More than Anecdotes: Fishers' Ecological Knowledge Can Fill Gaps for Ecosystem Modeling
Ana Helena V Bevilacqua1,2, Adriana R Carvalho2, Ronaldo Angelini3
1Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Plos One
|May 20, 2016
Summary
Fishers' local knowledge can bridge data gaps in ecosystem modeling for fisheries. This approach aligns with scientific data, enhancing fisheries management and research tools.
Area of Science:
- Fisheries Science
- Ecosystem Modeling
- Social-Ecological Systems
Background:
- Ecosystem modeling for fisheries is limited by insufficient local data.
- Fishers' knowledge offers a potential solution to this information gap.
- Integrating local knowledge can improve fisheries participation and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare ecosystem models derived from fishers' knowledge versus scientific data.
- To assess the agreement between models based on different data sources.
- To explore methods for improving data availability and fisheries management.
Main Methods:
- Modeled a fishing area using two approaches: fishers' knowledge and scientific literature.
- Collected fishers' knowledge data through Delphi methodology interviews.
- Gathered scientific data from existing literature.
Main Results:
- Ecosystem attributes generated by the fishers' knowledge model were consistent with those from the scientific model.
- Fishers' knowledge successfully elaborated upon scientific data from literature.
- The two modeling approaches yielded comparable ecosystem attribute data.
Conclusions:
- Fishers' knowledge can effectively complement scientific data in fisheries research.
- Integrating fishers' knowledge improves the utility of ecosystem modeling tools.
- This approach enhances data availability for fisheries research and management.
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