compliance and communitybased initiatives en lakut is. sources: esri, gebco, noaa, national...
TRANSCRIPT
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RockfishConservationAreasintheSalishSea:ComplianceandCommunity-BasedInitiatives
ReportbyAlannaVachonSupervisor-Dr.NatalieBan
UniversityofVictoria–SchoolofEnvironmentalStudies
Abstract
ThisstudyexaminedRockfishConservationAreas(RCAs)withintheSouthernStrait
ofGeorgia,BritishColumbiaandassessedtheefficacyofoutreachandeducationinitiatives
byalocalNGO(TheGalianoConservancyAssociation).Withafocusoncompliance,this
studyusedcommunity-basededucation,cameramonitoring,andstructuredrecreational
fisherinterviewsasmethods.Community-basededucationinitiativeswereconductedin
conjunctionwiththeGalianoConservancyAssociation(GCA)throughawarenessposters
andmapsandoutreachboothsateventsthroughoutthesummer.FromMaytoAugust
2015,therewereapproximately65peopleormorewhodiscussedrockfishconservation
witharepresentativeoftheGCAatthesecommunityevents.Cameramonitoringwasused
toidentifyinstancesofconfirmedorsuspectednon-compliance,whichdisplayed55
suspectedfishingincidentswithinRCAs.Lastly,structuredrecreationalfisherinterviews
wereconductedtoassessknowledgeofRCAexistenceandregulationsthroughoutthepeak
fishingseason(July-August).Eighty-eightpercentofsurveyparticipantsthoughtthatthere
wasaneedforrockfishconservationinBritishColumbia,with52%suggestingeducation.
Usingthesemethodologies,myfindingsshowedalackofRCAknowledgewithinthe
recreationalfishingcommunity,whichisaffectingcompliancewithintheseareas.Thislack
ofRCAknowledgecallsforanincreaseincommunity-basededucationandoutreach,such
astheinitiativesbeingdonebytheGalianoConservancyAssociationintheSouthernStrait
ofGeorgia.
Introduction
MarineProtectedAreas(MPAs)areconservationtoolsthatprotectmarine
ecosystemsfromoverfishingandotherimpacts.MPAscanvaryfromrestrictiveno-take
areas,toareasmeantforsustainableresourceconsumption(Ban,McDougall,Beck,
Salomon,&Cripps,2014).Uponwitnessingthecollapseofseveralfisheriesthroughoutthe
world,manyhavecometolookforconservationmeasuressuchasMPAs(Halpern,2003;
Jamieson&Levings,2011).MPAsareuniquetoolsinmarineconservationeffortsasthey
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provideecosystemswithmuchneededprotection,particularlyforcriticalareasand
threatenedspecies(Allison,Lubchenco,&Carr,1998).Theseareasarefoundtobe
especiallyadvantageousforlow-mobilityspeciessuchasrockfish(Banetal.,2014),
becausetheyallownon-migratoryspeciestargetedbyfisheriestospendmostoftheirlives
protected,andthereforeenhancepopulationswiththeirborders(Dayton,Sala,Tegner,&
Thrush,2000).
Thereare37speciesofRockfish(Sebastes)inBritishColumbia,eightofwhichare
listedaseither‘threatened’orof‘specialconcern’bytheCommitteeontheStatusof
EndangeredWildlifeinCanada(COSEWIC)(Chalifour,2013).Rockfishhaveseveral
biophysicalcharacteristicsthatmakethemsensitivetooverfishing.Someofthese
characteristicsinclude;latesexualmaturation(between12-18years),increasedfecundity
asfemalesage,thetendencytowardsterritorialbehavior,aswellsusceptibilityof
barotraumawhenbroughttothesurfacetooquickly(Lancaster&Ban,2015).High
mortalityisoftenfeltwhenrockfisharediscarded,duetodecompressioneffects
(Yamanaka&Logan,2010).Thesespeciesareinclinedtooverfishingbecauseofsuch
biophysicalcharacteristics,creatingmutualconcernfromcitizensandNGOsalike.This
concernlaterinstigatedtheimplementationofRockfishConservationAreas(RCAs)
throughoutBritishColumbiabetween2003and2007(DFO,2014).
Thereare164RockfishConservationAreas(RCAs)establishedthroughoutBritish
Columbia’swaters,designedtolessenfuturerockfishpopulationdeclines(DFO,2014).
However,RCAsarenotconsideredthesameasMPAssincetheywerenotdesignatedusing
thesamelegislation,butthroughtheFisheriesAct(Haggarty,2013).Theyprohibithook-
and-linefishing,allowingsomeotherfishingactivitiestocontinue(e.g.,crabandprawn
trapping).Populationnumbersshouldtheoreticallybeincreasingwithinthese
conservationareas,althoughstudieshaveshownmixedresults(Haggarty,2013).Most
studiesevaluatingtheeffectivenessofRCAshavenotshowndifferencesbetween
populationswithinandoutsidetheconservationareas,implyingthatfishersmaynotbe
followingregulations(Haggarty,2013).
ArecentstudyconductedattheUniversityofVictoriahasshownthat“25.5%of
recreationalfishershadneverheardofRCAsand~60%wereunsureofRCAlocations,”
withatotalnon-compliancerateof23%(Lancaster&Ban,2015,p.4).Thislimited
knowledgeofRCAsandaccompanyinglowcompliancemaybeaffectingthefunctioningof
theconservationareas(Haggarty,2013).Ifcomplianceislowandrecreationalfishersdon’t
obeytheregulations,conservationareasthemselvesdolittletoprotectpopulations(Arias,
2015).Understandingfishercomplianceiscriticallyimportantforthesuccessful
managementofconservationareasandtherefore,thisstudyfocusesoncompliancewithin
RCAs(Arias,2015).
Thepurposeofthisstudywastoassesstheefficacyofoutreachandawareness
initiativesbyalocalNGO(GalianoConservancyAssociation)oncomplianceofrecreational
fisherswithinRCAs.ThisresearchwasapartnershipbetweentheUniversityofVictoria
andtheGalianoConservancyAssociation(GCA),alocalnon-profitenvironmental
organizationbasedonGalianoIslandinthesouthernGulfIslands,BritishColumbia,Canada.
OutreachandawarenessinitiativesbyGCAincludedawarenessposters,permanent
signage,insertsinthelocalnewspaper,andattendanceatcommunityevents.Effectiveness
ofoutreachwasassessedthroughseveralmethodsduringthepeakfishingseason(June-
August)2015:cameramonitoringofRCAstoidentifynon-compliance,surveyswith
recreationalfishers.
Methodology
EducationandoutreachmethodswereconductedinconjunctionwiththeGaliano
ConservancyAssociation,andassessmentofRCAcomplianceadaptedmethodsdeveloped
byLancaster(2015)tostudycompliancewithinRCAs,usingcameramonitoringand
surveyswithrecreationalfishers.
Community-BasedEducationandOutreach
AspartofaprojectfundedbytheHabitatStewardshipProgram(HSP),GCAandthe
ValdesIslandConservancy(VIC)havedevelopedmaps,posters,pamphlets,andarticles
focusingonRCAawareness.Severalorganizationsaroundtheregionhaveusedtheseas
toolsofeducation.
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Awarenessposters(AppendixA)andmaps(Figure1)havebeenpostedatlocations
aroundGalianoIsland,ValdesIsland,Victoria,MetroVancouverandhavealsobeensent
outtoavarietyofpartnerorganizationsincluding:WorldFisheriesTrust,Reef
EnvironmentalEducationFoundation,ShawOceanDiscoveryCentre,GeorgiaStrait
Alliance,CPAWS,RockfishDivers,SaltspringIslandConservancy,andseveralothers.Two
postersweredevelopedaswellassmalllocalmapszoomedinonGalianoandValdes
Islands,whichshowsurroundingRCAboundaries.Largerregionalmaps(Sidneyto
GabriolaIsland)werealsodevelopedanddistributed.
GCAandtheValdesIslandConservancy(VIC)havedevelopedtenpermanentRCA
signsthathavebeenpostedatwateraccesslocationsaroundbothGalianoandValdes
Islands(Figure2).Thesesignsarelarge(3x4feet),metal,andarepermanentlyposted.
Sevenofthesesignshavebeendevelopedwithinformationpresentinga‘YouAreHere’
marking,thelocationoftheclosestRCA,imagesoflocalrockfishspecies,aswellasalistof
permittedactivities.Thesesignsaresituatedatthefollowinglocations:MontagueHarbour
PublicDock,RetreatCoveDock,MontagueHarbourMarina,SpanishHills,WhalerBay,
MontagueHarbourBCParksdock,andKendrickIslandMarina.Thesedocksaremanaged
byseveraldifferentorganizationsincludingtheCapitalRegionalDistrict,BCParks,and
WhalerBayHarbourAuthority.Thismadeitchallengingtoreceiveconsentfromallina
timelymanner.Thereforesignsweren’tposteduntiltheendofthe2015peakfishing
seasoneventhoughthereweremultipleeffortstopostthemearlier.Theremaining3signs
weredevelopedwithtextandnomapstobeseenfromboatersonthewater.
OutreachboothscontainingRCAinformationatcommunityeventswerealarge
aspectofGCA’seducationandoutreachthissummer.Maps,postersandhandoutswere
distributedinordertohelpraiseawarenessregardingRCAsatfiveeventsthroughoutthe
summerincluding:GCA’sAnnualGeneralMeeting,theGalianoJamboree,aUVicfieldcourse
fishpaneldiscussion,theSaturnaIslandBioblitzandtheGalianoIslandFiesta(Table1).
Event Date
Cameramonitoringbegan June11,2015
GCA’sAnnualGeneralMeeting June6,2015
CanadaDayJamboree July1,2015
UVicFishPanelDiscussion July5,2015
Fiesta August1,2015
SaturnaIslandSIMRESBioblitz August5,2015
Cameramonitoringended August21,2015
Table1.TimelineofoutreacheventsandcameramonitoringfromJune–August2015.AlleventstookplaceonGalianoIslandunlessindicatedotherwise.
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Strait of Georgia
Trincomal i Channel
Stuart C
hannel
Sate ll i te
Channe l
SaanichIn let
Sw
anso
n C
ha
nn
el
Salt SpringIsland
Gabriola Island
Saturna Island
GalianoIs.
ValdesIs.
NorthPender
Is.
ThetisIs.
MayneIs.
SidneyIs.
PenelakutIs.
Sources: Esri, GEBCO, NOAA, National Geographic, DeLorme, HERE,Geonames.org, and other contributors
SaanichPeninsula
Sidney
Nanaimo
SouthPender
Is.
Chemainus
Ladysmith
Rockfish Conservation Area
²
Produced By: Galiano Conservancy AssociationMap Date: April 2015 Scale 1 : 350,000Projection: UTM Zone 10, NAD83Funding for this map provided by:Habitat Stewardship Program
Gulf Island Rockfish Conservation Areas
Tsawassen
Figure1.RegionalmapofRCAsintheSouthernStraitofGeorgiadevelopedbytheGalianoConservancyAssociation.ThegreenpatchesrepresentRockfishConservationAreasintheStrait.
Absolutely no hook and line fishing permitted in RCAsRockfish Conservation Area (RCA) A Partnership of
Closest Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) is the Trincomali Channel RCA
Aboriginal right to fish is not infringed upon
Permitted recreationalfishing activity
Permitted commercialfishing activity
invertebrates by hand picking or divecrab and prawn by trapscallops by trawlsalmon by seine or gillnetherring by gillnet, seine and spawn-on-kelpsardine by gillnet, seine and trapsmelt by gillneteuphasiid (krill) by mid-water trawlopal squid by seinegroundfish by mid-water trawl
Source: www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Why are they at risk? Pourquoi sont-ils conisidérés en péril ?
Image: Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Ministère des Pêches et Océans Canada (MPO)
Sebastes maliger Sebastes caurinus
Sebastes nigrocinctusSebastes ruberrimus
Inform others and report violations to DFO at 1-800-465-4336Project funded by the Habitat Stewardship Program
For more information about this project, go to: valdes-island-conservancy.org or galianoconservancy.ca
Informez les autres et signalez toute violation au MPO au numéro suivant : 1-800-465-4336Un projet financé par le Programme d'intendance de l'habitat (de l'anglais « Habitat Stewardship Program »)Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements à ce sujet, veuillez visiter le site Web valdes-island-conservancy.org ou galianoconservancy.ca
• Inshore rockfish species grow slowly, stay in the same areas, mature late,and have long lifespans, taking between 6-12 years to fully mature
• Older rockfish are able to produce larger quantities of eggs, making them a critical aspect of population resilience
• Such characteristics make rockfish extremely vulnerable to overfishing, with populations slow to recover and rebuild following decline
• This matters because rockfish play important roles within the coastal food web as both predators and food for others, and they serve as indicators of the overall health of the system
• Les espèces de sébaste en zones côtières ont une très longue durée de vie, demeurent dans le même secteur et ont une maturité tardive, prenant entre 6 et 12 ans à se développer pleinement
• Les sébastes plus âgés peuvent produire une plus grande quantité d'œufs, ce qui fait d'eux un élément essentiel de la résilience de l'espèce.
• Ces caractéristiques font du sébaste une espèce particulièrement vulnérable à la surpêche et les populations se rétablissent lentement suite à un déclin
• Les sébastes jouent un rôle important au sein des réseaux trophiques côtiers, aussi bien à titre de prédateur que de proie pour les autres espèces. Ils servent également d'indicateurs de la santé globale de l'écosystème
invertebrates by hand picking or divecrab, shrimp or prawn by trapsmelt by gillnet
Il est strictement interdit de pêcher avec ligne et hameçon dans les RCA
Quillback rockfish
Yelloweye rockfish Tiger rockfish
Copper rockfish
Ceci ne porte pas atteinte au droit de pêche ancestral des peuples autochtones
La zone de conservation du sébaste (de l'anglais Rockfish Conservation Area,ou RCA) la plus proche est le RCA du chenal Trincomali
Activités de pêcherécréative autorisées
Activités de pêcheindustrielle autorisées
Source: www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Capture à la main ou en plongée des invertébrésCapture au casier des crabes, crevettes ou crevettes nordiques Capture de l'éperlan au filet maillant
Capture à la main ou en plongée des invertébrésCapture du crabe au casierCapture des crevettes nordiques au casierRécolte des pétoncle par chalutCapture du saumon au seineur ou filet maillantCapture du hareng au filet maillant, au seineur ou récolte d'oeufs de hareng su varech Capture de sardines au filet maillé, seineur ou au casierCapture de l'éperlan au filet maillantCapture des euphausiacés (krill) au chalut pélagiqueCapture du calmar opale au seinierCapture des poissons de fond au chalut pélagique
!
!
Galiano Island North
Trincomali Channel
Trincomali ChannelMontague
Harbour
Montague HarbourMarine Prov. Park
Saltspring Island North
Wallace IslandMarine Prov. Park
Galiano Island
Parker Island
ScarecrowReef
Walker Hook
Saltspring Island
Galiano IslandStuart
ChannelTrincomali
Channel
Saltspring Island
Duncan
Crofton
Sidney
MaineIsland
NorthPenderIsland
N
EW
S
Rockfish Conservation Areas
Galiano Island Protected Areas
Public Trail
LEGEND
Public Shore Access
You AreHere
AREA ENLARGED
Figure2.OneofsevenpermanentRCAsignsdevelopedbyGCAandValdesIslandConservancy(VIC)andpostedaroundGalianoandValdesislands
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CameraMonitoring
Cameramonitoringwasusedtoidentifyinstancesofconfirmedorsuspectednon-
compliance.FourBushnellTrailCamerasweremountedonlandoverlookingtwoRCAs
surroundingGalianoIsland:TrincomaliChannelRCA,andGalianoIslandNorthRCA.
Cameralocationswerechosenbasedonpreviouswork(Lancaster2015)andlocal
knowledgeofpopularfishingspotswithinRCAs.Cameramountinglocationswerethen
chosenbasedonpermissionstoplacethemonpublicorprivateland,resultinginfour
locations:MontagueHarbourMarineProvincialPark,PebbleBeach,DistrictLot57,and
RetreatIsland(Figure3).
Cameraswereleftinplaceforaneleven-weekperiodandwerelockedtotreeswitha
signprovidinginformationabouttheresearchprojectandcontactinformation.Allcameras
tookpicturesonfive-minuteintervalsduringdaylighthours,between4:30amto10:00pm
daily.PictureswerethenanalyzedtoidentifyfishingeventswithinRCAs.Photoswere
labeledas“confirmedfishing”whenfishinggear,suchasrodandline,wereclearly
identifiableandinuse.Imageswerelabeledas“probablefishing”whenfishingactivitywas
suspected(e.g.,severalpicturesinarowcapturedthesameboatwithnowake,likely
jigging;ortrollingiftheboatwasoffishingstyleandmovingslowly).Information
regardinglocation,timeofday,anddatewererecordedalongwitheachlabeled
photograph.
Figure3.MapofcameramonitoringlocationsonGalianoIsland.Cameralocationsarelabeledfrom1-4,representingthemostsuspectedfishingincidencesatcamera1(MontagueHarbour)andtheleastsuspectedfishingatcamera4(PebbleBeach).ThepurplepatchesrepresentRockfishConservationAreasborderingtheisland.
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StructuredRecreationalFisherSurveys
SurveyswithrecreationalfisherswereconductedtoassessknowledgeofRCA
existenceandregulationsthroughoutthepeakfishingseason(July-August).Thesurvey
containedquestionsonfishingpatterns,generalrockfishconservation,sensitive
randomizedresponses,generaldemographics,andopenquestions.Priortothesurvey
beingconducted,aletterofinformationofimpliedconsentwasshownandtheindividual
wasgivenacopytotakehomefortheirrecords.Oncethefisherhadconsented,thesurvey
wouldtakebetween10-15minutes.Fishingmapsandchartswereprovidedinorderto
createamoreinteractiveinterviewandalsotoshowboundariesofconservationareasin
locationsofinteresttotheindividualfisher.Althoughthesurvey(AppendixB)wasbased
onpreviouswork(Lancaster2015)ithadbeenadaptedtorelatespecificallytotheGCA.
Thiswasdoneinordertoassessoutreachandeducationmethodsusedthroughoutthe
season.Intotal,twenty-fiveinterviewswereconductedatwateraccesslocationsaround
theisland.
SurveysconductedattheMontagueHabourboatlaunchandMontagueMarinawere
alsousedtoraiseRCAawarenessamongstrecreationalfishers.Theyhelpedprovidemuch
neededinformationregardingRCAregulationsandboundaries.However,manyindividuals
werehesitanttopartakeinthesurveyduetolackoftime,whichmadeitchallengingtoget
alargesamplesize.
Results
Community-BasedEducationandOutreach
Community-basededucationandoutreachinconjunctionwiththeGaliano
ConservancyAssociationwerealargeaspectofthisresearch.Themaineventsattended
throughoutthesummerincludedtheCanadaDayJamboree,theUVicFishPanelDiscussion,
theSaturnaIslandSIMRESBioblitz,andtheAugustlong-weekendFiesta.Throughoutthe
summer,therewereapproximately65peopleormorewhodiscussedrockfish
conservationwitharepresentativeoftheGCAatthesecommunityevents.Mostweregiven
eithermapsorbrochuresthatprovidedinformationregardingRCAsandsomeeventook
extrasforfamilyorfriends.
GalianoConservancyAssociationOutreachAwareness
AquestioninthesurveyspecificallyaimedtoassesstheawarenessoftheGaliano
Conservancyandtheoutreachtheyconductedthroughoutthesummerof2015.24%of
surveyparticipantsrespondedthattheyhadseenGCApostersandoutreachmaterialsata
varietyoflocationsaroundtheisland.Below,Table2presentsthelocationwhere
participantshadseenGCAmaterialsandwheretheywerelivingatthetimeofsurvey
completion.
Materiallocation Whereparticipantresides
MontagueMarina Vancouver,BC
Don’tremember Vancouver,BC
MontagueMarinaandSturdiesBay GalianoIsland,BC
Facebook GabriolaIsland,BC
DaystarMarket ComoxValley,BC
MontagueMarina Victoria,BC
CameraMonitoring
FromJune11thtoAugust21st,2015,therewere46,102picturestakenbyfour
monitoringcamerasonGalianoIsland.Threecameras(MontagueHarbour,Lot57,and
RetreatIsland)overlookedtheTrincomaliChannelRCA,duetothelargeareathatthisRCA
covers.Thefourthcamera,locatedatthePebbleBeachReserveontheNortheastsideofthe
island,overlookedtheGalianoNorthRCA.Byanalyzingthesephotos,55suspectedfishing
Table2.ResponsesofwhereGCAoutreachmaterialshadbeenseenontheislandandwhereparticipantswereresidingatthetimeofsurvey.
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incidentswithintheRCAsmonitoredhavebeencalculated.Thecamerawiththelargest
numberoffishingincidents(n=37)waslocatedatDistrictLot57,overlookingthe
TrincomaliChannelRCA,followedbyRetreatIsland,alsooverlookingtheTrincomali
ChannelRCA(n=16)(Table3).ThecameraatPebbleBeach,overlookingtheGalianoIsland
NorthRCA,andMontagueHarbour(TrincomaliChannelRCA)had1suspectedfishing
activityeach.Nophotosdemonstratedconfirmedfishingincidents,asmostboatsweretoo
farfromtheshoreline.
CameraLocation NumberofSuspectedFishingIncidents
NumberofConfirmedFishingIncidents
RCAsOverlooked
1)DistrictLot57 37 0 TrincomaliChannel
2)RetreatIsland 16 0 TrincomaliChannel
3)MontagueHarbour 1 0 TrincomaliChannel
4)PebbleBeachReserve 1 0 GalianoIslandNorth
Total 55 0
StructuredRecreationalFisherSurveys
Twenty-fivestructuredsurveyswereconductedwithrecreationalfishersthroughout
thesummer(June-August,2015)onGalianoIsland.Thesurvey(AppendixB)includeda
seriesofshortquestionsandsomeopen-endedquestionstoobtainfeedbackfrom
individualfishers.Oneoftheopen-endedquestionsaskedparticipantswhytheythought
somefishersstillfishinRCAs.Answersvariedfrom‘ignorance,’to‘unaware’or
‘uneducated,’withmanymentioning‘stupidity.’Themajorityofthosesurveyedshared
Table3.Dataretrievedfrommonitoringcamerasthroughoutthesummershowingnumbersofsuspectedfishingincidents
theiropinionsthatpeoplesimply‘don’tcare.’Overall,itwasstatedseveraltimesfrom
differentindividualsthattherewasaperceivedlackofawarenessintherecreational
fishingcommunityregardingRCAs.Asummaryofsurveyresponsesisprovidedin
AppendixC.
Fisherrecommendationsforimprovementsofrockfishawarenessrangedfromfines,
toeducationinschools,toGPSboatunitsincludingRCAlocations,orevenanapp
developedtoshowRCAboundariesforthoseusingtheirphoneswhileonthewater.
Anotherinterestingrecommendationincludedthedesignationofbuoyswithsymbols
showingwhereRCAboundarieswerelocated.AsmostRCAsareoddshapesandsizes,it
canbedifficultforfisherstoknowexactlywheretheyarelocated,makingitevenmore
challengingtocomplytoRCArestrictions.Aspresentedbelowinfigure5,mostsurvey
participantswereuncertainaboutRCAlocations,withonly32%statingconfidenceintheir
existingknowledgeofRCAboundaries.
Whenaskedhowmanyrockfisharecreationalfisherispermittedtocatchperdayin
theSalishSea,40%answeredeitherincorrectlyorthattheyweresimplyunsure.When
Figure4.PiechartrepresentingparticipantresponsestothequestionregardingcertaintyofRCAlocations
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askedwhatrecreationalfishingactivitieswereallowedinRCAs,68%ofindividuals
respondedincorrectlywithseveralactivitiesthatarenotpermitted.88%ofsurvey
respondentsthoughtthattherewasaneedforrockfishconservationinBritishColumbia
andwhenaskedwhetherRCAsinBCwereaneffectiveconservationtool,64%responded
yes.However,38%ofthis64%thoughtthatRCAswouldbemuchmoreeffectivewith
increasedlimitationsandenforcementmeasures.Asummaryofsurveyresponsesis
providedinAppendixB.
DiscussionNon-compliancecontinuestochallengetheobjectivesofspatialfisheriesmanagement
andmarineprotectedareasworldwide(Read,West,Haste,&Jordan,2011),andtherefore
understandingfishercomplianceiscriticalforitssustainablemanagement(Arias,2015).
Thisresearchconsideredcompliancerates,overallawareness,andfeedbackfrom
recreationalfishersregardingRockfishConservationareas,inordertosummarizekey
avenuesforincreasingawarenessofRCAs,andthereforecompliancewithinthem.
Thisstudyshowedthat,althoughthemajorityofpeoplehaveheardofRCAs,manydo
notunderstandtheirimportanceandtheregulationswithinthem.Therewasanoverall
lackofawarenessregardingrockfishandthetroublestheyface.AstudybyKritzer(2004)
arguedthatnoncompliancemighttakeawaythepositiveeffectsofmarineconservation
areas,forbothconservationandfisheriesmanagement(p.1028).Furthermore,Readetal.
(2011)emphasizedtheimportanceofencouragingvoluntarycompliancewithinmarine
conservationareasasmoreimportantthanenforcement.Althoughenforcementiscritical,
ifthepublicisinvolvedinthedevelopment,designation,andcontinuedmanagementof
conservationareas,voluntarycomplianceshouldincrease(Readetal.2011).Withsuch
involvementcomesanimprovedunderstandingoftheimportanceandregulationsofthese
areas,withagreaterlikelihoodofacceptanceandadherencetosuchregulations(Readet
al.,2011).Since“noncompliancecanalsobeanimportantdeterminantofwhether
predictedandrealizedbenefitsequate,”itshouldbeaccountedforwhenmeasuring
conservationareasuccess(Kritzer,2004,p.1029).
Community-BasedEducationandOutreach
Studiesonmarineconservationconductedworldwidehavefocusedontheneedfor
increasededucationandoutreachinitiatives(Arias,2015;Lancaster&Ban,2015;Haggarty,
2013).AsurveyconductedwithfishersinAustralia’sGreatBarrierReefhasshownthat
17%offishersbelievedignorancetobealargenoncompliancefactor,with5%directly
mentioningeducationasafactorencouragingcompliance(Arias,2015).Astudyconducted
bytheDavidSuzukiFoundationhasshownthatrecreationalfishingeffortinRCAshasnot
changedsincebeforetheestablishmentin2003andlaterin2011(Haggarty,2013).
HaggartyarguesthatthiscontinuedfishingeffortmaybeaffectingtheefficiencyofRCAs
andthateducationandoutreachshouldbeimprovedforthistoprogress.
OutreachatcommunityeventsprovidedtheGCAtheopportunitytoconversewiththe
generalpublicaboutrockfishconservationinafunandlightheartedenvironment.A
rockfishpuppetmadebyalocalartistwasagreattoolforbringingnotonlyadultstothe
boothbutchildrenandyouthaswell.Althoughitisessentialtoraiseawarenesswithinthe
localfishingcommunity,itisalsoimportanttodiscusswithothersinthecommunitywho
mayormaynotberecreationalfishers.Community-Basededucationandoutreachata
varietyofeventswerefoundtobeaneffectivetimetodiscussandbrainstormwith
individualsfromallover.
SinceenforcementofRCAregulationsisminimal,voluntarycomplianceofindividual
fishersiscrucial.Informationmustbereadilyavailableandaccessibleforall.Oneofthe
bestwaystodosoisbydiscussingtheunderlyingissueswithindividualsinpersonand
providingthemwiththeinformationtocomplywiththeregulationsontheirown.By
engagingandeducatingthegeneralpublic,weareprovidingthemwiththeopportunityto
getinvolvedandmaketheirownwell-informeddecisions.
CameraMonitoring
Althoughinsightoffishingactivitywithinmarineconservationareascanbegained
throughcameramonitoring,thereareseverallimitationswiththismethodology.The
effectivenessofmonitoringcamerasaroundGalianoIslandwashighlycontingentona
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numberoffactors.Onekeylimitationofcameramonitoringisthesmallfieldofviewofthe
cameras.RCAscover4846.2km2ofthecoast,withsomeofthemspanningseveral
kilometersalone(Lancaster&Ban,2015).ItisnotpossibletomonitoranentireRCAusing
thismethodology,asthecamera’sfieldofviewisincapableofcapturingtheentirearea.For
example,thecameraatLot57hasshownrelativelyhighpotentialfishingincidences,and
thereforelowcompliance,withintheconservationarea.However,thecameralocatedat
MontagueHarbour,alsooverlookingthesameRCA,hasshownverylowpotentialfishing
incidencesandtherefore,highcompliancerates.Thesecamerasonlyprovidesmall
fragmentsofmuchlargerareas,anditissometimesdifficulttoassesswhetheralackof
fisheractivity,suchasatMontagueHarbour,isduetoacameralocationthatiscapturingan
inactivesectionofanotherwiseactiveareaorviceversa.Muchconsiderationneedstobe
takenwhenchoosingcameralocations.Asthesecamerasonlycaptureasmallsectionofa
largerarea,thiswillgreatlyaffectthedataretrievedbythecamerasandtheconclusions
pulledfromthisdata.
Furthermore,thisstudydidnotdifferentiatebetweennon-compliantfishersand
thosewhohavetherighttofishintheseareas(e.g.FirstNations).Aboriginalrighttofishis
notinhibitedbyRCAs,andthisstudywasunabletotaketheseconsiderationsintoaccount
(DFO,2014).Itwasimpossibletodeterminehowmanyboatslabeledas‘non-compliant’
wereinfact,Indigenousfishersandallowedtofishwithintheseareas.
StructuredRecreationalFisherInterviews
Thisstudydemonstratedtherelativelylowknowledgeofrecreationalfishers
regardingRCAs.ThesefindingscorrespondwithLancasterandBan’sresearchthatshowed
about60%ofsurveyparticipantswereunsureofRCAlocations(2015).Furthermore,24%
ofpeoplesurveyedhadneverheardofRCAs,whichiscomparabletoLancasterandBan’s
(2015)researchshowingthat25.5%hadneverheardofRCAs.Havingdiscussedthislackof
awarenessregardingRCAsintherecreationalfishingcommunitywiththeindividuals
surveyed,LancasterandBan’sfindingswerefoundtocoincidewiththisstudyinmoreways
thanone.IfthereisanoveralllackofawarenessabouttheexistenceofRCAs,thenhowisit
expectedthatindividualsshouldknowthedetailsregardingregulationsandlocationsof
theseconservationareas?
Feedbackfromsurveyparticipantspresentedavarietyofopinionsand
recommendationsforthefutureawarenessofRCAs.Mostindividualssurveyedhopedto
seestrictermonitoring,aswellasincreasededucationandawarenessincomingyears.
However,manywereunawareofthelocalinitiativescurrentlyoccurringintheregion
concerningrockfishawareness.With76%ofparticipantsstatingthattheyhadnotseen
GCA’soutreachmaterials,thedataarguesthatalargerscaleofawarenessismuchneeded.
However,mostoftheindividualsinterviewedwerenotfromGalianoIsland,therefore,itis
lesslikelythattheywouldhaveseenGCApostersandoutreachmaterials.Inthefuture,
moreprioritymightbeputintooff-islandoutreach,althoughthisischallengingforan
organizationlikeGCA,beingbasedonanisland.Increasedemphasiscouldalsobeplacedon
Galiano’stouristlocations,includingMontagueMarinaandsurroundingarea.Manyboaters
comeintothemarinaandonlyleavetogotothepuborstockuponsmallgroceriesatthe
marinageneralstore.Withalackoftransportation,itisoftendifficultforboaterstogoto
themarketorotherlocationsonisland,thereforepostersatMontagueMarinashouldbe
monitoredregularly,aswellasotherareasintheneighborhood,includingthepublicdock
nextdoorandtheBCParksdockandNatureHousedowntheroad.
TherelativelylowknowledgeofRCAregulationsisexhibitedintheresponsesto
severalsurveyquestions,includingtheoneaskingwhatsortsofactivitiesareallowed
withinanRCA,with68%ofsurveyrespondentsansweringincorrectly.Mostincluded
eitherSalmonbyrodandlineorHalibutbyrodandlineintheirresponses,astheydidnot
realizethatallrodandlinefishingisclosedwithinanRCA(DFO,2014).Furthermore,with
40%ofparticipantsrespondingincorrectlytothequestionregardingdailyindividual
fishinglimitsofrockfishintheSalishSea,thislackofRCAknowledgebecomesfurther
apparent.EitherthereisalackofknowledgeregardingRCAsinthefishingcommunity,or
individualsaresimplynotworriedaboutdisobeyingtheregulationsduetotheminimal
enforcementintheregion.
Bycontinuingandincreasingcommunity-basededucationandoutreach,suchasthe
initiativesconductedbytheGCA,awarenessandcomplianceofRCAswilllikelyincrease.In
19
turn,wearenotonlystrivingfortheincreasedperformanceoftheseRCAsbutmore
importantly,wearestrivingforhealthiermarineecosystemsinBritishColumbia.
WorksCited
Allison,G.W.,J.Lubchenco,andM.H.Carr.(1998).MarineReservesareNecessarybutnotSufficientforMarineConservation.EcologicalApplications8(1):S79-S92.
Arias,A.(2015).Understandingandmanagingcomplianceinthenatureconservationcontext.J.EnvironmentalManagement153,134–143.doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.02.013.
Ban,N.C.,McDougall,C.,Beck,M.,Salomon,A.K.,&Cripps,K.(2014).Applyingempirical
estimatesofmarineprotectedareaeffectivenesstoassessconservationplansinBritishColumbia,Canada.BiologicalConservation,180134-148.doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2014.09.037
Chalifour,L(2013).RockfishpopulationsaroundGalianoIsland–FreedomtoSwim:
ResearchComponentforRockfishRecoveryProject.GalianoConservancyAssociation.
DFO.(2014).RockfishConservationAreas(RCAs)-PacificRegion.FisheriesandOceansCanada.http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/rca-acs/index-eng.html
Dayton,P.K.,E.Sala,M.J.Tegner,andS.Thrush.(2000).Marinereserves:parks,baselines,andfisheryenhancement.BulletinofMarineScience66(3),617-634.
Haggarty,D.(2013).RockfishConservationAreasinBC:OurCurrentStateofKnowledge.
DavidSuzukiFoundation.Halpern,B.S.(2003).Theimpactofmarinereserves:Doreservesworkanddoesreserve
sizematter?EcologicalApplications13(1):S117-S137.
21
Lancaster,D.,Ban,N.C.(2015).UniversityofVictoria(B.C.).SchoolofEnvironmentalStudies.Conservationandcompliance:Aquantitativeassessmentofrecreationalfishercomplianceinrockfishconservationareas.Victoria,BritishColumbia:UniversityofVictoria.
Read,A.D.,R.J.West,M.Haste,A.Jordan.(2011).Optimizingvoluntarycomplianceinmarineprotectedareas:Acomparisonofrecreationalfisherandenforcementofficerperspectivesusingmulti-criteriaanalysis.JournalofEnvironmentalManagement92,2558–2567.doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.05.022
Jamieson,G.S.,&Levings,C.O.(2001).MarineprotectedareasinCanada—implicationsforbothconservationandfisheriesmanagement.CanadianJournalOfFisheries&AquaticSciences,58(1),138.
Kritzer,J.P.(2004).EffectsofNoncomplianceontheSuccessofAlternativeDesignsof
MarineProtected-AreaNetworksforConservationandFisheriesManagement.ConservationBiology,18(4),1021-1031.doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00022.x
Yamanaka,K.L.,andLogan,G.(2010).DevelopingBritishColumbia'sInshoreRockfishConservationStrategy,MarineandCoastalFisheries:Dynamics,Management,andEcosystemScience,2:1,28-46
AppendixA:PosterdevelopedanddistributedaspartofoutreachforRCAawareness
project
23
AppendixB:Recreationalfishersurveyusedforthisstudy
RockfishConservationSurvey
Bycompletingandsubmittingthisquestionnaire,YOURFREEANDINFORMEDCONSENTISIMPLIEDandindicatesthatyouunderstandtheconditionsofparticipationinthisstudyandthatyouhavehadtheopportunitytohaveyourquestionsansweredbytheresearchersSection1:FishingPatternsThesequestionsaskaboutyourfishinghabitsandyourinvolvementintheactivitiesrelatingtorecreationalfishing.
1. Howmanyyearshaveyoubeenrecreationallyfishing?(#ofyears)_______________________
2. Inthepast2years,approximatelyhowmanydaysdidyougofishing?
(#ofdays)__________________________
3. Inthepast2years,approximatelywhatpercentofyourfishingtimedidyouspecificallyfishforrockfish?(%oftimefishingrockfish)____________________________
4. Inthepast2years,approximatelyhowmanyrockfishhaveyouaccidentallycaughtwhilefishingforsomethingelse?(e.g.,Salmon)(#ofrockfish)_______________________
5. Ifyouaccidentallycaughtrockfishinthepast2years,whatpercentofthetimedidyoureleaseit?(If
youhavenotaccidentallycaughtrockfishinthepast2years,circle“Doesnotapply”.)(%oftimereleased)__________________________ DoesNotApply
6. Ifyoureleasedaccidentallycaughtrockfishinthepast2years,whatpercentofthetimedidyou
descendthembacktodepth?(Ifyouhavenotaccidentallycaughtrockfishinthepast2years,circle“Doesnotapply”.)
(%oftimedescended)__________________________ DoesNotApply
Section2:Rockfishconservation.Thesequestionsaskaboutyourknowledgeofrockfishconservationmeasures.
7. Wheredoyouusuallygetyourinformationonfishingregulations,closures,andprotectedareas?(e.g.SportFishAdvisoryBoard,AnglingAssociation,DepartmentofFisheriesandOceans)(Sourceofinformation)_________________________________________________DoesNotApply
8. HadyoueverheardoftheRockfishConservationAreasinBritishColumbiabeforebeginningthissurvey?
Yes No
9. WheredidyouinitiallyhearaboutB.C.’sRockfishConservationAreas?(Sourceofinformation)__________________________________Don’trememberDoesNotApply
10. TheGalianoConservancyAssociationisdoingoutreachaboutRockfishConservationAreasthissummer.Haveyouseenanyoftheirmaterials?Ifso,whichone(s),andwheredidyouseethem?
(Materials/events)________________________________(Where)_____________________DoesNotApply
11. DidyouparticipateinconsultationsontheRockfishConservationAreasand/ortheRockfish
ConservationStrategy?
Yes No
12. AccordingtoCanadianfisheriesregulations,howmanyrockfishdoyouthinkyouarepermittedtocatchperdayintheSalishSea(StraitofGeorgia,PugetSoundandStraitofJuandeFuca)?(#ofrockfishperday)_________________________
13. WhatkindofrecreationalfishingactivitydoyouthinkispermittedinRockfishConservationAreas?
(Circleallthatapply)• Halibutbyrodandline
• Rockfishbyrodandline
• Lingcodbyrodandline
• Salmonbyrodandline(jigging,trolling,and
mooching)
• Prawnbytrap
• Crabbytraporhandpicking
• Spearfishing
• Smeltbygillnet• Netting(throw,andhaul)
• Notsure
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14. HowconfidentareyouaboutthelocationoftheRockfishConservationAreasintheplacesyouliketofish?(Circleone)
• I’mconfidentIknowwheretheboundariesare.
• IthinkIknowwheretheboundariesare.
• Ihavenoideawheretheboundariesare.ResearcherwilloutlinepermittedfishingactivitiesandprovidechartsofRockfishConservationAreas
15. Inthepast2years,haveyoueveraccidentallyfished,usingprohibitedtechniques,inaRockfishConservationArea?Yes No
16. Doyoupersonallyknowanyonewhohasintentionallyfished,usingprohibitedtechniques,
inaRockfishConservationAreainthelast2years?Yes No
Section3:RandomizedResponsePleaseusetheinstructionsontheplasticcuptoanswerthefollowingquestion
17. Inthelast2years,haveyoueverintentionallyfished,usingprohibitedtechniques,inaRockfishConservationArea?Yes No
Section4:DemographicQuestions
18. Gender
Female Male
19. Age(years)
Under20 20-35 36-50 51-65 Over65
20. DoyouidentifyasFirstNations(Aboriginal)?
Yes No
21. Wheredoyoucurrentlylive?
City/Town______________________________________________Province/State/Region___________________________________________Country______________________________________
Section5:OpenQuestions
22. DoyouthinkthereisaneedforrockfishconservationinBritishColumbia?
23. Whatdoyouthinkarethebestwaystoimproverockfishconservationingeneral?
24. WhydoyouthinksomerecreationalfishersfishinRockfishConservationAreas?
25. Whatdoyouthinkisthebestwaytostoprecreationalfishersfromintentionallyfishingin
RockfishConservationAreas?
26. WhatdoyouthinkisthebestwaytostoprecreationalfishersfromaccidentallyfishinginRockfishConservationAreas?
53.DoyouthinktheRockfishConservationAreasareaneffectiveconservationtool?
27
AppendixC:SummarizedResponsestoRecreationalFisherSurveys
Certainquestionsallowedparticipantstoprovidemorethanoneresponsetosurveyquestions,thereforenotallresponsesaddupto100%1.Howmanyyearshaveyoubeenrecreationallyfishing?
• 40%respondedbetween1-15years• 20%respondedbetween16-30years• 12%respondedbetween31-50years• 24%respondedbetween51-75years• 4%respondedabove75years
2.Inthepast2years,approximatelyhowmanydaysdidyougofishing?
• 68%respondedbetween1-15days• 24%respondedbetween16-20days• 4%respondedabove30days• 4%responded0days
3.Inthepast2years,approximatelywhatpercentofyourfishingtimedidyouspecificallyfishforrockfish?
• 44%responded0%offishingtime• 40%respondedbetween1-50%offishingtime• 16%respondedbetween51-100%offishingtime
4.Inthepast2years,approximatelyhowmanyrockfishhaveyouaccidentallycaughtwhilefishingforsomethingelse?
• 24%responded0• 40%respondedbetween1-5rockfish• 36%respondedbetween6-12rockfish
5.Ifyouaccidentallycaughtrockfishinthepast2years,whatpercentofthetimedidyoureleaseit?
• 44%respondedbetween80–100%• 8%respondedbetween50-59%• 0%respondedbetween30-49%• 24%respondedbetween0-29%• 24%N/A
6.Ifyoureleasedaccidentallycaughtrockfishinthepast2years,whatpercentofthetimedidyoudescendthembacktodepth?
• 4%respondedthattheywoulddescendrockfishbacktodepth~5%ofthetime
• Allotherrespondentseitherrespondedthattheyhadnopreviousknowledgeofdescendingtechniquesorthattheyhadnotaccidentallycaughtrockfishinthepast2years.
7.Wheredoyouusuallygetyourinformationonfishingregulations,closures,andprotectedareas?
• 76%responded‘DFO’• Othersrespondedmarinas,UnitedStatesfishingregulations,andfishing
licensinglocations8.HadyoueverheardofRCAsinBritishColumbiaBeforebeginningthissurvey?
• 80%respondedyes• 20%respondedno
9.WheredidyouinitiallyhearaboutB.C.’sRockfishConservationAreas?
• 32%-DFO• 28%-Online• 16%-Don’tremember• 4%-Fishinglicensestore• Remaining20%-Radio,newspaper,otherrecreationalfishers,andfishing
regulations10.TheGalianoConservancyAssociationisdoingoutreachaboutRockfishConservationAreasthissummer.Haveyouseenanyoftheirmaterials?Ifso,whichone(s),andwheredidyouseethem?
• 24%respondedyesOfthis24%:
• 3individualssawmaterialsattheMontagueMarina• 1individualalsosawmaterialsatSturdiesBay• 1individualsawinformationonFacebook• 1individualsawmaterialsattheDaystarMarket• 1individualcouldnotremember
11.DidyouparticipateinconsultationsontheRockfishConservationAreasand/ortheRockfishConservationStrategy?
• 100%respondedno12.AccordingtotheCanadianFisheriesregulations,howmanyrockfishdoyouthinkyouarepermittedtocatchperdayintheSalishSea(StraitofGeorgia,PugetSoundsandStraitofJuandeFuca?)
• 60%responded1rockfishperday(correct)
29
• 12%responded2rockfishperday• 4%responded0rockfish• 24%wereunsure
13.WhatkindofrecreationalfishingactivitydoyouthinkispermittedinRockfishConservationAreas?
• 68%respondedwithactivitiesthatarenotpermitted(Salmonbyrodandline,Halibutbyrodandline,spearfishing,etc.)
• 28%respondedcorrectly(CrabbytraporhandpickingandPrawnbytrap)• 4%respondedwithnofishingactivities
14.HowconfidentareyouaboutthelocationoftheRockfishConservationAreasintheplacesyouliketofish?
• 52%responded‘IthinkIknowwhereRCAboundariesare’• 32%responded‘I’mconfidentIknowwhereRCAboundariesare’• 16%responded‘IhavenoideawhereRCAboundariesare’
15.Inthepast2years,haveyoueveraccidentallyfished,usingprohibitedtechniques,inaRockfishConservationArea?
• 72%respondedno• 28%respondedyes
16.Doyoupersonallyknowanyonewhohasintentionallyfished,usingprohibitedtechniques,inarockfishConservationAreainthelast2years?
• 72%respondedno• 28%respondedyes
17.Inthelast2years,haveyoueverintentionallyfished,usingprohibitedtechniques,inaRockfishConservationArea?
• 12%respondedyesDemographicQuestions18.Gender
• 84%-male• 16%-female
19.Age(years)
• 48%aged36-50years• 44%aged51-65years• 8%agedover65years
20.DoyouidentifyasFirstNations/Aboriginal?• 100%didnotidentify
21.Wheredoyoucurrentlylive?
• 36%-MetroVancouver(includingNorthVancouver,SurreyandLangley)• 20%-Victoria(4%of20%fromSooke)• 8%-WashingtonState• 4%-Chilliwack• 16%-GulfIslandresidents(4%Galiano,4%Saltspring,4%Gabriola,4%
SalishSea)• 4%Calgary,Alberta• 4%Basil,Switzerland• 8%NorthVancouverIsland(ComoxValleyandNanaimo)
OpenQuestions22.DoyouthinkthereisaneedforrockfishconservationinBritishColumbia?
• 88%respondedyes• 12%responded‘probably’or‘don’tknow’
23.Whatdoyouthinkarethebestwaystoimproverockfishconservationingeneral?
• 32%responded‘education’• 28%responded‘enforcement’• 12%responded‘fines’• Othersresponded:stricterlimits,moregovernmentfunding,educationat
schools,moreoutreach,andincreasedawarenessregarding‘overfishing’24.WhydoyouthinksomerecreationalfishersfishinRockfishConservationAreas?
• 36%responded‘unaware’or‘don’tknow’• 24%respondedthatthey‘don’tcare’• 24%responded‘ignorance’• 12%respondedthattherewasa‘lackofawareness’• 4%responded‘dumb’
25.WhatdoyouthinkisthebestwaytostoprecreationalfishersfromintentionallyfishinginRockfishConservationAreas?
• 48%responded‘education’and/or‘outreach’• 32%responded‘fines’• 20%responded‘enforcement’• 4%responded‘taketheirboats’• 4%suggested‘don’tgivethemtheirfishinglicensesthenextyear’
31
• 4%suggested‘aDFOnumbershouldbegivenonmapsforboaterstoreportothernon-compliantfishers’
26.WhatdoyouthinkisthebestwaytostoprecreationalfishersfromaccidentallyfishinginRockfishConservationAreas?
• 52%respondededucation,outreach,awareness• 12%respondedthatpeopleatfishinglicensinglocationsshouldremind
fishers• 4%respondedthatthereshouldbewatermarkingbuoystoshowRCA
boundaries• 4%responded‘peerpressure’• 4%respondedthattheydon’tthinkithappensoftenbecausemostfishers
areaware• Othersrespondedmorepatrolling,educationinnauticalmagazines,orthat
theywereunsure27.DoyouthinkRockfishConservationAreasareaneffectiveconservationtool?
• 64%respondedyes(with38%ofthis64%arguingthattheywouldbemoreeffectivewithbetterenforcementandincreasedlimitations)
• 36%responded‘howamIsupposedtoknow?’orthattheywereunsure