citizen scientists
Crustacean n o i s s e Obs A
Chisasibi crab experiment inspires citizen scientist initiative by Patrick Quinn Photos by Roger Orr
14 the Nation
recent discovery by two Chisasibi fishers has inspired the Eeyou Marine Region Wildlife Board to launch a “Citizen Scientist” initiative. The EMRWB is now calling on Crees to share their knowledge of the animal species of James Bay. “Once we saw how much interest Roger Orr and Bertie Wapachee’s crab experiment was getting, we felt that it was an excellent opportunity to let people know that this is exactly the kind of information we need to collect,” explained EMRWB Wildlife Management Director Angela Coxon. What began as a simple trip on the bay with a crab trap brought by Wapachee has turned into an increasing obsession for the pair, aided by information from social media contacts following their quest. They tried various combinations of trap designs, bait offerings and locations over several weeks before hitting the jackpot with nearly 30 crabs in mid-August.
