Balancing social, economic and ecological outcomes in Nova Scotia’s lobster fisheries

Lead researcher: Tracy MacKeracher, Dalhousie University (tracy.mackeracher@dal.ca)

Supervisor: Aaron MacNeil, Dalhousie University (a.macneil@dal.ca)

Funding provided by: Ocean Frontier Institute

Introduction: You are invited to take part in this short (5-minute) anonymous online survey being conducted by Tracy MacKeracher, a PhD student at Dalhousie University. The decision to take part in this survey is voluntary and there are no consequences for not participating.

Study purpose: The purpose of the survey is to understand current concerns of lobster harvesters regarding their fishery. This information will guide our research to understand what influences social, economic, and ecological outcomes of lobster fisheries in the province.

Who Can Take Part in the Survey? You are eligible to participate in this survey if you live in Nova Scotia and have fished lobster in the last 2 years.

What You Will Be Asked to Do? The survey asks questions to understand (1) issues in the lobster fishery that may currently be overlooked; (2) what you would like to know from other lobster harvesters in Nova Scotia; and (3) if you are interested in participating in our future study to understand how the lobster fishery supports the lives and communities of lobster harvesters.

Possible Benefits, Risks and Discomforts: We will provide feedback to you and your community about what we discover in our research. The information collected in this survey has the potential to offer important insights that will guide our efforts to contribute to the long-term sustainability of lobster fishing for communities in Nova Scotia. We expect minimal risk as your participation is voluntary; you can end your participation at any time and skip any question(s) that you prefer not to answer.

Compensation: There is no compensation for participating in this survey.

How your information will be protected: Only the Dalhousie research team stated will have access to the collected raw data from the survey; survey responses are anonymous.

If You Decide to Stop Participating: You can end your participation at any point by closing the survey prior to submission. Once the survey has been submitted, it is not possible to withdraw your responses as they are anonymous. Incomplete surveys will be not be included in analysis.

How to Obtain Results: Please provide your e-mail if you would like a copy of the results.

Questions: Tracy is happy to address any questions or concerns you have about this research and your participation; please contact her at 902 329 2088 or tracy.mackeracher@dal.ca. We will also tell you if any new information comes up that could affect your decision to participate. If you have any ethical concerns about your participation in this research, you may also contact Research Ethics, Dalhousie University at (+1) 902-494-1462, or email: ethics@dal.ca (and reference REB file # 2070-5075).