April 12, 2014 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
There are at least two species in every fishery: the fish, and the people who go after them. And there are at least two kinds of fishery scientists: those who study fish, and those who study people. On April 14, one of the scientists who studies people will be recognized for his outstanding contributions to the field. The NOAA Fisheries economist Alan Haynie will receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Several biological and physical scientists from NOAA Fisheries have received this award in the past, but this is the first time the award is going to an economist with that agency.
"People play an important role in the ecosystem,” Haynie said, "And people respond to incentives." Haynie's work focuses on designing rules that give fishermen greater incentives—and flexibility—to fish sustainably.
One problem that Haynie has worked on is reducing the number of chinook salmon, some of which come from poorly performing runs, that are unintentionally caught by pollock fishermen in the Bering Sea.
Until recently, chinook bycatch was managed by temporarily closing hotspots. But once outside closed areas, fishermen had no further incentive to avoid chinook. With input and advice from fishermen, Haynie was instrumental in devising a system that assigns each fisherman an individual bycatch cap. If they hit that cap they must stop fishing. However, if they manage to reduce their bycatch more than required, they can bank some of the difference for use in a future year.
Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries