St. Georges Bay
Ecosystem Project
Fish
Harvesters' Ecological Knowledge
Study
Tier 1
Survey
Identifying Local
Experts
Interviewers: Fill in
relevant blanks
as indicated before interview
starts.
Interview
code
Date of Interview
Start
finish
Is ____________________________________
at home?
Mr
.
________________________
This is
____________________ from St. Francis Xavier
University.
Introductory
Statement
Recently, we mailed you a letter
describing our research project.
[PAUSE for
response.]
- We are asking you to
participate in this study because your name was
randomly selected from the current list of all those
holding a lobster license.
- The purpose of our research
is to document characteristics of fishing histories,
practices, and local knowledge about the fishing
ground.
- All information you provide
will be treated as
confidential.
- This interview has five
parts and will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to
complete.
- We have developed a set of
questions that we would like to ask you. May I
go ahead?
Notes regarding telephone
callbacks ...
interview completed
SECTION I:
ATTACHMENT
To begin I am going to ask you
four questions about your fishing
experience.
1. We have you
as fishing lobster out of
Do you feel that you are part of
the fishing community there?
Definitely
|
1
|
Probably
|
2
|
Probably not
|
3
|
Definitely not
|
4
|
2. In comparison to the
past, do you think that today, people fishing from
this wharf help each other out less, about the same or
more than they did in the past?
less than in the past
|
1
|
the same as in the
past?
|
2
|
more than in the
past?
|
3
|
3. Thinking for a moment
about your working life in fishing.....if you had your
life to live over, how likely is it that you would go
into fishing again? Do you think that you
would definitely, probably, probably not, or definitely
not go into fishing again?
Definitely
|
1
|
Probably
|
2
|
Probably not
|
3
|
Definitely not
|
4
|
4. Now, considering young
people and the present day fisheries, how likely are you
to advise a child to go into fishing? I have three
possibilities... Read them, and then ask.
Would you definitely, probably, probably not, or
definitely not advise a young person to go
into fishing ...
|
Definitely
|
Probably
|
Probably not
|
Definitely not
|
.. if they had to start entirely from
scratch?
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
.. if they had the financing for a boat and
al of the important fishing licenses?
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
.. if they could inherit a boat with only its
lobster license?
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
SECTION II: FISHING
HISTORY
I am going to ask you several
questions about fishing for a living.
5. About how many years
have you been fishing for a living?
years
6. Would you tell me who else in
your family fishes or fished for a
living?
mention ... father,
grandfather, uncles, brothers, sons, wives, sisters,
daughters, in-laws
probe for relevant
patri/matri lineal relationship
1
|
grandfather
mother's
|
5
|
your father
|
9
|
niece
|
13
|
nephew
|
2
|
grandfather
father's
|
6
|
brother
|
10
|
wife
|
14
|
father in
law
|
3
|
uncle
father's
|
7
|
son
|
11
|
sister
|
15
|
brother in
law
|
4
|
uncle
mother's
|
8
|
daughter
|
12
|
mother
|
16
|
no one
|
7. When you began
fishing for a living, who did you begin fishing
with? once again lineal
probe!
your
father
|
1
|
uncle
mother's
|
4
|
in-law
|
7
|
grandfather
mother's
|
2
|
uncle
father's
|
5
|
neighbours
|
8
|
grandfather
father's
|
3
|
brother
|
6
|
by
oneself
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
other
kin
|
8. Now thinking about lobster
fishing for a moment, have you always fished on the same
lobster ground?
Yes 1 (If yes, go
to 10) No 0
(If no, go to 9)
9. Since you haven't always
fished lobster on the same ground, would you tell me what
other lobster ground have you fished?
ground = the
places or spots one would ordinarily fish during a single
season
10. When lobster fishing, do you
fish a lobster berth?
Yes
1 (If yes, go to
11)
No
0 (If no, go to 12 )
berth = a right to
fish in a specific place or spot
11. Would you tell me, how
did you come to get your berth?
I would like to ask a
few questions about catch effort and place of
landing...
12. When fishing lobster, at
what wharf do you ordinarily make your
landings?
13. If you fish herring,
at what wharf do you ordinarily make your
landings?
14. If you fish groundfish, at
what wharf do you ordinarily make your
landings?
15. Approximately how many
weeks, in total, did you fish last year
(1997)?
SECTION III: EXPERIENCE WITH
FORMAL ORGANISATIONS
I would like to ask you a few
questions about your experience with fisheries
organisations.
16. To begin with, are you
currently paying dues to any fisheries organisation or
association?
Yes
1 No
0
17. Have you ever been elected
to a position with a fisheries
organisation?
Yes
1 No
0
18. Currently, how frequently do
you attend fisheries organisation meetings? Do you
attend ...
Always
|
1
|
Frequently
|
2
|
Half the
time
|
3
|
Seldom
|
4
|
Never
|
5
|
|
|
19. Have you ever been
appointed to any government fisheries councils or
advisory committees?
Yes 1
No
0
SECTION IV: PERSONAL
BACKGROUND
Now I'm going to ask just
a couple of questions about
you.
20.
Would you tell me, in which community were you born ?
____________________
21.
In what year were you born?
22.
Would you tell me what was the highest grade or year you
completed in school?
Highest Grade or Year
Completed
...................................................................
... if
vocational
What was the highest grade or year
completed prior to vocational ? (put answer in
22)
How many years of vocational
?
22a
... if
university
What was the highest grade or year
completed prior to university? (put answer in
22)
How many years of university
?
22b
Have you taken any fisheries
related short courses?____________
Yes
1
No
0
23. We have a few questions
about personal computers. Have you used a personal
computer?
Yes 1 (If
Yes, go to 24, 25.)
No 0 (If
No, Go To 26)
24.
Have you ever used the internet? Yes ___1 No
___ 0
25. Have you ever used
e-mail?
Yes __ 1 No ___ 0
26. If access to computers was
offered free of charge and in a local place, would you
attend
a workshop on accessing information
related to fishing in this region?
Yes
1
No
0
Perhaps
2
SECTION V: LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
EXPERTS
As an important part of this
study, we will be identifying people, either
currently fishing or retired, who are considered by
fishermen to be especially knowledgeable about the local
fishing ground.
27. Other than
yourself, I will ask for the names of three persons who
you think to be well informed about the local fishing
ground?
Name of first well
informed
_______________________________________
Contact
probe...
Would you tell me, is this
person currently fishing
?
retired
28. Are there any other persons
currently fishing or retired from fishing who you think
are well informed about the
fishing ground?
2nd Person
Named
_______________________________________
Contact
probe...
Would you tell me, is this
person currently fishing
?
retired
29. Are there any other persons
currently fishing or retired from fishing who you think
are well informed about the fishing
ground?
3rd Person
Named
_______________________________________
Contact
probe...
Would you tell me, is this
person currently fishing
?
retired
... If no one named
was retired then look for a retired
person.
30. Is there any person
retired from fishing who you think is well informed about
the fishing ground?
Retired Person
Named
_______________________________________
Contact
probe...
31. I am going to list four
points which might apply to (First Named)
______________________
a. Which of the
following best describes him ...
one quick to adopt new fishing
techniques
1
someone who still has the old fishing
skills
2
an organiser in the fishing
community
3
quite successful in
fishing
4
has the respect of his fellow
fishermen
5
b. How do
you know him? as...
1
a relative
2
a friend
3
fished with him
4
fished near him
5
through an
organisation
6
other
_________________________
32. I am going to list four
points which might apply to (Second Named)
____________________
a. Which of the following
best describes him ...
one
quick to adopt new fishing
techniques
1
someone who still has the old fishing
skills
2
an organiser in the fishing
community
3
quite successful in
fishing
4
has the respect of his fellow
fishermen
5
b. How do
you know him? as...
1
a relative
2 a
friend
3
fished with him
4
fished near him
5
through an
organisation
6
other
_________________________
33. I am going to list four
points which might apply to (Third Named)
____________________
a. Which of the
following best describes him ...
one quick to adopt new fishing
techniques
1
someone who still has the old fishing
skills
2
an organiser in the fishing
community
3
quite successful in
fishing
4
has the respect of his fellow
fishermen
5
b. How do
you know him? as...
1
a relative
2
a friend
3
fished with him
4
fished near him
5
through an
organisation
6
other
_________________________
34. I am going to list four
points which might apply to (Retired
Person)
___________________
a. Which of the
following best describes him ...
one quick to
adopt new fishing
techniques
1
someone who still has the old fishing
skills
2
an organiser in the fishing
community
3
quite successful in
fishing
4
has the respect of his fellow
fishermen
5
b. How do
you know him? as...
1
a relative
2
a friend
3
fished with him
4
fished near him
5
through an
organisation
6
other
_________________________