Urban recreational fisheries in the Australian coastal zone:The sustainability challenge

Recreational fishing is an important wildlife harvesting activity in urban coastal areas, and recreational harvest in these areas can frequently exceed the commercial harvest. Recreational fishing is a key way that many members of the public experience the environment. The activity enhances social capital, promotes respect for nature, provides health benefits and can provide economic benefits to coastal communities. It is also an important driver of the science on aquatic animals and habitats, and an important tangible reason for many members of the public to conserve and protect aquatic resources. Overall, there has been little specific consideration of urban recreational fisheries management in Australia, despite the paramount importance of urban areas as a focus of recreational fishing activity. This paper identifies that in order to maximize individual and societal benefits from recreational fishing, there needs to be a refocussing of management with the aim of being more holistic. Historically, fisheries management in Australia has focused on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) or maximum economic yield (MEY) which is relevant for the commercial fishing sector, but neither of these is directly relevant to recreational fisheries. This paper identifies that Urban Fisheries Management Plans are required that recognize the specific issues associated with urban recreational fisheries. These plans need to coordinate within and between levels of government and have clear management objectives relevant to urban recreational fisheries. Enhanced opportunities for meaningful citizen science can be incorporated at multiple levels within these plans and this can engender public support for environmental stewardship, as well as fill a very important gap in the knowledge base necessary for managing the activity. As urban recreational fisheries are often occurring in highly modified or degraded habitats, a central element of these plans needs to be habitat restoration and this can have broader benefits for aquatic health. Other management tools include habitat creation (e.g., artificial reefs), optimization of coastal infrastructure as fisheries habitat, and stock enhancement. Overall, Urban Fisheries Management Plans represent a necessary evolution of fisheries management to better address the specific challenges of urban recreational fisheries management, and to best ensure that benefits are optimised

Professional identity

This chapter discusses the concept of professional identity and how professional teachers develop their identity. Policy contexts as well as research contexts are discussed in terms of how these shape professional working conditions

Gaining entry, gaining confidence: a study of the Glasgow access to Primary Education project

In spite of strenuous efforts to improve the take-up rate of higher education places by students from non-traditional backgrounds, some communities remain relatively isolated from the national trend to increased participation. Located in discourses of access and community, this paper describes a two year project run in partnership between Glasgow City Council Department of Education and the University of Glasgow, which concentrated not on changing entry tariffs, but on increasing the motivation of students, and upon working with them within their own communities and schools in order to enable them to achieve the entry standard demanded for courses of initial teacher education. The methodologies used are described, and the success of the project relative to its objectives is recorded. Further, the conceptualisation of the project within current debates is discussed

Electrical noise reduction techniques contributing to improved data quality at the National Transonic Facility

In initial use, the high-speed digital data acquisition systems at Langley Research Center's National Transonic Facility produced data containing unacceptably high noise levels. Described is a process whereby the contributing noise sources were identified and eliminated. The effects of 60 Hz power, system grounding, EMI/RFI, and other problems are discussed and the corrective action taken is outlined. The overall effort resulted in an improvement of greater than 5:1 in system performance. Although the report describes a system specifically used for wind tunnel data acquisition, the corrective techniques employed are generally applicable to large scale high-speed data systems where signal resolution in the low microvolts range is important

What do students feel about PBL? Discussion of interim findings from a small scale study of medical and education students' experiences of problem-based learning in a Scottish university

This paper looks at the experiences of problem-based learning among groups of medical and education students in the University of Glasgow. PBL has been in use in the university in a number of different contexts for some time now, and this paper sets out to give those participating in professional education taught by this methodology a voice in assessing its effectiveness and in articulating their own experiences of it. Using qualitative methods, students were invited to respond to a range of issues. The results indicate acceptance for the methodology as an effective teaching medium, but indicate a range of differing perceptions both between the 2 groups and within the groups themselves

Export Performance in Small and Medium Enterprises in New South Wales: Sectoral and Regional Dimensions

This paper discusses the results from a survey of 146 value-adding exporters from regional New South Wales, Australia, the majority of whom were small and medium enterprises, using the Australian definition of having less than 200 employees. This study established that SME regional exporters were successful in gaining and maintaining sales in overseas markets in a variety of product areas. It thus raises the question of what factors lie behind this process. By identifying the causes of successful exporting in regional areas, policy-makers can design programs which best meet the needs of these firms and will encourage growth in their exports in the future.Export performance, small and medium-sized enterprises, sectoral and regional dimensions, Australia

SME Information Sourcing for Innovation and Export Market Development: From Local or External Networks?

A survey analysis of innovation information and input sourcing of New South Wales regional exporting firms indicates that the majority of regional exporters were small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The analysis shows that these SMEs have been able to establish their own extensive information linkages into the international economy. Consequently, the need to assess and develop the benefits of linkages between small and large firms is not highly significant within the New South Wales regions. The analysis indicates that international networking by SMEs brings knowledge to the regions, which facilitates intra-firm learning. However, it suggests that SME’s local or regional linkages are relatively underdeveloped, as a source of new knowledge for innovation activity. This is in contrast to the main body of economic literature, which argues that small regional exporters utilize local networks as a major input into their success. This research identifies intensification in the usage of regional networks as one means of improving SME performance in more remote regions. The analysis also indicates that a two-way effect results by the diversity of regional SME export sector base. Firstly, it restricts the client-supplier relationships preventing closer industry specific collaborations but secondly, it can be advantageous in that it restricts competition between regional exporters. This creates conditions allowing some information sharing regarding the opportunities and ways of entering overseas markets, which do not affect the competitive position of the mentoring firm. In concluding, the paper argues that the basic requirements for regional learning development are in place but requires an increase in the interaction intensity between local SMEs in order to achieve a higher level of collaboration and knowledge sharing.New South Wales, SMEs, small and medium enterprises, regional development, innovation, international networking

Teacher education in the UK in an era of performance management

In common with all education systems world wide, those of the United Kingdom have been subject to rapid change and development in recent years. Much of the management of this change has been supported by methods, including performance management of individuals, borrowed from industrial or commercial spheres of activity (Peters et al, 1999). This has led to a redefinition of concepts of teacher professionalism. In the two principal UK systems - those of England (often itself referred to as the UK system) and Scotland - there have been different emphases in terms of managing and developing the profession, although concerns of staff development and professional accountability are encapsulated in both. In this paper we argue, firstly, that staff development - of whatever variety - has to result in better learning for young people within schools. Secondly, we assert that the construction of teacher professionalism is a contested area in the UK, both in terms of initial teacher education and in terms of continuing professional development and that there has to be a recognition of this debate. Ultimately, however, both sides need to come together to create systems which support and develop pupil learning