Showing posts with label Gap2Symposio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gap2Symposio. Show all posts

Tuesday 10 January 2017

It's not just fishermen who get bullied by NHOs and those not qualified.

Bashing experts is not new. But, in this era of post-truth politics more and more of us are becoming increasingly unaware of the 'truth', largely as a result of personalised news feeds via social media, or simply denied access in seeking the truth behind any story as every mainstream source of news becomes increasingly exposed for bias of some sort.

This is not helped by our mainstream media largely controlled by a handful of men keen to see the global companies and regimes who provide the advertising revenues and other income needed to run their operations - even the BBC, for many the gold standard of unbiased newscasting is increasingly being exposed for supporting western, especially US viewpoints or closer to home, suporting the right. NGOs, especially the Greenpeace will nuance any story or situation to help rattle the collecting buckets in order to raise funds for 'good causes'. As a result, some journalists and editors see fit to increase or maintain their readership (more readers = better NRS figures = attracting more advertisers = more revenue) through using sensational headlines where the sensation matters more than the truth

Even the Sunday Times (sistership to the 'Thunderer', as the Times was often referred to) once independent but now owned by Newscorps - Murdoch's global media empire generally sway their allegiance to the governing elite of the day. In 2012 the fishing industry felt the full force of thier biased media attention when the Sunday Times' front page ran with the headline, "Only 100 cod left in the North Sea".  This was particularly galling for many of the North Sea fleet who had long since realised that they could control stock levels by fishing responsibly and the signs were there even than that cod stocks, far from consisting of 100 geriatric examples were in fact growing year-on-year.

More recently, Greenpeace used the plight of small (Under 10m) fishing boats - who between them catch just about every species of fish available in the North Atlantic - and matched it against the might of the largely British flagged but Dutch owned freezer trawler fleet who only catch mackerel, scad and herring in huge quantities - by using the tonnage as the statistic of comparison for very low value fish, little of which goes for human consumption - eg the Cornelis Vrolijk catches 23% of the UK fish quota - in reality, there is little connection between the two fisheries so to compare them is meaningless - other than to sensationalise the story with inappropriate statistics when the situation came about after fish quotas were awarded monetary value in the UK by dint of the licensing system based on individual track records for fish caught - and, of course, through owners who sold their licences to fish out of the UK.

In recent years fishermen and scientists have begun to enjoy the positive results of a better communicated world thanks to the internet - it is easier for scientists to talk directly with individual fishermen using social media - and it is easier for fishermen to join in the debate at every stage of development through open forums - some organisations are at last making use of largely free technologies to livestream meetings and conferences to widen participation and inclusivity.  As a result, more fishermen and more members of the public are becoming more aware of how organisations like PEW and the Oak Foundation fund and influence directly or indirectly the activities of NGOs (like Greenpeace, WWF) to meet their own ends.

While science is not everything it would like to be it is there to give confidence by supplying evidence based on data gathered in a scientific way and letting the numbers do the talking. Fishermen supply their own catch data from vessels over 10m - live, via satellite for every vessel over 15m and this is potentially a far more powerful source of data to lobby compared with that gathered by a handful research vessels constrained by budget and opportunity.




So it is important, as this article from the USA elaborates, to be mindful of the interests and lobbying power of those environmental organisations that are all too ready to use rather than the industry when it serves them. As the writer Dr Sally Lutcavage says;
"How do you react to false, deceitful accusations from non-experts, from unethical individuals, from persons or NGO’s with books to sell, or a point of view to peddle to an unsuspecting public or community, or politicians. Points of view, that when challenged by facts and data, 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."
This is typical of the sort of abuse shown by non-experts:




The more open the debate, the more accurate the data and the more the industry will develop its scientific credibility with all sectors - aside form a handful of over-zealous activists of the kind you can find in any sphere of human activity.

Thursday 12 March 2015

Policy makers need to tap into fishers’ expertise, says Mike Park

Great article in the Scotsman appeared on the back of the Gap2 conference held in Barcelona recently - let's hear it for the fishermen!


"Grown-up policy-making requires significant input from those closest to the issue at hand. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it?. But you would be surprised at how often key stakeholders, to use the bureaucrats’ beloved terminology, are kept out of the loop, especially by the European Commission. When it comes to my own industry, the politicians, officials and green lobbyists who have largely dictated fisheries policy over the past decade still view us (I’m borrowing this metaphor from our farming friends) as the fox in the hen house, that is, untrustworthy. This is despite the fact that these individuals are so far removed – both physically and mentally – from the lives of those who go to sea that they have little or no knowledge of fishing. (Had they made an effort to understand the sector better, they would be aware of the huge, practically very effective steps taken by fishermen to improve sustainability, from changes in types of gear to more efficient boat engines.) 
So you can imagine how heartened I was to hear everyone participating in a recent seminar in Barcelona, including the policy makers, saying that sustainable fisheries can only be achieved with the involvement of fishers in science and management. The meeting was hosted by GAP2, a European Commission-funded body that brings together fishers, scientists, policy makers and environmental NGOs to work together towards that goal of sustainable fisheries. The rhetoric now needs to be backed up with action. 
One of the most significant shifts in attitude seems to have taken place within Ices, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, whose scientific effort is used as the basis for calculating how much European fishermen can catch on an annual basis. Ices scientists understand that every fishing vessel is also a research platform. They appear to feel less threatened by allowing fishers to observe and comment on approaches and output. This is quite right, as recent academic research has demonstrated that fishermen are just as good, if not better, than scientists at measuring certain stocks. And the #GAP2 project has shown us that as well as providing critical information, fishers are able to assist in creating sensible policy that is respected and understood.
The locked door approach, adopted in the past by both the European Commission and ICES, which, frankly, led to the collapse of many stocks and precipitated what can only be described as anarchic behaviour in many of Europe’s fleets, is outmoded. An entirely new approach is required, and soon. 

Many observers view recent changes, such as co-decision making between the European Parliament and the European Council on regulatory matters and the move toward regionalisation, as significant steps in the right direction. However, there is clearly a chasm between gifting a share of decision making to 751 elected individuals who have little or no knowledge of fishing and delivering sensible policy. Previously, this gap was filled by the green lobby which, while in reality just as ignorant about fishing, was able to sound credible. In a mature policy environment that is just not acceptable. The GAP2 model must be rolled out across fisheries regulation. The dream of fishers to be embedded in policy making should have been realised to some degree with the introduction of regionalisation through reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, where policy making was to be detached downstream to member states in defined sea basins such as the North Sea.

This has hit the buffers because it would seem that by handing power to member states, the Commission has created monsters which appear incapable of taking advice from anyone, including the very advisory councils which were set up through previous reform to give the fishing sector a voice.You couldn’t make it up. GAP2 provides a glimmer of hope. The industry’s biggest challenge will be to grab the moment, capture the current enthusiasm of fishers to be involved and use that to deliver long lasting and meaningful change."

Source: Full story courtesy of the Scotsman.

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Gap2 LIVE fishing conference from Barcelona



Interested in participatory research and sustainability in fisheries, yet couldn’t attend the GAP2 International Symposium? Have no fear! GAP2 will be live streaming portions of the Symposium via Bambuser. View GAP2′s Bambuser channel here. To set up an account and follow GAP2, please click here.

If you are interested in following our panel sessions and workshops live, please click on the video below. 

Have a look at our English and Spanish agendas to see what time the sessions you are interested in are being streamed.

Livecasts start today at 8am, then again tomorrow and Thursday.

Remember – you will be able to use this app to submit questions during panel sessions, which we aim to share with the audience in Barcelona.



Watch live and ask questions of the speakers.

Viewers can post questions to the conference floor via the chat facility.


You can chat live and post direct to Twitter, Facebook or Google+.


If you can't see the chat box try Chrome not IE.


Or use Twitter to ask a question using the hashtags below.



Follow the GAP2 International Symposium 24 - 26 Feb here and on Twitter: @GAP2_Project / #GAPIS / #GAP2simposio


There will be a Google hangout at times during the day - stay posted for details.