Dissertation Research: Defining the Role of Conservation Technology for Bycatch Reduction of Marine Protected Species

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

Annually, 18 to 40 million tons of fish, some 20% of the world's total marine harvest, are discarded as bycatch (i.e. as defined under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in addition to those non-target organisms injured as a result of fishing activity or when applicable, taken. as defined under the Endangered Species Act or the Marine Mammal Protection Act) (Pascoe 1997). Conservation technology (i.e. a management method that uses item(s) and technique(s), one or more of which have been engineered by mankind, for the purpose of protecting organisms and/or ecological systems) is becoming a common management tool. However, like other technologies it can be misapplied. This Social Dimensions of Engineering, Science, and Technology Program Dissertation Improvement Grant is motivated by the question: What are the key factors in the processes of invention, diffusion, and implementation that contribute to the effective use of marine conservation technology? Answering this question is critical for helping researchers guide their pursuit of technological solutions and for assisting policy-makers in identifying the most effective and lasting resolution of bycatch issues. This project has two main objectives: 1) Compose a general overview of and commentary on the development and use of conservation technology in marine fishery systems of the United States and 2) Identify key features of the invention, diffusion, and implementation processes of each case study that contribute to the likelihood of a conservation technology being widely adopted and effectively utilized. The co-principal investigator will review relevant literature and government records and construct a history of the development and implementation of marine conservation technology in the United States. She will examine two case studies using methodological triangulation of examining prototypes of the inventions; analyzing research notebooks, reports, and other literature; and interviewing inventors and other key informants important to the development and implementation of conservation technology. One case study will be the use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) to reduce the death of sea turtles in shrimp trawls in the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Shrimp fisheries. The other case study will be the use of various conservation technologies, such as the Medina panel, to reduce the death of dolphins by the U.S. tuna purse seine fishery in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Using historical and key word analysis, the co-PI will identify key factors for successfully designing, implementing, and diffusing conservation technology. This proposed research will characterize the invention process for conservation technology. The co-PI will examine the roles and relationships between actors in each of the invention networks and determine from whom design input was accepted and who had decision-making authority. She will describe the nature of collaborations and identify what factors were influential to the formation and effectiveness of collaborations. In addition, she will detail the interaction between various search spaces. Thus, this research will enrich the existing invention theories as well as offer a practical invention theory for conservation technologies. The co-PI anticipates publishing the results of this dissertation research in both peer-reviewed and popular literature. In addition, she intends to disseminate the results with presentations at national conferences and institutional seminar series, which are open to and attended by the general public. This research will also be integrated with education via the co-PI.s involvement as a NSF Graduate Teaching Fellow in K-12 Education (NSF 332-0042). As a Fellow, she will partner with a public school teacher to educate children in coastal communities about bycatch, conservation technology, and state and national conservation policy-making processes.