Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center
2005 Awarded Research Projects
Instruction in Fisheries Management
Margaret (Peggy) Merritt
Award: $9,053
Estimated Completion: July 31, 2006
Abstract
Funds made available through the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center enabled the instruction of students and fishery professionals in techniques for decisionmaking. The course was offered as a special topic, stacked 493 and 693 options and cross-listed with Natural Resource Management. The course title was "Decision-Making in Resource Management: Focus on the North Pacific and Bering Sea Fisheries. Seven students completed the course; four were graduate students in the fisheries program at UAF, and three were fisheries professionals with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game interested in continuing education. The course included lectures and hands-on practice with decision-making software in a computer lab. Students researched selected fisheries problems related to the North Pacific and Bering Sea, outlined their individual problem in a hierarchical structure, assigned weights of importance to issues using expert judgment, developed a prioritized list of options to address issues, and conducted a sensitivity analysis on the outcome. Based on student projects and comments, the course fulfilled expectations and may be judged as a success. Interestingly, the lecture topics that received the greatest number of requests for additional time were, "Integrating socioeconomics, politics and science in decision making" and "Group decision-making techniques" --topics not normally covered in traditional fisheries course work.
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