Catch More Crab: An Outreach Campaign Developed by the Target Audience
Presentation Abstract
Washington State’s Salish Sea (WASS) hosts a robust recreational crab fishery with over 200,000 recreational licenses sold each year. Approximately 30% (60,000) of annual license sales are purchased by first time buyers. This level of presumably inexperienced crabbers combined with contributing factors including strong currents, changes in water depth, and vessel traffic has resulted in a large-scale derelict crab pot problem for WASS. In 2011, a Dungeness crab mortality study showed that 12,193 crab pots are lost each year. These derelict crab pots continue to capture and kill crab with no one there to harvest them, resulting in over 175,000 legal size Dungeness crab lost each year. The Northwest Straits Foundation (NWSF) has been addressing the issue of derelict fishing gear in WASS since 2002 through removals, research, outreach and education. Having removed over 6,000 derelict crab pots, the NWSF is now focusing their efforts on prevention through their regional outreach campaign titled “Catch More Crab.” With the help of a regional marketing firm, the NWSF completed a social marketing research process to understand the barriers and motivators to creating behavior change. Interviews were held with targeted user groups to learn about common practices, motivators for change, and appropriate messaging and media platforms which appeal to the target audience. Messaging developed for the campaign focuses on positive reinforcements based on the audience’s goals, a diversion from previous outreach efforts focusing on the negative impacts of derelict fishing gear. Outreach materials produced include instructional videos, print ads, posters, and informational brochures. A dissemination plan which includes distributing materials through social media, fishing docks and marinas, and point of sale venues has reached over 350,000 individuals annually since 2016. Fishing effort and gear loss remain high, though the rate of loss is reducing over time as more individuals are reached each year.
Session Title
Behavior Change Through Engagement and Outreach
Conference Track
SSE6: Human-Nature Systems
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-288
Start Date
28-4-2022 8:30 AM
End Date
28-4-2022 10:00 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Crabs--Effect of human beings on--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Aquaculture--Management--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Catch More Crab: An Outreach Campaign Developed by the Target Audience
Washington State’s Salish Sea (WASS) hosts a robust recreational crab fishery with over 200,000 recreational licenses sold each year. Approximately 30% (60,000) of annual license sales are purchased by first time buyers. This level of presumably inexperienced crabbers combined with contributing factors including strong currents, changes in water depth, and vessel traffic has resulted in a large-scale derelict crab pot problem for WASS. In 2011, a Dungeness crab mortality study showed that 12,193 crab pots are lost each year. These derelict crab pots continue to capture and kill crab with no one there to harvest them, resulting in over 175,000 legal size Dungeness crab lost each year. The Northwest Straits Foundation (NWSF) has been addressing the issue of derelict fishing gear in WASS since 2002 through removals, research, outreach and education. Having removed over 6,000 derelict crab pots, the NWSF is now focusing their efforts on prevention through their regional outreach campaign titled “Catch More Crab.” With the help of a regional marketing firm, the NWSF completed a social marketing research process to understand the barriers and motivators to creating behavior change. Interviews were held with targeted user groups to learn about common practices, motivators for change, and appropriate messaging and media platforms which appeal to the target audience. Messaging developed for the campaign focuses on positive reinforcements based on the audience’s goals, a diversion from previous outreach efforts focusing on the negative impacts of derelict fishing gear. Outreach materials produced include instructional videos, print ads, posters, and informational brochures. A dissemination plan which includes distributing materials through social media, fishing docks and marinas, and point of sale venues has reached over 350,000 individuals annually since 2016. Fishing effort and gear loss remain high, though the rate of loss is reducing over time as more individuals are reached each year.
