Dr. Alida Bundy Fisheries and Oceans Canada Bedford Institute of Oceanography

1. Sustainable Harvests or Empty Vessels? An Exploration of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and its Prospects for Interface with Ecosystem-Based Management Dr. Alida Bundy Fisheries and Oceans Canada Bedford Institute of Oceanography HRM, Nova Scotia, Canada Dr. Anthony Davis Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology Mount Saint Vincent University HRM, Nova Scotia, Canada

2. Introduction • Resource management failures • Alternative approaches • Among these, ecosystem based management (EBM) • EBM initiatives to identify ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) • In Canada, 3 step process, science led* • Three main criteria designated as defining EBSAs* – (1) uniqueness, (2) aggregation, (3) fitness consequences, • And two secondary criteria - (4) resilience, and (5) naturalness *DFO, 2004. Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Ecosystem Status Rep. 2004/006.

3. Introduction • Resource user and aboriginal ‘experential knowledge’ specified as potentially important contributor to identifying EBSAs, particularly in settings where science-based research is insufficient • Here we explore the potentials for marine harvester local ecological knowledge (LEK) to contribute to defining EBSAs • Focus here on potential LEK contributions to understanding EBSA criteria uniqueness, aggregation, fitness consequences

4. EBSA Criteria (DFO 2004) • Each of these is a continuum and can refer to species, communities of physical features of an area. • Uniqueness - areas whose characteristics are “unique, rare, distinct, and for which alternatives do not exist” • Aggregation - areas where species collect for part of the year, for a specific life-history function (eg spawning) • Fitness consequences -features that are important to the survival of one or more species. Related to life history – eg., an area which is the only feeding area for a species has important fitness consequences for that species. • In practice, potential EBSAs are scored on all 3 criteria, then ranked, based on a prioritisation process (DFO 2007/010). DFO 2007. Guidance Document on Identifying Conservation Priorities and Phrasing Conservation Objectives for Large Ocean Management Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Ecosystem Status Rep. 2007/010.

5. What is Local Ecological Knowledge? While inconsistent and debated within the research literature (cf. Davis and Ruddle 2010), for our purposes... • (1) LEK is a shared system of knowledge about the environment and ecosystem relationships that is • (2) developed through direct experience within a specific physical setting and • (3) is transmitted inter-generationally • As a system of knowledge LEK must be demonstrably shared among a community or group of marine harvesters

6. Research Design • Two independent studies employing a similar methodology – Chedebucto Bay and Scotia-Fundy on Atlantic coast Nova Scotia • Two step design • Ist step – representative survey of marine harvesters to solicit peer recommendations of harvesters most knowledgeable about the local fishing grounds • 2nd step – interview those receiving the most peer recommendations, i.e., each site’s ‘local ecological knowledge experts’

7. The Study Site – Atlantic Nova Scotia A = Chedebucto Bay 1 = Cape North 2 = Mira Bay/ Gabarus Bay 3 = St Peters Bay 4 = Country Island 5 = Ship Harbour/ Chezzetcook Bay 6 = St. Margarets Bay 7 = La Have 8 = Port Mouton 9 = Port La Tour CANADA NOVA SCOTIA

8. Social Context – Step 1Key Social and Marine Harvesting Attributes

9. Likelihood of re-entering fishing if they had their life to live over Data affirms similarities among marine harvesters

10. Research Design – Step 2 • LEK experts were interviewed until information saturation was achieved • 11 interviews completed around Chedebucto Bay • 54 interviews completed throughout Scotia-Fundy This Study: • Controlled comparison of two sites • Chedebutco Bay (11 interviews) • La Have (6 interviews)

11. Chedebucto Bay Petit-de-Gras Canso Queensport lobster cod - spawning - seasonality mackerel + herring - migration

12. La Have lobster herring halibut crabs mackerel tuna small fish seabirds shellfish mix of less than 5 sps Mix of more than 5 sps seals

13. La Havre/Ironbound Off Medway Harbour

14. Observations

15. Observations – Chedebucto

16. “The fish come in there to spawn at that time of the year and that’s what we were concentrating on. They were staying on the mud bottom, sand bottom and stuff like that” • "[Lobster spawn] floats on top of the water…Certain time of day before it sinks again…our spawn doesn’t stay on our ground because…the tide…"

17. Observations – La Have

18. Observations – La Have

19. Discussion re: LEK and EBSA • Observations derived from livelihood needs • Limitation and strength (focussed attention) • Spatially based and local • LEK observations intersect with EBSA criteria to some degree: • Most readily applicable to aggregation criteria as seen across all sites • Some observations may address uniqueness • Reasons not usually specific or ecological • No observations specifically related to life history consequences • Controlled comparison demonstrates high degree of similarity across sites

20. Implications • There are no areas which appear to be particularly significant on the 3 EBSA criteria • Scale issues • Information received is particular to the site • Creates gaps in spatial coverage • Do they matter? • Useful for identifying sites for more systematic research • Useful for identifying representative areas • Are the EBSA criteria, as defined by DFO, the appropriate tool for accessing, analysing and incorporating LEK in EBM approaches?

21. Lobster High Abundance

22. Implications • There are no areas which appear to be particularly significant on the 3 EBSA criteria • Scale issues • Information received is particular to the site • Creates gaps in spatial coverage • Do they matter? • Useful for identifying sites for more systematic research • Useful for identifying representative areas • Are the EBSA criteria, as defined by DFO, the appropriate tool for accessing, analysing and incorporating LEK in EBM approaches?

23. Next Steps • Extend analysis to other sites • Explore analysis at Atlantic coast scale • Uniqueness • Life history consequences • Identify potential EBSAs based on LEK observations related to aggregation criterion • Return for further LEK/science collaborative research into these areas • Address question of how harvester knowledge can be engaged with fisheries management and policy

24. Acknowledgements • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (award #s 410-2009-0234, 833-99-1012 and 833-2002-2000), • Fishermen’s and Fisheries Scientists’ Research Society, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. • Ms. Lora O’Halloran, project research assistant, and Ms. Andrea Kmetty, GIS consultant • All the experts who participated in the LEK surveys

25. Social Context – Step 1 • Derived from Step 1 - telephone surveys • In general, respondents fish for a similar length of time each year, hold a similar array of licenses, and are of similar ages • As a clear demonstration of attachment to their livelihood, vast majorities claim they would choose to fish for their living if they had their lives to live over. • Remarkable attachment levels given uncertainties faced since the late 1980s • Data affirms similarities among marine harvesters