SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ? S.04-17
1. Proposal for a? Graduate Diploma in?
2. "Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management"

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

S.04-17

Senate Committee on University Priorities

Memorandum

TO: Senate

RE:

Proposal for a Graduate Diploma in

"Quantitative Methods in Fisheries

Management"

FROM:

John Waté,

Chair, SCU

Vice Presid

Academic

DATE: January 30, 2004

(revised: February 9, 2004)

At its January 7, 2004 meeting SCUP reviewed the proposal from the Senate

Committee on Graduate Studies for the Graduate Diploma in "Quantitative Methods in

Fisheries Management" and recommended the following motion:

Motion

b'' ?

'- ?)Oc..tG

That Senate approve/the proposal for a Graduate Diploma in Quantitative Methods in

Fisheries Management.

end.

c: J. Driver

W. Parkhouse

B. Lewis

R. Peterman

K. Lertzman

SOUP 04-002

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

MEMORANDUM

TO: ?

SCUP

FROM: ?

Jonathan Driver, Dean of Graduate Studies

SUBJECT: Graduate Diploma: Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management

DATE: ?

90'

December 2003

cc: ?

Dr. W. Parkhouse, Chair, Faculty Graduate Studies Committee, Faculty of

Applied Sciences; Dr. B. Lewis, Dean of Applied Sciences; Dr. R. Peterman, School of

Resource and Environmental Management; Dr. K. Lertzman, Graduate Program Chair,

School of Resource and Environmental Management

At its December

meeting SGSC passed a motion approving the Graduate Diploma in

Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management, and this is now being forwarded for

consideration by SCUP.

SGSC notes that the proposed program fills a need for professional graduate education,

and that the cost to the University is minimal.

DEC 162003 )

Vice

ACADEMICY

President

I ?

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF RESOURCE AND ?

I ?

BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

CANADA V5A 1S6

FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES ?

Telephone: (604) 2914659

http:I/www.rem.sfu.ca

Fax: ?

(604) 291-4968

8 January 2003

Proposal for a?

Graduate Diploma in?

"Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management"

Sponsoring Department

The School of Resource and Environmental Management, in the Faculty of Applied

Sciences. People to contact for further information are: Randall M. Peterman (phone 4683), Bill

de la Mare (3067), or Sean Cox

(5778).

Name of Diploma Program

Graduate Diploma in Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management

Rationale

The purpose of this proposed diploma program is to provide professionals who work in the

field of fisheries science or fisheries management with an opportunity to upgrade or enhance

their quantitative skills. There are two main drivers behind upgrading the skill levels of current

fisheries professionals within governmental and non-governmental organizations. Over the next

to 10 years, many of these professionals will retire, which will require that the remaining staff

take on new tasks and that new talent be hired. We are already seeing evidence of this

demographic trend. In addition, fisheries management and scientific analyses are becoming

increasingly quantitative, and expectations for scientific advice and understanding of methods of

analysis often go beyond the skills of current staff. Because a full commitment toward a graduate

degree is impractical for many full-time working professionals, applying coursework toward a

certified upgrading process is an attractive alternative. Interest in such a training program within

the School of Resource and Environmental Management (REM) and the Department of Statistics

and Actuarial Science (STATS) at SFU has already been expressed by fisheries and

environmental scientists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada offices in Nanaimo, downtown

Vancouver, and Annacis Island, as well as biologists from provincial government fisheries

offices and environmental consulting firms such as Golder Associates and ESSA Technologies.

Benefits

A graduate diploma program in "Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management" would

provide two main lasting benefits to SFU, the School of Resource and Environmental

Management, and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science. First, it would provide a

modest infusion of new students to REM and STATS courses (about 3 to

each year), who will

pay tuition fees without imposing additional supervisory duties on faculty. Second, networking

• ?

and collaboration among members of REM, STATS, and public and private agencies will

increase by having practicing professionals actively participating in REM and STATS courses.

The diploma candidates will be the main beneficiaries of the program because they will learn

state-of-the-art methods in fisheries stock assessment and management. For instance, nearly

every public agency currently demands that fisheries professionals include measures of risk and

uncertainty in their assessments of fishing and other human impacts on aquatic resources.

However, many quantitative methods have been developed over the past decade, leaving

professionals to learn them on their own with varying degrees of success. The proposed

curriculum will provide a solid background of theoretical and practical experience that will

increase each student's productivity and marketability.

Operation of the Diploma Program

Admission Requirements

Decisions on all applications will be made in the School of Resource and Environmental

Management. Applicants are normally required to hold an undergraduate degree in one of the

natural or applied sciences. Applications from students with other degrees or with equivalent

professional training and experience will also be considered. Decisions on admissions will be

based on undergraduate grades (normally, a CGPA of 3.0 is required), a one-page statement of

student interest in the program, and three (3) letters of reference.

Candidates must submit the following documentation to the Graduate Secretary in the School

of Resource and Environmental Management when applying for the program:

• ?

• SFU's standard application for admission to a graduate program, available from SFU's

website: http://www.reg.sfu.calps/admissions.html;

• Official copy of transcript of undergraduate and graduate grades (mailed directly from the

granting institution);

• 3 confidential letters of reference (mailed directly from the referees);

• TOEFL and TWE test scores are required for applicants whose first language is not English.

• Students must meet the normal admission requirements for graduate diploma programs at

Simon Fraser University (Section 1.3.2 of the Graduate General Regulations in the SFU

Calendar).

Required Courses for the Diploma

Most existing fisheries professionals have backgrounds in fields such as biology or ecology,

which typically under-emphasize quantitative methods. The proposed curriculum is intended to

address this chronic problem directly by focusing on quantitative methods in modelling and

statistics. However, most of these methods are presented in the courses below in a context of

applied fisheries management problems, which will ensure that the material remains relevant and

directly applicable to the real world.

Students must complete at least 22 credit hours, composed of the courses listed below, which

will be offered at the Burnaby Mountain campus. The courses will provide a significant upgrade

to the skills of most Bachelor's degree candidates, while also allowing them to specialize in a

specific topic. Each of these courses is offered once per year. We do not anticipate any extra

offerings of the courses in the proposed program due to the limited availability of faculty.

Diploma program students will be graded on the same basis as regular SFU graduate students.

There will be a mandatory non-credit "Orientation Workshop" for all new students in this

diploma program. This one-day workshop will provide diploma-program students with an

overview of how the various courses below will help them meet the challenging issues in

fisheries science and management. The workshop will also provide an opportunity to initiate

dialogue between these diploma students (who will bring significant work experience to class

discussions) and the faculty and fisheries graduate students.

Re q uired Courses (the first four

p referably taken in the foIlowin order

REM 613-5

Current Topics in Fisheries Management

STAT

650-5

Quantitative Analysis in Resource Management and Field Biology

REM 663-5

Advanced Methods for Fisheries Stock Assessment

REM 661-5

Evaluation of Living Resource Management Strategies

Plus

one or more of the following courses in REM or STATS, or others approved by the

Academic Program Coordinator and instructor of the course:

REM 612-5

Simulation Modelling in Natural Resource Management

REM 625-5 Risk

Assessment and Decision Analysis for Management of Natural Resources

STAT 602-3

Generalized Linear and Non-linear Modelling

Brief Description of Each Course

REM 612-5 Simulation Modelling in Natural Resource Management

Methods of constructing simulation models and analysing them through sensitivity analysis.

Application of simulation modelling to research and management of environmental and resource

systems. Topics will include management of wildlife, forests, insect pests, fisheries, pollution

problems, energy resources, and recreational land use. Prerequisite: REM 611 or permission of

the instructor.

REM 613-5 Current Topics in Fisheries Management

Models of fish population dynamics, methods of data analysis, and management in the context of

uncertainty. Case studies of management of various world fisheries. In-depth exploration of

selected current fisheries problems including extensive data analysis. Focus will be primarily on

biological aspects of fisheries management while illustrating how these interface with economic,

social and institutional concerns of managers. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

REM 625-5 Risk Assessment and Decision Analysis for Management of Natural Resources

Use of quantitative methods of risk assessment and decision analysis to explicitly take

uncertainty into account when making decisions in management of natural resources. Methods of

quantifying uncertainty and the resulting risks. Examples from management of forests, wildlife,

fisheries, water resources, energy, and toxic chemicals. Communicating information about

uncertainties and the resulting risks to resource managers, the public, and scientists. Advantages

and limitations of various quantitative methods. Includes computer laboratories. Prerequisite:

REM 612 and 621, or permission of instructor.

REM 661-5 Special Topics course: Evaluation of Living Resource Management Strategies

Use control-system ideas to describe the management of living resources, including open-loop

(set-point) control, closed-loop (feedback) control, and passive and active adaptive management

. ?

approaches. Examine the process to design management systems for living resources, including

interpreting policy as operational objectives, iterative analyses and stakeholder consultation,

assessment methods, decision rules, evaluation of management options usirij closed-loop

simulations, performance measures, trade-offs between multiple objectives, and methods for the

presentation of results. The course includes a laboratory project to evaluate a management

approach for a selected resource using control system computer simulation. Prerequisite: REM

613 or permission of instructor.

REM 663-5 Special Topics course: Advanced Methods for Fisheries Stock Assessment

Methods for conducting fisheries stock assessment by developing dynamic models of harvested

populations, models for fisheries observations, and statistical fitting criteria for quantifying

uncertainty. Course focuses on extensive simulation/estimation approaches to testing the limits

of assessment algorithms and procedures. Combined lecture/computer labs. Prerequisite: REM

613 or permission of instructor.

STAT 602-3 Generalized Linear and Non-linear Modelling

A methods-oriented unified approach to a broad array of nonlinear regression modelling methods

including classical regression, logistic regression, probit analysis, dilution assay, frequency count

analysis, ordinal type responses, and survival data. A project will be assigned related to the

student's field of study. Prerequisite: STAT 302 or 330 or permission of instructor.

STAT 650-5 Quantitative Analysis in Resource Management and Field Biology

The use of statistical techniques and mathematical models in resource management with special

emphasis on experimentation, survey techniques, and statistical model construction. (5-0-0)

Prerequisite: A course in parametric and non-parametric statistics.

Implications for existing courses

No course or credential will be discontinued as a result of this new diploma program in

"Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management".

Budget and Resource Implications

There will be minimal additional costs to offering this diploma program. First, there will only

be a small number of students who will be admitted to this program (approximately 3 to

each

year). Second, because they will likely be full-time working professionals, they will only take

one course per semester (which will only be offered during regular daytime slots). Third, there

will be room in each of the pre-existing courses listed below and in the computing facilities for

this number of additional students. If there is any constraint on space in courses due to heavy

enrollment by MRM and Ph.D. students (which we do not anticipate), the numbers of students

admitted to the diploma program will be temporarily reduced. Fourth, reviewing the additional

number of applications each year and advising the few who are admitted will not add

significantly to the current workload of those who will be involved (the Graduate Secretary in

REM and the Academic Program Coordinator). Fifth, no additional library resources will be

required; existing holdings related to fisheries science and management will meet the needs of

these additional students.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for students in this Graduate Diploma Program will be set on the same per-

credit-hour basis as other graduate non-degree students.

? - -

Faculty involved in this program are listed in Appendix 1, and the exact text for the entry in

the SFU Calendar is provided in Appendix 2.

• ?

Appendix!

Faculty for

? - -

Graduate Diploma in Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management

Dr. Randall M. Peterman, Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management

Randall M. Peterman specializes in quantitative methods to improve fisheries management.

His research focuses on: (1) key processes that affect fish population dynamics, (2) effects of

uncertainties on conservation risks and management decisions, and (3) approaches to reducing

uncertainties. His research team uses large data sets, simulation modelling, classical and

Bayesian statistics, and decision analysis methods.

In 1990, Dr. Peterman won Simon Fraser University's Excellence in Teaching Award and a

University Research Professorship. In 2001 he was appointed as a Canada Research Chair in

Fisheries Risk Assessment and Management. He has co-chaired a panel for the Canadian Global

Change Program of the Royal Society of Canada.

Dr. William de la Mare, Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management

William de la Mare has been very influential in international and national conservation and

management bodies, both in science and policy development. He has specialized in the

development of management methods for marine living resources, including extensive

experience in the development of statistical methods for the scientific assessment of marine

mammals, fish and seabirds. Dr. de la Mare was an early developer of the precautionary

• ?

approach to the management of capture fisheries. Before joining REM he was Principal Research

Scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division.

Dr. de la Mare was a consultant on two expert groups convened by the Food and

Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, one on high seas Driftnet Fishing and the other

on the Precautionary Approach to the Management of Capture Fisheries. He was a consultant on

the classification of endangered species for the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and

Chairman for the Working Group on Fish Stock Assessment of the Commission for the

Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

Dr. Sean P. Cox, Assistant Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management

Sean Cox is fisheries scientist focusing mainly on the conservation and management of

aquatic ecosystems. His research applies fisheries stock assessment methods, ecosystem

modeling, and statistical decision theory to address complex issues involved in the management

of B.C. commercial and recreational fisheries, native fish community restoration in the Great

Lakes, and multi-species harvest policies in the Central Pacific ocean. His work emphasizes

ecosystem-based management by taking into account the dynamics of physical, biological, and

human components of aquatic systems.

Dr. Cox works closely with federal, state, and provincial fisheries management agencies

and he has served as a consultant providing training and support for aquatic resource

management programs in B.C., the U.S. Great Lakes, and Colorado River.

Dr. Carl J. Schwarz, Professor, Statistics and Actuarial Science

Carl Schwarz's research program is in two areas: capture-recapture experiments and

statistical consulting in environmental impact studies. It is motivated by real problems

encountered by ecologists and health researchers.

Current research projects include: estimating of animal abundance, survival, movement and

related parameters using mark-recapture methods; multi-list methods used fdestimate the size of

populations where incomplete lists are kept of members; and designing and analyzing

environmental impact studies.

Appendix

Entry for SFU Calendar

Graduate Diploma in Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management

School of Resource and Environmental Management

Simon Fraser University

8888 University Drive,

Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6

Academic Program Coordinators

R.M. Peterman ?

B.Sc. (UC-Davis); Ph.D. (UBC)

W. de La Mare ?

B.Sc.(CIT, Melbourne, Australia); Ph.D. (U. York, UK)

S.P. Cox

B.Sc.(Mass.-Lowell); M.Sc., Ph.D. (UBC)

This is an interdisciplinary program that provides an opportunity to study the latest quantitative

methods in fisheries management. The program is aimed at those with a background in fisheries

science and management, as well as those who would simply like to learn more about this field.

The graduate diploma in Quantitative Methods in Fisheries Management (GDFM) provides a

strong foundation in the quantitative tools that are necessary for doing fish stock assessment and

providing scientific advice in support of fisheries management decisions. This diploma program

will provide working professionals in the field with an opportunity to upgrade their skills in the

• increasingly important areas of statistics, simulation modelling, and analyses of uncertainties and

risks. The diploma emphasizes both the theory and the application of these methods to real-world

situations.

Application and Admission

Applicants are normally required to hold an undergraduate degree in one of the natural or applied

sciences (a minimum CGPA of 3.0 or B). Applications from students with other degrees or with

equivalent professional training and experience will also be considered.

Applicants must submit the following documentation to the Graduate Secretary in the School of

Resource and Environmental Management:

• SFU's standard application for admission to a graduate program, available from the Dean of

Graduate Studies web page, http://www.sfu.calgradst/index.html;

• Official copy of transcript of undergraduate and graduate grades (mailed directly from the

granting institution);

• 3 confidential letters of reference (mailed directly from the referees);

• A one-page statement of student interest;

• TOEFL and TWE test scores may be required for applicants whose first language is not

English.

Diploma Requirements

There will be a mandatory non-credit "Orientation Workshop" for all new students in this

S ?

diploma program. This one-day workshop will provide diploma-program students with an

overview of how the various courses below will help them meet the challenging issues in

fisheries science and management. The workshop will also provide an opportunity to initiate

dialogue between these diploma students (who will bring significant work experience to class

Required

discussions)

Courses

and the

(the

faculty

first

and

four

fisheries

preferably

graduate

taken

students.

in the following

order)

-9

Students must complete a minimum of 22 credit hours, composed of the following courses:

REM 613-5

Current Topics in Fisheries Management

STAT 650-5

Quantitative Analysis in Resource Management and Field Biology

REM 661-5

Evaluation of Living Resource Management Strategies

REM 663-5

Advanced Methods for Fisheries Stock Assessment

Plus one or more of the following courses in REM or STATS, or others approved by the

academic program coordinator and instructor of the course:

REM 612-5

Simulation Modelling in Natural Resource Management

REM 625-5

Risk Assessment and Decision Analysis for Management of Natural Resources

STAT 602-3

Generalized Linear and Non-linear Modelling

Graduate Diploma Courses