviews is presented after the report). Solutions proposed by fishermen were separated into technical (gear changes) and tactical (fishing behaviour changes). They were also asked about management responses that might or might not help.

We have presented the summarised ideas identified by fishermen in a series of different categories in the following tables. We have also sought to identify both commonalities, where fishermen from two or more countries identified the same issues. We have also tried to identify where ideas from one country might be applied to fisheries in others. Conversely, we have also tried to show where the responses reflect the unique characteristics of fisheries management in that country. The most obvious of these would be the quota based management outside the Mediterranean.

Questionnaire Framework
General Attitudes on Discards and the Landings Obligation (LO): Technical and tactical issues: Economic and operational issues Solutions/Ideas How would the following management measures address the main problems that you face with the implementation of the LO:

Spatial measures


Gear based measures


Combination measures


Governance measures


Other issues
Amount of interview

The table below presents the lists of interviews carried out within WP4 and used for this Deliverable. This includes the project task, the DiscardLess partner in charge, the number of interviews and their function/institution. These data are taken from Appendix 1 of the DiscardLess 18 month report.



When was/were the interview(s) conducted?

Type of interview and means of recording

List of interview questions / interview guide

Affiliation/type of the interviewed persons

Language

DiscardLess Beneficiary

12, 14 and 15 September 2016

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 0.5-1 hour

Interview 2

Fishermen from Mallorca (Balearic Islands)

Catalan

3 (IEO)

April 27 2016

Interview, notes (1.5 hours)

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

14 (MI)

 

May 20 2016

Interview, notes (1 hour)

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

14 (MI)

 

July 4 2016

Interview, audio recorded (2 hours)

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

14 (MI)

 

July 5 2016

Interview, audio recorded (1.5 hours)

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

14 (MI)

 

August 3 2016

Interview, audio recorded (1 hour)

Interview 5

Irish Fishermen

English

14 (MI)

 

October 24 2016

Interview, audio recorded (1 hour)

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

14 (MI)

 

October 24 2016

Interview, audio recorded (1 hour)

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

14 (MI)

 

27-31 March 2015

Interview, notes

Interview 2

Various fishermen representatives

Greek

15 (NAYS)

17-21 September 2016

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 1 to 2 hours each

Interview 2

Fishermen representatives from trawlers & purse seiners (10 people) and coastal segment (2 people)

Greek

7 UBO

Nov-Dec 2016

 

(22 interviews)

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 1 to 2 hours each

Interview 2

fishers (mostly skippers and boat owners, 3 are also presidents of fishers associations);

other representatives of fishers associations

Portuguese

7 UBO, 17 IMAR-UAz

July 2015

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 1.5 hours

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

27, MNRG

July 2015

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 2.5 hours

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

27, MNRG

November 2015

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 2 hours

Interview 5

Irish Fisherman

English

27, MNRG

December 2016
(18 Interviews)

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 2 hours

Interview 2

French Fisherman

French

7 UBO, 16 Aquimer

February 2016

Interviews.

Interview

French Fisherman

French

2 Ifremer

September 2015
(10 interviews)

Semi-structured; interview notes, lasting 2 hours

Interview 2

French Fisherman

French

7 UBO