Angler Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Its Potential Integration Into the Management of New Zealand’S Motueka River Catchment
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy of Central European University in part fulfilment of the Degree of Master of Science Angler knowledge of environmental processes and its potential integration into the management of New Zealand’s Motueka River catchment Anne-Claire LOFTUS May, 2009 Budapest Erasmus Mundus Masters Course in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management MESPOM This thesis is submitted in fulfillment of the Master of Science degree awarded as a result of successful completion of the Erasmus Mundus Masters course in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management (MESPOM) jointly operated by the University of the Aegean (Greece), Central European University (Hungary), Lund University (Sweden) and the University of Manchester (United Kingdom). Supported by the European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus Programme - ii - Notes on copyright and the ownership of intellectual property rights: (1) Copyright in text of this thesis rests with the Author. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the Author and lodged in the Central European University Library. Details may be obtained from the Librarian. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writing) of the Author. (2) The ownership of any intellectual property rights which may be described in this thesis is vested in the Central European University, subject to any prior agreement to the contrary, and may not be made available for use by third parties without the written permission of the University, which will prescribe the terms and conditions of any such agreement. (3) For bibliographic and reference purposes this thesis should be referred to as: Loftus, A. 2009. Angler knowledge of environmental processes and its potential integration into the management of New Zealand’s Motueka River catchment. Master of Science thesis, Central European University, Budapest. Further information on the conditions under which disclosures and exploitation may take place is available from the Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University. - iii - Author’s declaration No portion of the work referred to in this thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. Anne-Claire LOFTUS - iv - THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT OF THESIS submitted by: Anne-Claire LOFTUS for the degree of Master of Science and entitled: Angler knowledge of environmental processes and its potential integration into the management of New Zealand’s Motueka River catchment Month and Year of submission: May, 2009. New Zealand’s Motueka River catchment is home to a renowned brown trout fishery. Trout numbers in parts of the river declined in the mid-1990, and have only slowly recovered; the precise reasons for this decline are unknown. Sedimentation has been identified as a potential cause, but scientific research is hampered by the lack of historical records of sediment events. This study examined through interviews the local knowledge of environmental processes held by long-terms anglers, and sought to determine the extent to which it could be integrated into the catchment’s management. The interview results did not yield a straightforward explanation for the reduction in trout numbers. Observations and opinions varied widely amongst anglers, but some overall trends that may be useful for further research were identified. Angler knowledge was found to present characteristics which made it highly suitable for integration into management, provided it is gathered in a timely fashion rather than as part of a historical analysis. Indeed, many of the deficiencies identified with angler knowledge in this study could be remedied through modified research methods. Keywords: New Zealand, Motueka River catchment, catchment management, local knowledge, anglers, brown trout, Fishermen’s Ecological Knowledge (FEK), knowledge integration, sediment - v - Acknowledgements The choice of New Zealand as a location for my thesis research was motivated by the deep attachment I formed to the country and its people, following a year spent there working on organic farms and traveling. I hope this thesis can positively contribute to the management of the country’s unique environment. Although the names of the interviewed anglers are not revealed, their contribution to the research process is highly valued and appreciated, as are those of the other interviewees. Thanks to Brandon for your invaluable advice and constructive feedback throughout the thesis process, and to Les for the memorable introduction to the Motueka River catchment, as well as the constant stream of useful information provided throughout my two and a half months in NZ. Thank you to the rest of the Landcare Research Nelson team, for many entertaining and stimulating conversations at “morning tea” time. Particular thanks goes to Pete for his enthusiasm and kindness, to Wayne for saving me from RSI, and to Kerry, whose smiling face brightens up the office. Rachel, “thesis buddy” and provider of sound advice and criticism, merci! Thanks also to Dad and Jessica for the help, and to Daniel for your patience. To Lydia - vi - Table of contents LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 BACKGROUND 2 1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM 3 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 4 1.4 SCOPE 4 1.5 STRUCTURE OF THESIS 5 2. A LOCAL KNOWLEDGE PRIMER 6 2.1 GETTING STARTED 7 2.1.1 DEFINING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 7 2.1.2 THE RESURGENCE OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 10 2.1.3 LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS 11 2.1.4 FOCUSING ON FISHERMEN’S KNOWLEDGE 12 2.2 LOCAL KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE 12 2.2.1 TECHNIQUES 12 2.2.2 LIMITATIONS 13 2.3 LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ANALYSIS 14 2.3.1 METHODS 14 2.3.2 LIMITATIONS 15 2.4 LOCAL KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION 16 2.4.1 LOCAL KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION IN CANADA 16 2.4.2 LIMITATIONS 16 2.4.3 RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 17 2.5 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 18 2.5.1 SITUATED KNOWLEDGE 19 2.5.2 KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION 20 2.6 SUMMARY 22 3. METHODOLOGY 23 3.1 FISHERMEN’S KNOWLEDGE – PRELIMINARY STUDY 24 3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN 24 3.3 DATA COLLECTION 25 3.3.1 ARCHIVAL RESEARCH 25 3.3.2 INTERVIEWS 25 3.4 DATA ANALYSIS 31 3.4.1 VALIDATION OF INTERVIEW RESPONSES 31 3.4.2 ANALYSIS OF INTERVIEW RESPONSES 31 3.5 RESEARCH LIMITATIONS 33 3.5.1 DATA COLLECTION LIMITATIONS 33 3.5.2 DATA ANALYSIS LIMITATIONS 35 3.6 SUMMARY 36 - vii - 4. THE MOTUEKA RIVER CATCHMENT 37 4.1 SETTING THE SCENE: THE CATCHMENT AND ICM PROGRAMME 38 4.1.1 THE MOTUEKA RIVER CATCHMENT 38 4.1.2 MANAGEMENT OF THE CATCHMENT 41 4.1.3 THE MOTUEKA RIVER CATCHMENT ICM PROGRAMME 45 4.2 TROUT 46 4.2.1 TROUT BIOLOGY AND LIFE CYCLE 46 4.2.2 RELATIONSHIP OF THE TROUT WITH ITS ENVIRONMENT 47 4.2.3 EFFECT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON TROUT POPULATIONS 47 4.2.4 TROUT IN NEW ZEALAND: AN INTRODUCED SPECIES 48 4.2.5 TROUT IN THE MOTUEKA RIVER CATCHMENT 49 4.3 ANGLERS IN THE MOTUEKA RIVER CATCHMENT 50 5. ANGLER KNOWLEDGE: INTERVIEW RESULTS & INTERPRETATION 52 5.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE ANGLER SAMPLE 53 5.1.1 ANGLER SAMPLE PROFILE 53 5.1.2 EXPERIENCE AND INTERACTION WITH THE MOTUEKA CATCHMENT 53 5.1.3 INFORMATION CAPTURED BY FISHERMEN 57 5.1.4 OPINIONS OF MANAGEMENT MEASURES 61 5.1.5 INTERACTION WITH THE ANGLING COMMUNITY 70 5.2 ANGLER KNOWLEDGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES 74 5.2.1 KNOWLEDGE OF SEDIMENT EVENTS 74 5.2.2 KNOWLEDGE OF THE FISHERY 79 5.3 VALIDATION OF INTERVIEW RESULTS 84 5.3.1 INTRA-INTERVIEW VALIDATION 84 5.3.2 INTER-INTERVIEW VALIDATION 86 5.3.3 TRIANGULATION 86 5.4 SUMMARY: MEETING THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 92 5.4.1 OBJECTIVE 1: WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO ANGLERS HOLD? 92 5.4.2 OBJECTIVE 2: IS ANGLER KNOWLEDGE VALUABLE? 92 6. ANGLER KNOWLEDGE: USEFUL FOR CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT? 93 6.1 ANGLERS’ OPINIONS OF FISHERMEN’S KNOWLEDGE 94 6.1.1 OPINIONS REGARDING USE VALUE 94 6.1.2 POTENTIAL AVENUES FOR KNOWLEDGE USE 95 6.1.3 SUMMARY 96 6.2 ANGLER KNOWLEDGE AS USEFUL FOR CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT 96 6.2.1 OBSERVATION SKILLS 96 6.2.2 AN ARMY OF SAMPLERS 97 6.2.3 A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH 98 6.2.4 APPLICABILITY OF DIARY SCHEMES 99 6.2.5 THE CASE OF ANGLER X 100 6.3 BARRIERS TO ANGLER KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION 100 6.3.1 LIMITATIONS OF FISHING DIARIES 100 6.3.2 OBSERVATION AND HEARSAY 101 6.3.3 KNOWLEDGE EXTINCTION 101 6.3.4 FACTORS AFFECTING ANGLER KNOWLEDGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES 102 6.3.5 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 103 6.4 SYNTHESIS – ANGLER KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION INTO MANAGEMENT 104 6.4.1 ANGLER OPINIONS OF THE USE OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE 104 - viii - 6.4.2 HOW IS ANGLER KNOWLEDGE CURRENTLY USED? 104 6.4.3 POTENTIAL FOR USE OF ANGLER KNOWLEDGE 105 7. CONCLUSION 106 REFERENCES 110 PERSONAL COMMUNICATION 118 - ix - List of tables Number Table Page # 2.1 Some definitions of terms describing local knowledge 8 5.1 Areas fished by anglers 55 5.2 Summary of the main types of information recorded in angler diaries 58 5.3 Angler opinions of fishing regulations 62 5.4 Angler opinions of Fish and Game policies 62 5.5 Altered angler opinions of the Water Conservation Order, in theory and 64 practice 5.6 Angler opinions of water allocation policies 66 5.7 Angler opinions of water quality standards 67 5.8 Angler opinions of land management measures 68 5.9 Angler opinions of management measures in the Motueka catchment 69 5.10 Comments on frequency of discussion of environmental issues at fishing clubs 71 5.11 Angler