Tag Archives: Dr. Molly Lutcavage
‘Wicked Tuna’ star meets Kaua‘i fishermen, scientist eager to resume local ahi research
Reality television star Dave Marciano, captain of the fishing vessel Hard Merchandise on the long-running National Geographic series “Wicked Tuna”, has spent the last two weeks on a whirlwind tour of Kaua. The famous fisherman, who visited with his family, was on vacation. However, he was also excited to reignite a long-running initiative between local commercial fishermen and marine biologists – which has all but stopped in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of funding. The local fishermen are more than Marciano’s colleagues: They’re also some of his biggest fans. When not discussing their shared profession, some could not resist taking a selfie or getting an autograph from the avuncular East Coast captain. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:46
Tagging tuna – The Ahi Satellite Tagging Project of the Pacific Island Fisheries Group
A respected research professor, scientist and part-time resident has been on Kauai for several weeks coordinating the latest phase of a tuna tagging project launched on Kauai and the Big Island three years ago. Dr. Molly Lutcavage is a research professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston’s School for the Environment. She is also director of the Large Pelagic Research Center and is renowned for her extensive work with the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing community. The Ahi Satellite Tagging Project of the Pacific Island Fisheries Group is a joint venture that uses state-of-the art technology and partners fisheries organizations, policy makers and local fishermen in the effort to gather much-needed baseline data on ahi and other pelagic fish that live and migrate in waters surrounding the main Hawaiian islands and beyond. Read the rest here 09:15
Comment by John Sibert, University of Hawaii: Environmental Bullies – Conservationists or Agenda-pushers?
Dr. Molly Lutcavage wrote a piece last week on Medium titled, Environmental Bullies, how conservation ideologues attack scientists who don’t agree with them. Though a summary follows, we encourage you all to read the article here. Dr. Lutcavage felt Carl Safina and other ENGOs like Pew Oceans have maligned her and her peers for their research because it would, “get in the way of fund-raising campaigns, messages to the media, book sales, rich donors, and perhaps the most insidious – attempts to influence US fisheries and ocean policies.” I, like many other scientists, practice my profession with the expectation that my work will be used to improve management policies. However, scientists who choose to work on subjects that intersect with management of natural resources sometimes become targets of special interest pressures. Pressure to change or “spin” research results occurs more often than it should. Read the comment here 14:23
Dr. Molly Lutcavage – Environmental Bullies: How Conservation Ideologues Attack Scientists Who Don’t Agree With Them.
In science, there’s always disagreement among experts and well-respected, conscientious non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on tough questions. We are used to that. And we work things out as a team using objective scientific methods and evidence. A good scientist should be ready to make mistakes, to be wrong sometimes, to be called out, or to miss something obvious that someone else runs with and gets credit for. Or to get lucky with research, to be in the right place at the right time – we experience it all. And woman scientists that make it all the way to professional positions most likely have already been hit on or harassed or received unfair treatment, because there are fewer of us. Women scientists know plenty of these stories. We receive training for that too, even though it rarely helps. Read the rest here 11:55
Researchers feed on Bluefin tuna’s 5,000-mile odyssey
A huge bluefin tuna caught off Spain is doing plenty to help fisheries biologists better understand the dynamics of stocks on the east and west coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. Angler Di Ortiz of Hampton caught the tuna and Graves quickly inserted a Tag-a-Tiny tag from Dr. Molly Lutcavage’s Large Pelagics Research Center that is supported by the Billfish Foundation. It was measured at 45 inches long and released unharmed. Charlie weighed approximately 40 pounds at the time. Read the rest here 08:09
