Discarding in beam trawl fisheries: optimisation of discard sampling, evaluation of reducing technical measures and sensibilisation of the sector

Beam trawling for flatfish is the dominant activity in the Belgian fisheries fleet. This activity is characterised by a considerable environmental impact and a high discard rate of bottom-dwelling fish and benthic invertebrates. international pressure on beam trawl fisheries leading to future European measures to reduce or potentially even ban Research on discard practices is currently conducted in the framework of the National Data Gathering Program, but is mainly focussed on commercial fishes. Data on noncommercial species are mostly lacking. Such data are indispensable to assess the impact of beam trawling on the marine ecosystem, and to develop and maintain an towards non-commercial species requires substantial adaptations of the existing sampling protocols and analysis methods.Future implementation of discard reducing measures or even a discard ban will have a severe impact on the fisheries sector. Therefore, such measures should be anticipated by the sector by the development of more selective fishing gear or alternative fishing techniques. Either way, research on discards should be conducted in close cooperation with Belgian fleet members and the results should be communicated to all interested parties.TOETS is an interdisciplinary project which aims to meet the needs in discard research by: (1) developing a suitable sampling protocol to monitor discards of commercial and non-commercial species; (2) assessing the bycatch reducing effect of beam trawls rigged with different types of technical adaptations; (3) informing the sector concerning bycatch reducing measures and cooperating with the sector during the development of reducing technical adaptations; (4) investigating the discard practices in different fishing grounds (Southern Bight and central North Sea, English Channel, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, Bay of Biscay) concerning driving forces and discard raising procedures

Discarding in beam trawl fisheries: quantification and reduction (preliminary results)

Since 2002, the European Union’s Data Collection Regulation requires EU member states to collect discard data on commercial fishing vessels. In response, discard sampling in the Belgian beam trawl fishery is carried out by sea-going observers since 2003, but is mainly focused on commercially valuable fishes. From 2007, the research project TOETS prepares the extension of the data collection programme towards commercially unimportant fish species and non-fish organisms.Four sampling trips were undertaken on Belgian beam trawlers in the TOETS framework so far (October 2007-January 2008). Both volume and composition of the discards were studied for different parts of the North Sea and the English Channel. In two trips, fishing gear type (among the various factors influencing the amount of discarded organisms in a catch) was manipulated on one side of the fishing vessel to evaluate potential reductions in discard yields through technical adaptations. The adaptations involved the use of square mesh codends and the incorporation of a benthos release panel.The variability in volume and composition of discards (primarily changing with fishing vessel, geographic region and period of the year), and in commercial yield-to-discard ratios is illustrated. Furthermore, we compared catches of standard and adapted beam trawl nets to evaluate the alternatives’ potentials to reduce fish and non-fish discardswhile commercial fish yield is retained (preliminary results)

Zimbabwe’s land reform: challenging the myths

Most commentary on Zimbabwe’s land reform insists that agricultural production has almost totally collapsed, that food insecurity is rife, that rural economies are in precipitous decline, that political ‘cronies’ have taken over the land and that farm labour has all been displaced. This paper however argues that the story is not simply one of collapse and catastrophe; it is much more nuanced and complex, with successes as well as failures. The paper provides a summary of some of the key findings from a ten-year study in Masvingo province and the book Zimbabwe’s Land Reform: Myths and Realities. The paper documents the nature of the radical transformation of agrarian structure that has occurred both nationally and within the province, and the implications for agricultural production and livelihoods. A discussion of who got the land shows the diversity of new settlers, many of whom have invested substantially in their new farms. An emergent group ‘middle farmers’ is identified who are producing, investing and accumulating. This has important implications – both economically and politically – for the future, as the final section on policy challenges discusses.ESR

Legged Robots

International audienc

The new enclosures: critical perspectives on corporate land deals

The contributions to this collection use the tools of agrarian political economy to explore the rapid growth and complex dynamics of large-scale land deals in recent years, with a special focus on the implications of big land deals for property and labour regimes, labour processes and structures of accumulation. The first part of this introductory essay examines the implications of this agrarian political economy perspective. First we explore the continuities and contrasts between historical and contemporary land grabs, before examining the core underlying debate around large- versus small-scale farming futures. Next, we unpack the diverse contexts and causes of land grabbing today, highlighting six overlapping mechanisms. The following section turns to assessing the crisis narratives that frame the justifications for land deals, and the flaws in the argument around there being excess, empty or idle land available. Next the paper turns to an examination of the impacts of land deals, and the processes of inclusion and exclusion at play, before looking at patterns of resistance and constructions of alternatives. The final section introduces the papers in the collection.ESR

Physiological responses during ascent to high altitude and the incidence of acute mountain sickness.

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) occurs when there is failure of acclimatisation to high altitude. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between physiological variables and the incidence of AMS during ascent to 5300 m. A total of 332 lowland-dwelling volunteers followed an identical ascent profile on staggered treks. Self-reported symptoms of AMS were recorded daily using the Lake Louise score (mild 3-4; moderate-severe ≥5), alongside measurements of physiological variables (heart rate, respiratory rate (RR), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) and blood pressure) before and after a standardised Xtreme Everest Step-Test (XEST). The overall occurrence of AMS among participants was 73.5% (23.2% mild, 50.3% moderate-severe). There was no difference in gender, age, previous AMS, weight or body mass index between participants who developed AMS and those who did not. Participants who had not previously ascended >5000 m were more likely to get moderate-to-severe AMS. Participants who suffered moderate-to-severe AMS had a lower resting SpO2 at 3500 m (88.5 vs. 89.6%, p = 0.02), while participants who suffered mild or moderate-to-severe AMS had a lower end-exercise SpO2 at 3500 m (82.2 vs. 83.8%, p = 0.027; 81.5 vs. 83.8%, p 5000 m (OR 2.740, p-value 0.003) predicted the development of moderate-to-severe AMS. The Xtreme Everest Step-Test offers a simple, reproducible field test to help predict AMS, albeit with relatively limited predictive precision