Survey-Based Perspectives on Practitioner Expectations and Electrofishing: Do We Need Some Innovation in Information Transfer?

A manual for electrofishing equipment can be described as a document designed to familiarise the user with the equipment. Teaching the purchaser competence is usually beyond the scope of the manual. Whilst there is no substitute for practice and perseverance in the quest to attain competence, training in basic theory will improve the safety of both operators and fish and speed up the learning process. Practitioners were surveyed for their opinions on training, electrofishing theory, competence in the field, expectations from equipment and field personnel, and on electrofishing as a non-destructive sampling tool in fisheries management. This paper summarises survey responses from practitioners. Responses highlight areas where enhancements can be made to improve training, safety, and competencies. This should also have the added benefit of increasing the odds of achieving user expectations.  Responses also suggest the need for innovative methods that ensure proper transfer of technical information to end-users.