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Research team develops more comprehensive method to monitor lobster industry

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Maine’s lobster fishery supports thousands of jobs across the state and is extensively monitored. Management efforts are informed by biological monitoring surveys that observe changes in lobster abundance and distribution, as well as dealer and harvester reports from the industry. But these statistics do not tell the whole story of an industry reeling from supply, market disruptions and geopolitical conflicts, or the well-being of the people and communities that depend on it.

Since annual commercial lobster landings declined by 27% from 2016 to 2022, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association is monitoring the industry’s socio-economic resiliency and responding to social, economic, environmental and regulatory changes. I’ve been looking for new ways to improve my position as a capable leader.

After two years of data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and meetings and interviews with lobstermen and other stakeholders, a University of Maine-led team of researchers has developed a new We have devised an index. These indicators have the potential to provide deeper insights into the well-being of fishermen and their families, transporters, processors, restaurateurs, and other businesses, and the communities in which they all live.

The study will be published in the journal Ocean Policy.

“For too long, fisheries managers have lacked the data they need to consider the social and economic impacts of regulations on Maine’s lobster industry. This study shows that future regulations will “It provides a set of metrics to help bridge the gap so that we can work to preserve lobsters and lobsters in Maine’s coastal communities,” said Patrice, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. McCarron said.

The team identified eight socio-economic indicators: coastal access, operational status, business investment, community composition, financial health, risk-taking, personal spending, and physical and mental health. Coastal accessibility means waterfront housing is available and affordable. Operating status represents a proxy for business expenses and costs. And community composition refers to demographic information.

Each indicator is supported by secondary data from state and federal agencies and publicly available information from specific companies and organizations. For example, operational health indicators use landing, travel, crew and equipment data from the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and coastal accessibility uses inventory from the Maine Department of Housing, Realtor.com, and Airbnb.com. , price and demographic data are used.

“These indicators define important socio-economic components of the fishery that lobster fishermen have long described. Quantifying the indicators will help fishers, communities and managers understand the socio-economic status of their fleets. It gives us the opportunity to identify changes and respond quickly,” Teresa said. Burnham is a research associate in the University of Maine’s Department of Marine Science. Burnham led the research conducted to create these socio-economic indicators in collaboration with Joshua Stoll, Associate Professor of Ocean Policy.

Explore the data

When studying coastal accessibility, one of the team’s findings was that waterfront housing across the state is unaffordable for average income earners. Data confirms that beach access has declined across the state since 2016, coupled with a surge in short-term rentals.

“Decreasing affordability of coastal housing could mean lobster fishermen have to travel farther to the coast to work, and could also be a barrier for those seeking seasonal work on lobster boats. “There’s a gender,” Burnham said.

The data and interviews also highlighted regional differences in the lobster industry. Operating conditions, which represent costs and revenues for lobstermen, increased in Washington and Hancock counties in eastern Maine but decreased in York and Cumberland counties in southern Maine and on the midcoast. Interviews and data also showed that communities in southern Maine were the least dependent on the lobster industry for their socio-economic well-being.

The development of these indicators lays the foundation for increased oversight of the state’s lobster industry, but researchers are seeking more data to better utilize the indicators. Indicators of coastal accessibility and fishing conditions were considered data-rich, but public, diverse, and non-cost data are lacking on personal spending and physical and mental health. Therefore, it was considered that there was insufficient data. Diverse but under-statistical indicators for which data were deemed limited include business investment, community composition, financial health, and risk-taking.

Further data sharing with private companies and government agencies will improve the usefulness of several socio-economic indicators and expand insight into the health of the industry and the communities it supports. Future research may also uncover additional ways to use the indicator, such as serving as a model for monitoring other fisheries such as clams and cod.

Kathleen Reardon, study co-author and senior lobster biologist, said: “This study is a great way for researchers and regulators to assess the biological health of the stock and the socio-economic well-being of the industry and the communities it serves. “This will provide valuable data that will help us understand the relationship between At the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

In addition to Reardon and Burnham, the study was co-authored by Joel Kirchenmann, a Maine ocean policy master’s student. Carla Gunter, Principal Research Scientist, Maine Coastal Fisheries Center; and Maggie O’Shea, a doctoral student at Dartmouth College. student.

Further information: Theresa LU Burnham et al., Socioeconomic Indicators of Resilience in the Maine American Lobster Fishery, Ocean Policy (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106543

Provided by University of Maine

Citation: Research team develops more holistic method to monitor lobster industry (January 22, 2025) https://phys.org/news/2025-01-team-holistic-lobster-industry. Retrieved January 22, 2025 from html

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