Measuring seining strategies and fishing success in the Philippines

Human Organization, Summer 1998 by Russell, Susan D, Alexander, Rani T

Skill, Strategy, and Success

Acheson (1981:290) argues that "in many fishing societies the kinds of skills necessary for success are very much the same." Pre-eminent among the skills of experienced fishers are ways to find the fish being pursued. He identifies four different kinds of "search" skills: 1) navigational accuracy; 2) good knowledge of the ocean, including its depths, currents, reefs, and bottom types in order to avoid damaging or losing fishing gear; 3) a detailed knowledge of the species of fish being pursued; and 4) the ability to know what other fishers are doing (Acheson 1981:291).

Studies of specific fishing strategies and tactics, as opposed to more general reflections of the kinds of skills needed to be a successful skipper, are mostly ethnographic in the maritime anthropological literature. Many of the discussions of fishing strategies have focused on purse seining, which some have argued exhibits the greatest degree of reciprocal interdependence, teamwork and skill within a crew (e.g., Wadel 1972; Norr and Norr 1978; Gatewood 1985).' One of the earliest (and most contentious) points was made by Barth (1966:10), who argued that the chances of finding herring are no doubt greater if a vessel strikes out on its own rather than staying with the bulk of the fleet. However, some skippers lack the confidence to pursue independent search strategies for fear of inviting criticism from their crews, especially if they fail to find fish. Hence, an "unadaptive" pattern wherein most boats congregate together in small areas of the sea tends to be the norm for the fleet (cf. Heath 1976).

Since that time, several researchers have commented on various patterns of intra-fleet movement and the degree of independence skippers exhibit when looking for fish. Orbach's (1977:77-78) study of the Californian seining fleet identified "hunters," or skippers known to rely on their own experience and hunches for finding fish, and "chasers," or those who rely primarily on radio information from other skippers to make their decisions. Chasers also tend to be skippers with small boats who lack gas money or confidence in their own expertise at finding fish. Orbach emphasizes that hunters and chasers are ideal types and that some skippers use both strategies in different mixes, depending on the situation. He also identifies three different stalking patterns used by skippers, each of which varies according to the general kind of fish being pursued (Orbach 1977:90).

Whether an independent fishing strategy will likely result in a greater catch obviously depends on the type of marine species being pursued. Acheson (1981:286) observes that the sharing of information is most commonly found among skippers who pursue mobile, migratory species so as to track them once they are spotted. In these circumstances generally, it is difficult to understand how an independent strategy would translate into greater fishing success. In contrast, skippers who exploit sedentary species such as clams or lobster often maintain secrecy or spread misinformation about their fishing spots in order to maintain preferential access to a desirable location over a long period of time. Here, an independent fish strategy makes obvious sense. White's (1989) study of Alabama shrimp trawlers suggests that information sharing is most common among inshore fleets, which are characterized by multiplex personal ties between boat owners and crew, in contrast to the more restricted or irrelevant relationships between boat personnel that operate in offshore fleets.