FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS 69th GULF AND CARIBBEAN FISHERIES INSTITUTE 7-11 NOVEMBER 2016 GRAND CAYMAN The 69th Annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute will be held in Grand Cayman, (Cayman Islands) from 7–11 November 2016 at The Westin Hotel. The meeting is being hosted by the Cayman Islands, Department of Environment. The 69th GCFI conference will focus on applying fishers’ knowledge and marine science to solve problems by bringing multiple users of ocean resources together to make informed and coordinated decisions about how to sustainably use these resources and fit this knowledge into Marine Protected Area management. The emphasis will be on the practical, interdisciplinary, and ecosystem-based approaches, to managing recreational fisheries and marine protected areas (MPAs). Addressing larval connectivity, fisheries management, conservation, whilst fostering improved marine resource management throughout the Wider Caribbean Region. CONFERENCE THEMATIC SESSION The Cayman Islands Ministry of Environment is sponsoring the thematic session entitled "Fishing for fun, food, and the future: fitting recreational fisheries into MPA management". This session will be held on Monday morning and is based on the interests of the GCFI membership to integrate fishers’ experiences and knowledge in efforts to improve MPA management. This session supports the idea that achieving and maintaining healthy coastal and marine ecosystems requires a fundamental understanding of the relationships between people and their marine environment. In particular, this session will emphasize the linkages between recreational fishing and the enjoyment of thier marine resources, the economic benefits derived from these activities and the long-term sustainability of traditional practices within fishing communities. The objectives of the session are to provide an outline of the current status of recreational fishing in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico MPAs to compare and contrast these areas, and to establish common methodological frameworks that will facilitate the evaluation of this activity. Specific session objectives are to: 1 • • Present and discuss the recreational fishers’ experiences and perspectives within established MPAs in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico focused on conservation and sustainable use of their marine and coastal resources. Exchange knowledge about the different scientific methodologies, procedures, and lessons learned. • Define and compare the biological impact of recreational fishing on marine resources in the MPAs, particularly regarding vulnerable coastal species. • Articulate the fishermen’s perspective on current management practices and marine resource management. • Identify opportunities for inter-agency and international cooperation in the study of recreational fisheries. TECHNICAL SESSIONS The conference program features multi-disciplinary sessions arranged in part by ecosystem type. The subject areas are no different from previous GCFI conferences; each session may have a mix of natural and social science, management, and technology related to the ecosystem or fisheries. Papers and posters are solicited in the following areas (other subjects not listed below will also be considered): Governance, livelihoods, and organizations Reefs and associated ecosystems fisheries • Shallow and deep reef fishes • Snapper and grouper fisheries • Fish spawning aggregations • Lionfish and other invasive species • Queen conch, spiny lobster, and other invertebrates Marine Protected Areas Science and Management Pelagic ecosystem and recreational fisheries Continental shelf ecosystem fisheries • Shrimp and demersal trawl fisheries Habitats, climate change, and coastal management • Essential fish habitats • Integrated coastal management • Climate change adaptation Aquaculture POSTER SESSION The poster session/reception will be on the evening of 8 November 2016. Poster space is limited. See the poster specification guidelines on the GCFI web site. The preferred poster size is 24” x 36” for either orientation. Special call for poster abstracts on “Gender in Fisheries” The Gender in Fisheries Team (GIFT) based at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) at the University of the West Indies is inviting GCFI poster presenters with an interest 2 in gender in fisheries to join them in a special section of the poster session devoted to that topic. We are particularly interested in comparative analyses of women and men, but analyses focused primarily on women will be a priority. Topics of interest include: Value chains, Social networks, organizations, roles in science, equality and equity. Kindly submit your abstracts following GCFI instructions, but indicate Gender as your poster session preference. For further information contact Patrick McConney at patrick.mcconney@gmail.com. SPECIAL SESSIONS Understanding and Strengthening Natural and Social Connections GCFI has provided an annual international forum to bring scientists, managers, and stakeholders together to promote cooperative research and management strategies for the sustainability of marine resources in the Caribbean region. Given the recent agreements for improving cooperation between Cuba and the U.S., this session will emphasis existing and future needs for collaborative work between Cuba and the wider Caribbean region on the sustainability and socioeconomic importance of marine resources. This session will highlight best practices for conducting collaborative research and management related to marine issues shared by multiple countries of the wider Caribbean region. With an emphasis on promoting collaborations, the contributions for the session can consist of a range of scientific topics, such as monitoring spawning aggregations and protecting essential habitats, connectivity of populations across the region, and other ecosystem research important for the conservation and management of resource resources. For example, work over the last 14 years in the Cayman Islands suggests that their well-protected Nassau Grouper populations may not only replenish local populations, but may supply other islands where populations have been depleted by overfishing. Additionally, a year-long study of their spawning aggregation sites documented > 27 species using them for reproductive purposes, galvanizing the fact that their local populations possibly seeds other countries in the region on a monthly basis. Cuba may be in the direct path of this production; the U.S. could benefit indirectly. Concurrently, research on the West Florida Shelf has demonstrated both strong population connectivity between Pulley Ridge and the downstream Florida Keys, but also unexpectedly strong links between the reefs of the Dry Tortugas and those on the Flower Garden Banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. As one example, this suggests that collaborative research to understand the connectivity of populations from the Cuban reefs is needed. The session will allow us to share scientific information and recommendations for promoting collaborative work among the countries of the wider Caribbean region to ensure the sustainability and economic viability of our marine resources for future generations. Contacts: Steve Gittings, NOAA, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: steve.gittings@noaa.gov Brice Semmens, Scripps Institution of Oceanography: semmens@ucsd.edu Bradley Johnson, Cayman Islands Dept. of Environment: Bradley.Johnson@gov.ky 3 Identifying, Understanding, and Reducing Marine Debris in the Gulf and Caribbean Marine debris is a worldwide issue affecting marine fisheries, ecosystems, endangered species, human health, and tourism. The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region includes a mix of small to large and rural to industrialized communities that are all detrimentally affected by marine debris. Yet, there is little regional and even less local recognition of the sources of marine debris, let alone on the impact of marine debris on the environment and cost to communities. The goal of the session is to bring the science of marine debris to the region’s marine resource managers and policy makers. The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) conference is an ideal venue to bring scientist, resource managers, and policy makers together to identify and address marine debris issues. The NOAA Marine Debris Division (MDD) serves as the United States Federal government lead for addressing marine debris issues. The MDD supports regional coordination efforts in the both the Gulf of Mexico (http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/gulf-mexico) and the U.S Caribbean (http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/caribbean) including a number of debris removal and prevention projects. These efforts support GCFI’s role as the Caribbean Regional Node of the United Nations Environment Programme, Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML; http://unep.org/gpa/documents/gpml/DRAFTFrameworkGPML.pdf). The intent of the GPML is to foster international partnerships and support policy dialogues and other activities to promote awareness and enhance capacity building to reduce marine debris. All three entities (NOAA/MDD, GCFI, GPML) maintain similar missions: to reduce levels of land- and ocean-based marine debris as well as to reduce impacts of accumulated marine debris on shorelines and aquatic habitats. This session will benefit participants from government agencies, academia, and NGOs by providing a mechanism for regional information exchange on this globally pervasive problem. The session will also help foster enhanced partnerships between NOAA, GCFI, and GPML. Although there have been a handful of presentations on marine debris spread across several sessions at GCFI conferences in the past, there has never been a dedicated marine debris session. Presentations will be both invited and contributed. Presentations should focus on providing both current research and review articles as well as new results on all aspects of marine debris, including information that will advance solutions to this problem. For information about the marine debris session and publication, please contact Amy V. Uhrin: amy.uhrin@noaa.gov or Thomas R. Matthews: Tom.Matthews@MyFWC.com Understanding and management of the pelagic Sargassum influx in the Caribbean The pelagic sargassum influx that has affected the Caribbean region (and West Africa) in recent years has been a topic of presentations at several past GCFI annual meetings (64th, 65th, 67th) and for the first time was the focus of a special session during the 68th annual meeting, addressing research and experiences from different territories in the Caribbean region (Grenada, Martinique, Guadeloupe, USA). 4 The massive landings of sargassum observed between 2014 and 2015 have been accompanied by increased interest and communication on the subject within the region and by the development of regional cooperation initiatives, including with the support of UNEP-CEP/SPAW RAC and GCFI. This ongoing cooperation has enabled the sharing of experience and knowledge through a range of new collaborative tools, and several collaborations between different institutions have been initiated (research sector, tourism, etc.). Interest in international coordination on this topic has been highlighted in various discussions between organizations of States in the region in 2015 and 2016 (Association of Caribbean States and Organization of Eastern Caribbean States). This session aims to share the latest advances in research on the sargassum ecosystem (ecophysiology, associated fauna), the origin of sargassum arrivals in the Caribbean and West Africa, the situation of the phenomenon in Brazil and remote sensing of the sargassum algae to implement forecasting of future stranding. Recommendations on the management of the massive arrivals to meet the different economic, social and health impacts will also be presented. Contacts: Frédérique Fardin, SPAW-RAC (UNEP-CEP): frederique.fardin.carspaw@guadeloupe-parcnational.fr Jim Franks, GCFI, University of Southern Mississippi: jim.franks@usm.edu WORKSHOPS AT THE 69th GCFI Vemco Acoustic Telemetry Workshop (6 Nov, 1- 5 pm, registration required) New and experienced Vemco Acoustic Telemetry users are invited to an afternoon workshop to discuss the latest in Acoustic Telemetry tools and techniques. The Vemco Telemetry workshop will cover a variety of topics such as: • • • Vemco Telemetry Study Design: Ensuring you get the best possible results Gates vs Residence vs fine scale positioning Choosing transmitter and receiver programming Range testing – do’s and don’ts Range testing – how to analyze your data quickly using Vemco’s new range test analysis software Receiver spacing – what makes an effective gate? Using noise and tilt diagnostics to optimize your study design Using pings and detections to assess system performance What’s new in the world of telemetry tools? We’ll discuss several of the latest developments from Vemco aimed at enabling new science and improving study results VR2Tx – Vemco’s new Transponding receiver. Monitor your system while deployed. VR2AR – combined Vemco receiver and acoustic release. Come learn how we can make deployment and recovery easier, faster and how you can monitor your system while still deployed New HR Receivers and very small tags – fine scale positioning of many tags simultaneously with sub meter accuracy Setting our next direction 5 - We’re looking to the next generation of VUE and data analysis tools, help us set the priorities New receivers, new tags – where next? For those interested in participating in the workshop, please contact Nancy Edwards: nancy.edwards@vemco.com ABSTRACTS Abstracts for the 69th GCFI are due 15 August 2016. Abstracts will be accepted in English, French, and Spanish. ALL ABSTRACTS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY ENGLISH, SPANISH AND FRENCH TITLES. Abstracts are only required in one of the three languages; titles must be in all three languages. Abstracts must not exceed 250 words (275 for Spanish and French). Abstracts must be submitted using the secure online abstract Submission Form found via the User Portal. Acceptance to present within an oral session requires submission of a full and complete manuscript or extended abstract in the proper format (MS Word and jpg or PowerPoint figures) prior to presentation at the meeting. Poster presentations do not require submission of a manuscript although they are enthusiastically accepted. However, students wishing to compete for the student awards and who are presenting an oral OR poster presentation are required to submit a manuscript for publication in the GCFI Proceedings at the meeting. Manuscript preparation guidelines are available online (pdf). The Book of Abstracts will be available online in page-flipping and PDF formats. No printed Book of Abstracts will be distributed at the conference. CINEFISH Are you interested in submitting a short film for this year’s CINEFISH film festival at the GCFI conference? If so, please email the following information to CINEFISH at cinefish@gcfi.org : • • • • • • Title of film Brief description of film (2-3 sentences) Film makers(s) Duration of film (specify) – Note films should be 10-15 minutes or less Film still shot Type of film o Documentary: A non-fictional motion picture to document some aspect of reality. o Animation: A short, hand-drawn, stop motion, character animations or computer animated production. o New media: This includes Music Videos and Public Service Announcements (PSAs). o B-film: These are low budget films Please note that films should be recorded in AVI format. The deadline for submission is 30 September 2016. GLADDING MEMORIAL AWARD: CALL FOR FISHER NOMINATIONS The GCFI Gladding Memorial Award (GMA) committee is requesting nominations of outstanding fishers for the 69th GCFI GMA. This annual award is presented to select fishers (men and women), who demonstrate, as Peter Gladding did, significant commitment to the sustainable use and long-term 6 conservation of marine resources in the Gulf and Caribbean region. The winner will be sponsored to attend the GCFI meeting in the Cayman Islands to receive his or her award, and to participate in the Fishers Forum and main conference. You are invited to submit award nominations to the GMA committee at gma@gcfi.org. All nominations must be received by 30 June 2016. Background information on the GMA, nomination forms with award criteria, and details of the process are available on the GCFI website. THE RON SCHMIED SCHOLARSHIP The Ron Schmied Scholarship, a GCFI initiative supported by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) and private individuals, will be offered to a qualified graduate student in support of their travel to the 69th GCFI in Grand Cayman. The Scholarship is in the amount of US$1,500, and graduate students with an interest in social, economic, biological, ecological, or management perspectives on recreational fisheries are eligible to apply. The deadline for students applying for the award and submitting an abstract and all supporting paperwork is 31 July. Students will be notified of acceptance/rejection of their application by 1 September. Complete instructions and eligibility requirements for the Ron Schmied Scholarship are on the GCFI web page at: http://www.gcfi.org/StudentAwards/RonSchmied/RonSchmiedEng.php. Students may apply for the Scholarship and for consideration for the Student Achievement Award in the same year. Students may also ask to be considered for the Ron Schmied Scholarship and a GCFI Travel Award in the same year, but will only be awarded one of these sources of funding. THE SCRFA TRAVEL AWARD The Science and Conservation of Fish Aggregations Association (SCRFA) will offer a Student Travel Award of US$800 to a student in the Caribbean Region to attend the 69th GCFI, Grand Cayman. Originally formed in 2000 and known as the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations with the mission of promoting responsible stewardship of fish aggregations, in particular, reef fish spawning aggregations, the Society modified its name in 2012 to reflect its focus on science and the inclusion of all aggregating fish species. The SCRFA Student Travel Award is to encourage and help students to work in this important area and showcase their ideas and work at GCFI. Applications should be submitted by 1 August 2016. Applications and further information enquiries are to be sent to Martin Russell (SCRFA Chair/CEO) or, visit: www.SCRFA.org STUDENT AWARDS GCFI is offering two travel awards of US$750 each to eligible students to help offset travel costs to the 69th GCFI in Grand Cayman. The deadline for students applying for these awards is 31 July at which time abstracts and all supporting paperwork must be submitted. Students will be notified of acceptance/rejection of their application by 1 September. Complete instructions and eligibility requirements for the travel awards are on the GCFI web page at: http://www.gcfi.org/StudentAwards/StudentAwardsEng.php. Students may apply for a travel award and for consideration for the Student Achievement Award in the same year. Students who received a Student Achievement Award at the 68th GCFI are not eligible for a travel award to the 69th GCFI. GCFI will offer two Student Achievement Awards which will cover all expenses to the subsequent GCFI conference. Students must meet the abstract deadline to be eligible for the Student Achievement Awards. Students wishing to be considered for these awards must indicate their interest at the time of abstract 7 submittal on the abstract submittal form. Eligibility criteria for the Student Achievement Awards can be found at: (http://www.gcfi.org/StudentAwards/OutstandingAwardEng.html). Note that a manuscript of the talk/poster must be submitted at the meeting to be eligible for this award. Students who applied for the award when submitting their abstract may withdraw from consideration of the award by the first day of the conference. Winners of these awards will be announced on Friday at the end of the conference. Please check the website (www.gcfi.org) for other Student Awards. REGISTRATION Registration can be completed online via the User Portal. Early registration (until 30 September) for the meeting is US$185 ($85 for students); late registration after 30 Sept is US$225 ($100 for students). Registrations at the door are US$250. Check the GCFI website (www.gcfi.org) for registration rates for daily participation. Everyone registering for more than one day is automatically a member of GCFI and will receive a CD copy of the GCFI Proceedings from the meeting when published. Onsite registrations may be made with a credit card, check, money order, or US currency. Other arrangements may be made by contacting registrations@gcfi.org. THE VENUE The meeting venue will be the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort and Spa, an AAA Four Diamond resort, featuring 343 luxuriously appointed guest rooms highlighted with Westin Hotels & Resorts Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Bath amenities. Nestled among tropical palms and casuarina trees that are situated on 700 feet of the most pristine white sand of the famous Seven Mile Beach. The hotel offers excellent cuisine. The restaurants are sophisticated environments that are complemented with unique foods and drinks that will cover all your needs. Located only 20 minutes from the airport. For Hotel reservations please complete the hotel booking form found at: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/events/start.action?id=1604053771&key=250A5290 For information related to travel to the GCFI conference in Grand Cayman, please visit the GCFI Grand Cayman conference website. We have included information related to airfare, the hotel as well as other important travel information. Please be sure to revisit the conference webpage often as information changes regularly. FISHERS FORUM AND FIELD TRIP 8 The Fishers Forum comprises a themed session in the main conference ending in the presentation of the Gladding Memorial Award (Monday, 7th) and a field trip especially for fishers (Tuesday, 8th ). The theme for the 69th GCFI is “Fisheries learning exchanges: engagement and enlightenment through experience”. Fishers and other GCFI participants with experience of fisheries exchanges who are interested in sharing information in the Fishers Forum should contact Will Heyman (heymanwill@yahoo.com) or Mitchell Lay (mitchlay@yahoo.co.uk) by 30 June 2016. Details of the Forum session and field trip will be in the second GCFI announcement FIELD TRIP AND TOURS On the afternoon of Wednesday 9 November choose from among three tours of the City and island attractions that have been specially designed with you in mind. A contribution to each tour will be required from each participant. Please check the GCFI website for updates on tours. VISA APPLICATION For the 69th GCFI Conference, all individuals travelling by sea or air will require a passport or other accepted official form of identification to enter the country. There are a number of countries that require visas to travel to Grand Cayman. Please make contact with the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Immigration Department, for enquiries or to obtain one. For requirements to enter Grand Cayman, please visit: http://www.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/cighome/find/guides/entryrequirements As the meeting approaches, more information about the venue and program will be posted on the conference web page. Remember advanced planning can smooth the visa application process for you. Apply for your visa well in advance of your travel! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN GRAND CAYMAN IN NOVEMBER FOR THE 69th GCFI! 9