Traditional Fisheries Knowledge for Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (1994-1997)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada compiled an atlas of traditional knowledge on nearshore fisheries and fish habitat for the eastern shore of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the Gulf Shore of Nova Scotia. The resource includes data for 14 commercially important fish species such as lobster, cod, and herring, plus an additional 27 species. Information was gathered through interviews with local fishers and industry representatives between 1994 and 1997.

Use Cases

• Map the distribution of lobster, cod, and herring habitats using the geospatial data for coastal management planning.
• Analyze traditional fishing activity patterns for 14 commercially important species to inform resource management plans.
• Integrate data on 27 additional fish species with the original atlas information for broader ecological studies.
• Use the verified interview data on fish habitat locations to support integrated coastal zone management.

Strengths

• Data covers 14 commercially important fish species, including lobster, cod, and herring.
• Information was verified through a process involving scientists, fishers, industry representatives, and government officials.
• Geographic scope includes the eastern shore of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the Gulf Shore of Nova Scotia.
• Data collection spanned a defined 4-year period from 1994 to 1997.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, representing knowledge and conditions from the mid-1990s.
• The specific data structure, column names, and row counts are not provided, complicating direct analysis.
• Geographic focus is limited to the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, which may not be generalizable.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Interviews conducted by data collectors and fishery officers with local fishers and industry representatives.

Time Range

1994-1997

Freshness

null

Geography

Eastern shore of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the Gulf Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.