Fish and fisheries in Saint John harbour – a city in transition
Dr. David Methven, Department of Biology, UNB Saint John
This student-based research has two primary objectives:
- to determine the spatial and temporal variability of the fish assemblage in Saint John harbour, a highly industrialized estuary that runs through the city, and
- to interview fishers from the immediate area who make their living by fishing in the harbour and determine how (or if) a heavily industrialized city affects their livelihood and to what extent current patterns of development are likely to affect fishers in the foreseeable future
This study will tell us how the Saint John harbour fish assemblage changes over time (13 months) with increasing distance from the City, whether the assemblage is dominated by few species, a characteristic feature of highly stressed habitats, or whether a highly diverse assemblage with rare species occurs in the harbour.
We will also learn what the fishery is based on, the duration and location of the fishery, the fishing gear used and most important how fishers are affected by fishing in a harbour-estuary that is strongly influenced by anthropogenic stressors. Direct contact with fishers during the interview process will determine if the fishery is increasing or decreasing in importance as the population size of the City changes during the transition from a manufacturing to service based economy.