Abstract
Our case study was channeled through a comanagement group and initiated by fishermen. The aim was to develop the selectivity of the fisheries in Lake Vättern through a collaboration of fishermen, regional managers, and scientists. The case study was planned collectively within the fisheries co-management group and through workshops with participating fishermen. Fishermen were given special permits to test various strategies adapted to their own experiences and the properties of their local fishing grounds. First, the population structure of the focal species, whitefish, was investigated in a joint study utilizing fishermen’s experiential knowledge and genetic analyses of whitefish. The results showed that the population is divided into at least two unique stocks that ideally should be managed separately. Second, the results from studies on by-catch in different areas, seasons, and gears indicated a substantial potential to increase the selectivity in this fishery, particularly by targeting whitefish aggregations adjacent to spawning areas. Our study highlights the potential of the participatory approach when facilitating solutions to problems related to small-scale fisheries management. Nevertheless, we also identify some factors that might jeopardize the long-term success and dissemination of results from this case study. The recent discovery of high levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in muscle tissue of whitefish might make it harder for fishermen to sell their catch. Moreover, since the comanagement group only has an advisory function, the Swedish national authority needs to take the initiative and first implement the suggested changes in management.
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Acknowledgments
First and foremost, we are very thankful for the kind reception given to us by all the participating fishermen. This helped sustain the project even in the harshest winter conditions. Without their help, this research would not have been possible. We would like to especially acknowledge the support and engagement of all the participants in Lake Vättern Fisheries comanagement group. We are also very thankful for the assistance provided by the Master’s student Audrey van Mastrigt and the PhD student Mikael Lundin (now Dr. Lundin!). We express our gratitude to Anders Asp, Michael Bergström, Malin Hällbom, Fredrik Engdahl, Tanja Martins, Magnus Andersson, Eva Bergstrand, Anders Kinnerbäck, and Daniel Rydberg for valuable assistance with the field work and for helping out with laboratory analyses. Eeva Jansson, Tore Prestegaard, Stefan Palm, Johan Dannewitz, and Sara Bergek are acknowledged for their support with the analyses of whitefish genetics and population structure. We are also thankful for the support given by the GAP2 consortium. Part of this work was financed by SWAM, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. The study on release mortality of Arctic charr was partly funded by habitat restoration funds of the County Administration Board of Jönköping, Karlstad University, and the European Fisheries Fund. The work pertaining to developing a gillnet selectivity model was funded by grants from Formas (The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning) and the European Science Foundation (ESF). Finally, we are thankful for the support given by our contacts at SWAM, Fredrik Ljunghager, and Jens Persson.
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Sandström, A., Norrgård, J., Axenrot, T., Setzer, M., Jonsson, T. (2020). Getting Choosy About Whitefish in Lake Vättern. Using Participatory Approaches to Improve Fisheries Selectivity. In: Holm, P., Hadjimichael, M., Linke, S., Mackinson, S. (eds) Collaborative Research in Fisheries. MARE Publication Series, vol 22. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26784-1_4
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