Human Dimensions Research Program (HDRP)
The Human Dimensions Research Program (HDRP) studies the "people" side of fishing and other uses of marine ecosystems in Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa. Program staff collect and analyze data and develop frameworks to better understand fishermen, fishing families, fishing communities, and how they are affected by fishing regulations and management. It also studies governance and institutional aspects of fisheries management. HDRP research complements biophysical and economic studies by exploring social and cultural benefits and values associated with marine resources.
Current Projects
Sociological Baseline of Hawaii Longline Industry
The Hawaii-based longline fishing industry, which lands the vast majority of commercial fish in Hawaii, has been heavily regulated with limited understanding of the socio-cultural impacts of those regulations and management.
Project researchers are addressing this information gap by compiling a comprehensive social profile of the longline fishing industry of Hawaii and providing this information to decision-makers. The research is being conducted by University of Hawaii employees under University guidelines.
As of late 2005, project staff have collected information about the fisher sector, including longline vessel owners, captains, and crew, using ethnographic methods and participant observation. The interviewer and interpreter/community liaison spent much time on the docks talking with fishers when they are available between fishing trips.
Profiles of Fishing Communities in Hawaii and the Western Pacific.
In 2003 and 2004, NOAA Fisheries identified Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, and each of the major, inhabited Hawaiian Islands (Kauai, Niihau, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the Big Island (Hawaii) as fishing communities because they are substantially dependent on or substantially engaged in the harvest or processing of fishery resources to meet social and economic needs.
The goal of this project is to provide a standard set of information for Western Pacific fishing communities to help assess the effects of fishing regulations and other actions on social and cultural aspects of fisheries.
As of November 2005, project staff had identified a list of about 50 indicators of the status and conditions of the formally-defined fishing communities. They are developing a report describing those indicators.
Related projects are underway in Guam to identify smaller-scale patterns of dependence on fishing and in Hawaii to use a geographic information systems (GIS) to identify fishing sub-communities.
Hawaii Marine Recreational Fishing Survey: A Review and Evaluation.
The National Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics program was designed to develop statewide, annual estimates of recreational fish catch by species. This was accomplished with three surveys: 1) a telephone survey of Hawaii residents to collect information on shore and private/rental boat fishing effort levels; 2) a field survey that collects trip information from shore, private/rental boat and charter anglers; and 3) a survey of charter boat captains about for-hire fishing trips they made.
This project analyzed 2003 HMRFS data and subsequently held a regional workshop to reach a common understanding of HMRFS data, procedures, and how catch estimates are developed. The workshop also explored existing and potential applications of the data.
Framework for Long-Term Monitoring of the Human Dimensions of Coral Reef Ecosystems in the Main Hawaiian Islands.
This project's purpose is to develop a framework that could be used for inter-agency, long-term monitoring of the human dimensions of coral reef ecosystems in the main Hawaiian Islands.
The human dimensions of coral reef ecosystems refer to human uses of coral reef ecosystems, products and services provided to human communities by coral reef ecosystems, values and benefits associated with these uses and services and the existence of intact coral reef ecosystems, and human impacts on coral reef ecosystems.
The framework will describe an integrated system of variables that could be regularly collected to monitor human dimensions of coral reef ecosystems and to complement biological and physical monitoring underway or planned for Hawaii and the western Pacific.
The project is being conducted through a contract with Impact Assessment, Inc. As of November 2005, interviews with a number of knowledgeable individuals have been conducted and a list of about 100 potential indicator variables developed. After a draft monitoring framework has been developed, an interagency/stakeholder workshop will be convened to present the framework and associated variables, refine the framework as needed, and assess feasibility of its use as long-term monitoring technique.
Recreational Value of Blue Marlin in Hawaii.
The project objectives are to estimate the non-market value of blue marlin to recreational anglers and then to compare these to commercial values.
A survey is scheduled to be administered as part of an economic add-on (mail survey) to the Hawaii Marine Recreational Fishing Survey, which is scheduled to be implemented in the summer of 2006. The study may be expanded to include other species of particular interest, such as ahi and mahi mahi.
Provide Human Dimensions Assistance to Other Natural Resource Management Agencies
HDRP provides a variety of services to other agencies. For the past two years, the program manager has been a co-developer and trainer for the Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management's training course, "Social and Economic Aspects of Planning." The course was taught in 2004 in Portland, Oregon and in 2005 in Denver, Colorado. It is scheduled again for Fall, 2006. HDRP has served as a reviewer of articles for the journal Society and Natural Resources and also reviews grant proposals for the North Pacific Research Board, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant program, and other organizations. The program also is assisting the U.S. Forest Service by developing a workbook and protocol, which forest-associated communities could use to collect information about their communities and use in Forest Service planning and management activities.