A Call for Vessel Contracts: Fishermen and Researchers Team Up for Better Science
With the 2017 field season approaching, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Reserves Program has two Request for Proposals (RFPs) available for vessel contracts to help with this year’s hook and line surveys at Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve. If you or someone you know is interested, please see the RFPs for more information.
So why do we work with fishermen?
ODFW has a long history of working closely with fishermen – from bycatch research to conducting underwater video surveys – this type of collaborateive work isn’t anything new. After all, research and science don’t exist in a vacuum and who better knows the ocean than the fishers that have plied its waters for generations.
Collaborations with fishermen have been integral to our marine reserves research. Fishermen contribute valuable local knowledge of the nearshore ocean, as well as expertise in operating vessels, and knowing what types of gear are best to sample different species. Some pretty exciting science has been spurred by work with commercial and charter fishing captains. Click to read more....
Marine Resources Program Partnership Award
 Cristen Don (Marine Reserves Program Leader) presents the award to Jeff Miles (Captain of the F/V Top Gun) at a Redfish Rocks Community Team meeting in Port Orford, earlier this week.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Resources Program (MRP) annually recognizes partners who make extraordinary contributions to the program. In 2017, MRP recognized Jeff Miles, a commercial fisherman out of Port Orford, for his energy and efforts in marine research and policy. Jeff has been a valuable partner with MRP for many years, and most recently the Marine Reserves Program. His collaborative ideas have helped inform the direction of marine reserves research in Oregon, specifically the development of a longline pilot study. Additionally, he’s active in fisheries policy as a member of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s Groundfish Advisory Subpanel.
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