2009-2010 CNMI Elder Fisher Perceptions of Nearshore Marine Resources and Management

Interview guides solicited fishers' experiences and perceptions of fishing practice, marine resource use, and marine ecosystems through time, as well as local resource management. Fishers across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota were selected based on their age and willingness to participate, with preferences for fishers over the age of 50, with at least 20 years of fishing experience in the Marianas, and who had sustained at least a weekly fishing practice at some point in their life. Between December 2009 and May 2010, 78 interviews were conducted in paired interviewer-notetaker teams consisting of DEQ, DCRM, and JIMAR staff. Discussions were conducted in English and Chamorro.

Fishers'---especially elder fishers'--experiences and perceptions were solicited around fishing practice, marine resource use, and marine ecosystems through time, as well as local resource management.

Main Hawaiian Islands

This dataset includes qualitative interview data aggregated and entered into a data matrix (.csv).

While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

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Fishers across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota were selected based on their age and willingness to participate, with preferences for fishers over the age of 50, with at least 20 years of fishing experience in the Marianas, and who had sustained at least a weekly fishing practice at some point in their life. Between December 2009 and May 2010, 78 fishers were engaged in English and Chamorro. Additional participants were identified through snowball sampling, a process by which participants were asked for referrals to other knowledgeable fishers that might participate in the project.

Data represent the perceptions of participants at the time of engagement.

Data are currently stored on secured network drives at PIFSC, maintained by PIFSC IT services

This research was executed by a team of collaborators, with representation from the CNMI Divisions of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Coastal Resources Management (DCRM), and Fish and Wildlife (DFW), NOAA Pacific Island Regional Office (PIRO), and the Joint Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR). Staff from DEQ, DCRM, and DFW helped to design prompts and collect data. A JIMAR social researcher provided guidance and logistical support for data collection. A PIRO Coral Reef Fisheries liaison assisted with local logistics and coordination for the development of the interview guide and data collection and compilation.

Between December 2009 and May 2010, 78 fishers were engaged in paired interviewer-notetaker teams consisting of DEQ, DCRM, and JIMAR staff. Discussions were conducted in English and Chamorro. Fishers were digitally recorded with their permission, and asked at the end of their interviews if they would be comfortable being referred to by name in project products. To the latter inquiry, 68 fishers replied in the affirmative. The remainder either did not respond or were not asked. Additional participants were identified through snowball sampling, a process by which fishers were asked for referrals to other knowledgeable fishers that might participate in the project.

Following discussions, responses were keypunched into a matrix. In this matrix, each row represents a participant, and each column represents a question. This report summarizes the contents of this matrix, which, importantly, includes paraphrased and English-translated responses rather than verbatim quotes from discussions.