"It was amazing to see the level 

 of understanding that developed 

 between the two sides in a very short 

 amount of time. When you look at the 

 cultural assumptions between watermen, 

 scientists and fishermen, it makes sense 

 that they are not seeing eye-to-eye. " 



—Jan DeBlieu 



have multiple clutches," he adds. "Sometimes, 

 they have five or six clutches in one season." 



Dan Rittschof, the scientist whose research 

 determined the clutch patterns, also gained 

 insight into the work patterns of commercial 

 crabbers. 



'The workshops were very valuable," 

 says Rittschof, a Duke University Marine Lab 

 zoologist and blue crab researcher. 



"It showed me where conflicts are and that 

 everyone needs to remember that we are all in 



for improving the fishery. 



Rose's grant focused on reducing the 

 number of undersized crabs caught in crab pots. 

 He tested four different configurations of "cull 

 rings" — exit holes big enough to let tiny crabs 

 escape, but small enough to trap larger crabs. 



DMF requires no fewer than two escape 

 rings in the upper pot chamber. 



"We were trying to make less work for 

 crabbers when they cull crabs on the boat," says 

 Rose. "We caught more larger and less smaller 



LEFT TO RIGHT: Sara Mirabilio (center) led the Blue Crab Collaborative Learning Project which brought togeth 

 • The crabbers sort their catch into baskets. • Keith Horsefield spots a N. C. Dept. of Transportation ferry while 



the same boat," he adds. "Putting all groups in 

 the same room was helpful." 



Jan DeBlieu, N.C. Coastal Federation 

 coastkeeperat Cape Hatteras, agrees. 



"It was amazing to see the level of 

 understanding that developed between the 

 two sides in a very short amount of time," 

 says DeBlieu. "When you look at the cultural 

 assumptions between watermen, scientists 

 and fishermen, it makes sense that they are not 

 seeing eye-to-eye." 



The project resulted in several positive 

 outcomes. Rose applied for a grant from the 

 Blue Crab Research Program that provides 

 funding for commercial crabbers who have ideas 



crabs in the crab pots with additional cull rings in 

 the lower chamber of the pots than in the other 

 pots." 



RECOMMENDATIONS 



As a result of the blue crab collaborative 

 project, the participants also made 

 recommendations to DMF. "It became clear that 

 gear loss is a major problem for crabbers and that 

 abandoned pots are an eyesore, a navigational 

 hazard and a drain on the resource," the group 

 wrote. 



"We would like to have a one-day cleanup 

 in the Albemarle region to collect pots that are 

 abandoned, as determined by the same criteria 



20 Coastwatch I Spring 2006 I www. 



ncseagrant.org 



