19. How to Create a Fisheries Resource Map

Hand line fishermen who have been fishing for many years know the location of natural reefs in the sea area around their home, using the mountain positioning method, and know which schools of fish are attracted to each natural reef in different seasons. These reefs usually have names and their location is often kept secret from other hand line fishermen. If experienced hand line fishermen are cooperative, it would be possible to work with them to visit various reefs to measure their position using GPS and to obtain information on the seasonal fish schools. This information is then plotted on a nautical chart to produce a fisheries resource map. The resource map thus created is a major asset for the creation of marine protected areas and the selection of sites for artificial fish reefs.