The Salmon Purse Seine

Max Ledbetter










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Summary

References To My Work

Bycatch and Wastage



In partial summary, the question is one of fishing power--the ability of gear, boats, or fleets, in the B.C. and P.E.I. cases and others, to exploit or overexploit fish stocks. Without a historical perspective based on quantitative (and innovative) field research, we are doomed to repeat our work loads: In the absence of extensive (and often necessarily alternative) time series of fishing effort and effectivity (fishing power), stock assessment and fisheries management become absurd. Like they said on P.E.I., a fleet (or transient cluster) of purse seiners can wipe out a stock (anywhere in the world). Max Ledbetter

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Here is an excerpt from the statement I gave to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and then e-mailed to President Bush:
One of my present concerns is that science (both in government and academia) attracts (and subsequently recruits) sinister political hacks and abject academic lackeys. I recently expressed my concern to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy:

[originally addressed to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy]

In your U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Preliminary Report you state,

"The education of the 21st century ocean-related workforce will require not only a strong understanding of oceanography and other disciplines, but an ability to integrate science concepts, engineering methods, and sociopolitical considerations. Resolving complex ocean issues related to economic stability, environmental health, and national security will require a workforce with diverse skills and backgrounds. Developing and maintaining such a workforce will rely, in turn, on programs of higher education that prepare future ocean professionals at a variety of levels and in a variety of marine-related fields."

Obviously, your educational and institutional environments and curricula must include rigorous methods for assessing codes of conduct and ethics. Mistreatment of employees, students, and constituents WILL RENDER YOUR SCIENCE SUSPECT.


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References

Ledbetter, M. 1986. Competition and information among British Columbia salmon purse seiners. Ph.D. diss., Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
Google Books   Abstract
Download the Thesis Here

Hilborn, R. and M. Ledbetter. 1985. Determinants of catching power in the British Columbia salmon purse-seine fleet. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42: 51-56.

Ledbetter, M. 1981. Guest editorial (re. bycatch and wastage). Western Fisheries 103: 17.
Bycatch and Wastage

Ledbetter, M. and R. Hilborn. 1981. A numerical overview of salmon run timings in British Columbia catch areas. Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit (University of British Columbia), Report Number 1.


Hilborn, R. and M. Ledbetter. 1979. Analysis of the British Columbia salmon purse-seine fleet: dynamics of movement. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 36: 384-391.




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