OVERVIEW  The major initial objectives are the construction of the research team, the development of materials, the planning of workshops scheduled for November 1998 and May 1999 and the preparation of funding applications for the next stages of the study. GBEP has already received seed development support from the Centre for Regional Studies, St. Francis Xavier's University Council for Research and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Maritimes Region. The participating harvesters' organisations are also contributing resources in kind, such as local knowledge, sea and boat time. 

These seed resources are being employed in support of: 

• assembling a comprehensive annotated bibliographic review of published materials;
• gathering existing biological, oceanographic and social data sets;
• preliminary telephone survey of fishers;
• questionnaire development;
• the development of internet dissemination;
• initial mapping of marine resources and harvester practices.

Harvester organizations have expressed a keen interest in learning how to design and conduct primary research respecting marine resources. Developing harvester scientific literacy and analytical capacity is among GBEP's goals. 

Another fundamental goal of the GBEP is to contribute to building a constructive, experienced-based, working relation between DFO fisheries science, ISAR-linked natural and social sciences researchers and marine harvesters. This relationship is critical to the development of effective and ecologically sustainable fisheries management. This GBEP web site and listserv are being developed as a dynamic means of facilitating communication and collaboration between the various partners. The web site will present, and house all data and materials produced by the research project, enabling partners full access to and use of all information resources. The GBEP project also intends to develop a CD ROM platform for presentation and delivery of its data and outcomes, including maps and written materials. St.F.X. and ISAR also intend to develop GBEP-linked internet access capacity within various community nodes located around St. Georges Bay for the purpose of assuring equal access to and participation in the gathering, distribution and exchange of information. This dimension is an especially important contribution to the future research and management capabilities of harvesters and their representative organizations. 

This is the poster, which was presented to the ICES/SKOR Symposium in France (March 1999) outlining the process, developments and expected outcomes of the St. Georges Bay ecosystem project.