SKREI Research Center
SKREI Research Center (SRC) is a three-year project to create an infrastructure that coordinates international, interdisciplinary research and knowledge about topics related to the Arctic cod.
27 February 2025
In its work with research, knowledge and dissemination, SKREI Research Center meets everyone from researchers in large EU projects to aspiring researchers in their early careers. Recently, we were fortunate to be contacted by a committed young woman, Therese Hugstmyr Woie, who is now completing a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and aquaculture science at the Norwegian College of Fishery Science at UiT.
The topic of the bachelor’s thesis is automatic catch registration and other electronic monitoring of fishing vessels, under the collective term Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM). Therese investigates whether REM technology can be designed and introduced in a way that is perceived as reliable and useful for the fishermen themselves. The background for the thesis is that the current requirement for manual catch reporting is a major source of frustration for many fishermen. At the same time, the management expresses an increasing need for data for resource control and precise estimation of fish stocks.
This bachelor’s project is carried out in collaboration with PhD student Maël Manuel Bueno at UiT who is writing her PhD on the ethical aspects of implementing REM. They plan to talk to more fishermen and other stakeholders during the spring, and are happy to receive inquiries if anyone wants to provide input on the pros and cons of the REM technology. Therese believes it is important to involve fishermen at an early stage, otherwise we risk introducing requirements that have an unfortunate effect in practice and that undermine trust between industry and administration.
Therese follows the development of SKREI in Kabelvåg with great interest! She is concerned that more people should participate in the discussions about the future of the fisheries. SKREI will play an important role in facilitating a good public debate on the future management of SKREI, which is the community’s resource. This is also an important motivation for the work on the bachelor’s thesis.
Woie says: “It is great for me that SKREI is established in Kabelvåg, because Kabelvåg has been the birthplace of my commitment to fisheries and ocean management. Here I grew up with fishing trips with my grandparents, and here I have spent a lot of time working for an oil-free Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja when I was the leader of the environmental organization Nature and Youth a few years ago. Now I look forward to SKREI putting fisheries even higher on the agenda in the region, and I especially hope that more young people will be inspired to get involved and careers in the fishing industry and ocean management.”
SKREI Research Center cheers on committed people like Therese, and is happy to assist in the work further, maybe Therese writes a master’s thesis at SKREI….