The cost of lice: Quantifying the impacts of parasitic sea lice on farmed salmon

Diseases are an important challenge in aquaculture. However, most of what is known about the effect of diseases comes from laboratory experiments. Using a farm-level data set containing sea lice infestation counts for all Norwegian salmon farms over an 84-month period, we empirically investigate the biological and economic impacts of observed levels of infective lice. Sea lice, a common ectoparasitic copepod of salmonids, have been shown to reduce fish growth and appetite and cause substantial costs to salmon farmers worldwide. Our results suggest that the percent of total biomass growth lost per production cycle due to average infestations varies from 3.62 to 16.55%, despite control, and depends on farm location. Using a discrete harvesting model, we simulate the economic impact on farm profits over typical cycles. An average infestation over a typical central region spring-release cycle generates damages of US$0.46 per kg of harvested biomass, equivalent to 9$436m in damages to the Norwegian industry in 2011.publishedVersio

Stress, Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Mental Health in Hospice Workers in Minnesota

Background: Working in hospice care is a highly challenging yet rewarding profession. However, the challenges of working with dying patients and their families can overwhelm even the most highly dedicated professional, leading to burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Objective: The aim of this study was to better understand how stress affects the mental health of hospice workers in terms of burnout and compassion fatigue and how they cope with these issues. Methods: Data for this study are from Compassion Fatigue and You, a cross-sectional survey of hospice staff from across Minnesota. We surveyed 547 hospice workers throughout Minnesota to better understand the overall mental health of staff, including levels of stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue, and how they cope with these issues. The study was conducted in 2008 and 2009 through a private, not-for-profit research institute affiliated with a large Midwestern health plan. Results: Hospice staff reported high levels of stress, with a small but significant proportion reporting moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Staff reported managing their stress through physical activity and social support, and they suggested that more opportunities to connect with coworkers and to exercise could help decrease staff burnout. Conclusions: Poor mental health places staff at risk for burnout and likely contributes to staff leaving hospice care; this is a critical issue as the profession attempts to attract new staff to meet the expanding demands for hospice care

Barriers to Improving Primary Care of Depression: Perspectives of Medical Group Leaders

Using clinical trials, researchers have demonstrated effective methods for treating depression in primary care, but improvements based on these trials are not being implemented. This might be because these improvements require more systematic organizational changes than can be made by individual physicians. We interviewed 82 physicians and administrative leaders of 41 medical groups to learn what is preventing those organizational changes. The identified barriers to improving care included external contextual problems (reimbursement, scarce resources, and access to/communication with specialty mental health), individual attitudes (physician and patient resistance), and internal care process barriers (organizational and condition complexity, difficulty standardizing and measuring care). Although many of these barriers are challenging, we can overcome them by setting clear priorities for change and allocating adequate resources. We must improve primary care of depression if we are to reduce its enormous adverse social and economic impacts

Renewable energy in fisheries and aquaculture: Case studies from the United States

Fisheries and aquaculture are highly reliant on fossil fuels and must transition to renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions and meet global planetary heath goals. Here, we assessed total and renewable energy use in farmed catfish and wild-caught salmon, two of the largest seafood sectors in the United States (U.S.). Interviews were used to explore participants’ views of key barriers and opportunities to replace fossil fuel use. Modeled scenarios were used to assess changes in grid source energy and electricity costs for the farmed catfish sector using the U.S. EIA National Energy Modeling System. We found that renewable energy makes up 5% of direct energy use in catfish aquaculture in Mississippi and Alabama. Catfish industry interviewees indicate that cheap electricity costs and diurnal energy use are barriers to onsite implementation of renewables. Projected renewable energy use for the catfish sector could be as high as 41% of total direct energy use in 2050 under modeled scenarios, which would result in 86% lower CO2 emissions but 34% higher electricity costs. For wild-capture pink salmon from Prince William Sound, Alaska (AK) and sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay, AK, renewable energy makes up 2% and 0% of direct energy use, respectively. Wild-caught salmon industry interviewees identified the short duration of the fishing season as a barrier for onsite renewable energy, though there is a desire for more regional renewable energy technologies to lower electricity costs and increase reliability. Proposed renewable energy projects at utilities in fish processing towns in AK would only make modest improvements in the share of direct energy from renewables due to fuel use by fishing vessels. This is the first study to characterize current and potential renewable energy use among parts of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in the U.S. We found that energy needs for fisheries and aquaculture are influenced by their often-remote location, production methods, and seasonal energy demands, which require context-specific solutions. There is the need for federal and state policies and incentives to shift energy sources used in these sectors to meet national and international climate change goals while supporting food security.publishedVersio

Berücksichtigung des Schutzgutes Boden bei Trassenplanungen

Die Energiewende ist eines der zentralen Themen unserer Zeit. Zu ihrer Umsetzung sind zahlreiche neue Stromtrassen erforderlich, die unterirdisch als Erdkabel geplant und errichtet werden. Der Erdkabelvorrang ist im Bundesbedarfsplangesetz (BBPlG) verankert und ist mit erheblichen Auswirkungen auf den Boden verbunden. Im Vergleich zum Bau einer Freileitung, ist der Boden hierbei durch baubedingte Eingriffe mit dem 10- bis 20fachen Volumen betroffen. In Abhängigkeit von den Bodeneigenschaften können durch eine Erdverkabelung umfangreiche Beeinträchtigungen des Bodens und seiner Bodenfunktionen sowie der Bodennutzung verursacht werden. In Niedersachsen sind v.a. die Trassen SüdLink und A-Nord relevant, die das Land jeweils von der Küste bis zur südlichen Ländergrenze durchqueren. Es erfolgt eine intensive Begleitung der Vorhaben durch zwei niedersächsische ressortübergreifende AGs. Der Bodenschutz ist in beiden Ressort-AGs vertreten. Aufgrund der hohen Betroffenheit der Böden, der Bodenfunktionen und der Bodennutzung ist es aus fachlicher Sicht erforderlich, das Schutzgut Boden frühzeitig und umfassend auf allen Planungsebenen sowie in der Bau- und Nachbauphase zu berücksichtigen. Dabei kommt Maßnahmen zur Vermeidung und Minimierung eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Ein nachhaltiger und schonender Umgang mit dem Boden trägt dem im BBodSchG und BNatSchG verankerten Vorsorgegedanken Rechnung und fördert die Akzeptanz bei den Flächennutzern. Gleichzeitig verringert sich der naturschutzfachliche Kompensationsbedarf in Hinblick auf das Schutzgut Boden und Aufwand und Kosten für Rekultivierung und Entschädigung können reduziert werden. Eine fachgerechte Berücksichtigung des Bodens kann somit zu einer Vereinfachung und Beschleunigung des Verfahrens beitragen. Der Beitrag zeigt die Betroffenheit des Bodens und der Bodenfunktionen bei der Erdverkabelung und die Besonderheiten bei Trassenplanungen in Hinblick auf den Boden auf, stellt die relevanten fachlichen Anforderungen des Bodenschutzes vor und erläutert die Aktivitäten zum Bodenschutz in Niedersachsen bei Trassenplanungen und Trassenbau