Dansk Fisker-Forsker Netværk. Fase 1: Slutrapport

The Danish Fisher-Researcher-Network is organized by the trade organizations: The Danish Fisheries Association Producer Organization and the Danish Pelagic Producers Organization as well as the research institute, DTU Aqua. The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Fisheries Agency finance the project.

The purpose of the project is to support networking activities that bring the executive Danish fisheries industry and operational fisheries research closer together through fisher-researcher alliances. The idea is to target research against the practical challenges in the fishing industry and to streamline the development of business and ease of generation through the synergy arising from dialogue, common problem formulation and resolution.

The project will also streamline and professionalize the work of the various Thematic and Regional Advisory Councils with Danish interests in collaboration between the fishing industry and DTU Aqua experts before and during the meetings. The fishing industry is faced with ever-increasing challenges in terms of regulatory requirements in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy and its national implementation, consumer requirements for fishing activities and environmental impact, as well as an ecosystem in dynamic transformation that offers changing fishing opportunities.

In order to continue the development of profitable and sustainable fisheries, it is necessary to exchange experiences about fisheries and management, identify problems, elaborate ideas for solutions and formulate projects for testing ideas. Since solutions require knowledge from many areas, networking between fisheries, research and management is necessary.

In order to ensure the change of generations in modern Danish fishing, the project will also work in the field of teaching apprenticeships and knowledge sharing between businesses as well as course and internship in fishery for students in Aquatic Science and Technology (AST). The project has been the first phase of so far two network initiatives involving workshops, working groups, experience exchange, idea gathering, knowledge sharing, courses, web dissemination and advisory council work in collaboration between fishermen and apprentices, industry associations, as well as researchers and students.

The network has established a platform for knowledge sharing www.fisker-forsker.dk. The network's events and results have been regularly communicated to the fishermen through a wide range of articles, reports, interviews and videos on this and other media. The primary contact for dialogue and knowledge sharing between fishermen and researchers has been through more than 20 targeted workshops and dialogue meetings at DTU as well as in local fisheries organizations.

In addition, 3 completed teaching initiatives for students at the Fisheries School as well as courses for AST masters students with project practice on fishing boats during the studies contributed to the transfer of knowledge at generational change. It has been the goal to form fisherman-researcher alliances on concrete collaborative projects for the development of Danish fisheries.

Through screening of more than 30 ideas from the fishing industry, 9 concrete collaborative projects have been established with proposals for support by the EMFF. The projects have ranged from development self-management in brown shrimp fisheries over analyzes of cod shedding for cod for exploitation of fish-gathered data in mackerel and poached fish The primary contact for dialogue and knowledge sharing between fishermen and researchers has been through more than 20 targeted workshops and dialogue meetings at DTU as well as in local fisheries organizations.

In addition, 3 completed courses for students at the Fisheries School in Thyborøn as well as courses for Aquatic Technology and Science students at DTU with project practice on fishing boats during the studies contributed to the transfer of knowledge at generational change. Finally, the network has supported work in the Thematic and Regional Advisory Boards.