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Are there limits to the governability of a fishery? The establishment of a 200 nautical mile economic zone in Norway in 1977 made it possible to change from an open-access regime to a more closed one. In this process, the former self-regulating Norwegian fishing industry, to a large extent, accepted and adapted an explicit, hierarchical form of state-run governance. However, the process of change did not stop there. Since the turn of the millennium, we have seen the creation of a cybernetically organized fishing industry, where control, regulation and governance have become re-embedded in the industry. This article explores this radical new development and perspective on fisheries governance and governability based on lessons learned from technological and organizational changes in the Norwegian fishing industry.

Predicting Stakeholder Support for Fishery Policies Preview Buy now DOI:10.1080/08920753.2011.637484 Arren Mendezona Allegrettia, Jerry J. Vaskea & Stuart Cottrella pages 20-32 Available online: 09 Dec 2011 Alert me Abstract Fisheries management has been used to address declining fisheries and threats to livelihood and food security. Past research suggests that public support for fishery policies is a necessary component for sustaining the long-term success of fisheries management. This study predicted public support by examining fishers' perspectives on co-management and fish catch since the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs), a commonly employed fisheries management tool. Data were obtained from onsite surveys (n = 505) with fishers from three municipalities in Cebu, Philippines: Oslob, Santander, and Samboan. Structural path analyses revealed that beliefs about co-management and fish catch predicted support for fishery policies (R2 = 59%). Separate path analyses for each municipality showed that co-management had greater influence in predicting public support for fishery policies in Oslob and Santander. Fish catch was a better predictor for public support for fishery policies in Samboan. Results can help local governments, non-governmental organizations, and fishery managers to prioritize, plan, and improve fisheries management in municipal waters.

An oft repeated myth is that Los Angeles is located in the desert. Not true I'm afraid. Las Vegas is built in a desert, as are eastern California cities such as Lancaster or Barstow, but Los Angeles was and is no desert in the strict sense of the word. With an average annual precipitation of 15 inches the city receives almost four times as much rainfall as Las Vegas. Los Angeles is semi-arid in terms of climate, but early accounts suggest many areas were even more verdant than the annual precipitation would indicate. The early Spanish and subsequent Mexican and American accounts suggest that it was anything like a desert when the region was first encountered by Europeans. This is because there were appreciable areas of the Los Angeles basin where artesian waters, sourced from the surrounding hills and mountains, fed springs or kept groundwater levels high during the dry summer months. This produced green woodlands, shrublands and grasslands described in early European accounts. Those conditions helped the region support native peoples such as the Gabrielino/Tongva, Chumash and Fernandeño/Tataviam for many millennia prior to European arrival.   The potential for productive farms and pastures was an inducement for European settlement and until the mid 1950's Los Angeles was one of the highest producing agricultural counties in the nation. El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles (modern Los Angeles) was founded by the Spanish inland on the banks of the Rio Porciúncula (modern Los Angeles River) because this site in the middle of the basin provided ample permanent water fed by surrounding hills and mountains. The natural and agricultural landscapes of Los Angeles are now largely paved over or otherwise erased.   Driving through the lush precincts of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Las Feliz or the UCLA campus one might accept the alternative myth that the region is a lush tropical realm of fig trees, palms, citrus trees, birds of paradise plants and b

RSS Text Size Print Share This Va. sites added to refuge plan list Credit: 2006, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge in Poquoson was established to protect wetlands and bird habitats. Related Plum Tree Island Wildlife Refuge Conservation Planning Newsletter: James River Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Planning Newsletter: By: ZACHARY REID | Richmond Times-Dispatch  Published: September 09, 2012 » 0 Comments | Post a Comment The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has added two Virginia refuges to its list of sites due for updated 15-year comprehensive conservation plans. The service is actively seeking public input on the plans, which help determine how the sites are managed and how the public is able to use them. Meghan Carfioli, a Charles City County-based natural resource planner for the service, said public input is essential to the process and she hopes refuge users will take advantage of the opportunity for active engagement with staff members. The service is working on plans for the James River and Plum Tree Island national wildlife refuges.

The Geopolitics Of Natural Resources David L. Feldman Edited by David Lewis Feldman, Professor and Chair, Department of Planning, Policy and Design and Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine, US 2011 672 pp Hardback 978 0 85793 074 3 Hardback £215.00 on-line price £193.50 Qty Series: Elgar Mini Series Description 'An inspired anthology of classic and contemporary reading concerning geopolitics and the the commons, this book provides essential background for students and practitioners of natural resources governance.' - Helen Ingram, University of California, Irvine, US Contents 30 articles, dating from 1950 to 2005 Contributors include: T. Beatley, M. Cole, A. Dinar, P. Haas, T. Homer-Dixon, K. Jacobs, M. McGinnis, R. Mitchell, K. Lee, H. Vaux, Jr. Further information 'An inspired anthology of classic and contemporary reading concerning geopolitics and the the commons, this book provides essential background for students and practitioners of natural resources governance.' - Helen Ingram, University of California, Irvine, US This significant collection examines the diverse ways natural resources are managed and controlled and the controversies that arise regarding their use, allocation, and protection resulting from governance decisions and policies. Professor Feldman has selected seminal works which focus on several key issues, including the role of common property resources in questions of trans-boundary resource management, the diverse ways societies and interest groups accord value to resources and their use, and how resources are catalysts for both international conflict and cooperation. This authoritative volume will be of immense value to students, professionals and practitioners interested in the field of geopolitics and natural resources. Full table of contents Contents: Acknowledgements Introduction David Lewis Feldman PART I GEOPOLITICS AND THE COMMONS 1. Michael V. McGinnis (1995), 'On the Verge of

Using planetary science to shape economics By Oliver Greenfield - Green Economy Coalition - September, 2011 Six big ideas for a green infrastructure capable of protecting people and future generations Economic theory (and common sense) tells us that when something is valuable, and it is free, its use tends to infinity - this explains why trees, biodiversity, freshwater and atmospheric space for carbon are all being used 'like there is no tomorrow'. It also assumes that when something is exhausted (or too expensive), a substitute is almost certain to be found. Economic theory then takes this substitution concept up to a macro level and thinks of the 'trade-off' between environment and economy. The logic is that we can have 'more environment' if we are prepared to put up with 'less economy', or we can have 'less environment' if we want a bigger economy. The traditional economic world view that dominates the political spectrum is based on infinite resources, substitution, and ultimately this trade-off between environment and economy. If the rationale behind our economic system is based on some of these assumptions, then it seems fitting for us to explore whether the planet can indeed support these assumptions. Let us take a quick journey into planetary science. Back to basics Gravitational forces, generated both by the earth orbiting the sun and the moon orbiting the planet, create movement and flow of magma, collision of tectonic plates and surfacing of minerals. These minerals are weathered and distributed across the earth's surface, primarily by water. The constant heating and cooling created by the earth's rotation accelerates the chemical reactions between newly released minerals (soils and rocks) and atmospheric gases. These chemical reactions are the pool from which life emerged, creating single cells capable of using minerals and energy from the sun to photosynthesise; generating proteins for their own growth, and respiring to br