Motivation for learning statistics: An example from fishery and aquaculture science

Teaching statistics to generalist students oriented toward a profession, rather than academic merits, may be challenging. As statistics courses also tend to have a low student appeal, tailoring a course toward this type of audience is demanding. Framed within the theory of statistical thinking and literacy, this article shows how an investigative process, using domain data and real-life examples, may facilitate meaningful learning and motivate students. Describing and reflecting upon the methods used, both in teaching and assessment, the article contributes to the practice of teaching statistics

Work environment and health in the fishing fleet: results from a survey amongst Norwegian fishers

Background: Fishery is an important industry in Norway. Compared to other industries the number of occupational accidents is high. Fishers are exposed to a range of unfavourable working conditions, but there is limited research-based knowledge about the interaction between working conditions and health. The aim of the article is to study fishers’ 1) work-related exposures and health complaints, 2) sickness absence, 3) subjective perception of health status and 3) level of job satisfaction. Materials and methods: Data was gathered through a telephone survey. The survey included questions about exposure, health complaints, health status and job satisfaction. Methods for analysis were descriptive statistics and relative risk (RR). Results: A total of 830 full-time fishers were interviewed. Coastal fishers are more exposed to factors such as climatic (RR = 1.546, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.311–1.823), ergonomic (RR = 1.539, 95% CI 1.293–1.833) and processing (RR = 2.119, 95% CI 1.847–2.431), compared to other groups of fishers. Coastal fishers are also more likely to experience musculoskeletal problems (RR = 1.623, 95% CI 1.139–2.314), sickness absence (RR = 1.337, 95% CI 1.081–1.655) and to perceive their own health as poor (RR = 2.155, 95% CI 1.119–4.152). Purse sein fishers are less exposed to climatic (RR = 0.777, 95% CI 0.633–0.953), ergonomic (RR = 0.617, 95% CI 0.487–0.783) and processing (RR = 0.292, 95% CI 0.221–0.385) factors and are less likely to experience sickness absence (RR = 0.635, 95% CI 0.479–0.840). In terms of job satisfaction, 99% if our respondents enjoy their work. Conclusions: Norwegian fishers have a high degree of job satisfaction and overall good health. Challenges regarding health complaints and exposures in the working environment were identified. This may be helpful for the industry, showing where measures should be implemented to prevent exposure, illness and sickness absence. Findings may also serve as a basis for future intervention studies aimed at promoting healthy working environments for fishers, especially how to improve vessels and develop user-friendly technology to reduce risk of injuries and strain

Salmon farming in the North: How do we regulate growth?

Source at https://framsenteret.no/fram-forum/Aquaculture has become a major part of global food production, and according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, it is now the fastest growing animal food-producing industry. In the North, further growth in salmon farming is expected. What mechanisms are in place to regulate this growth

Arbeidsmiljø og helse i fiskeflåten - utfordringer og helsefremmende faktorer

Fiskere kan være eksponert for en rekke ugunstige arbeidsforhold og har høyere risiko for å bli utsatt for skader enn andre yrkesgrupper. Rapporten oppsummerer funn fra prosjektet "Working environment and health in the Norwegian fishing fleet – challenges and health promoting factors". Målet har vært å se på sammenhenger mellom arbeidsmiljø og helse og bidra med kunnskap om både negative og helsefremmende faktorer. Prosjektet har gitt ny kunnskap om helseplager, sykefravær, termoregulatoriske responser og arbeidsbelastning, eksponering for bioaerosoler og støy for fiskere på fabrikktrålere, og sammenhenger mellom arbeid, arbeidsmiljø og helse i fiskeryrket generelt. Rapporten gir anbefalinger som kan legges til grunn for forebyggende arbeid fremover.Norges ForskningsrådpublishedVersio

Recruitment to the Norwegian fishing fleet: storylines, paradoxes, and pragmatism in Norwegian fisheries and recruitment policy

The majority of actors in the Norwegian fisheries consider recruitment of fishers to be the main future challenge for the Norwegian fishing fleet. As fleet recruitment is a highly politicized field, the problem of how to mitigate the recruitment problem is a subject of heavy debate. Some argue that recruitment problems are caused by low fleet profitability, while others argue that recruitment problems are caused by fleet restructuring polices. This article aims to explore the recruitment phenomenon. Thus, it examines the relationship between recruitment discourse and recruitment policies and practices. Discourse analysis is used to show how diverging storylines about recruitment result in incoherent recruitment policy. The article concludes that while current recruitment policies are heavily influenced by ideology, the answer to creating more efficient recruitment policies may lie in a more pragmatic approach

Catch-based aquaculture in Norway - Institutional challenges in the development of a new marine industry

Catch-based aquaculture (CBA) is an important production system in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. In Norway CBA is based on capture and storage/farming of mature, North-east Atlantic (NEA) cod (Gadus morhua). The objective is to reduce seasonal variations and add value, by storing/farming fish to take advantage of higher prices in low seasons. Despite numerous development programs and economic incentives, the development of the CBA business has been slow. Few actors are storing fish long enough to take advantage of high price in low season. A reason for this is that CBA is caught in between two sectors: the fisheries and aquaculture, with radically different institutional frameworks, creating entry barriers and a complex regulatory framework. Moreover, the legitimacy of the CBA is in question, as CBA intervene into the resource allocation mechanism in traditional fisheries. Still, it is too early to conclude that CBA has failed, as we are dealing with an industry in the making.publishedVersio

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The allocation of space in Norwegian aquaculture - from local lottery to central planning?

Resource management in the coastal zone involves a large number of stakeholders and resource users, from traditional fishermen and recreational housing owners to state and municipal government. The aim of this study is to show how spatial scarcity in Norwegian aquaculture is not solely a technical definition, but scarcity also depends upon the social context in which it operates. That is, what has influenced Norwegian aquaculture policy in spatial terms? This question is answered by looking at how allocation of space has developed from the early 1970s and to the present, what actors were involved, what arguments did they use and what was the spatial outcome of the chosen policies. Through a literature review, I have shown how discourses of regional policy, industrial policy, environmental policy and health policy have affected the spatial allocation of aquaculture licenses in the past. Moreover, I show that these discourses are a part of a larger coastal zone management discourse, which is becoming increasingly popular. Thus, scarcity of space in aquaculture is defined within the discursive framework that it operates

Coastal Communities and Employment Systems: Networks and communities in change

Gitt at norske fiskerier har gjennomgått store endringer side 1970-tallet, med utgangspunkt i Jentoft and Wadel (1984), utforsker dette arbeidet det moderne sysselsettingssystemet på kysten, hvordan det har endret seg og hva effekten har vært på kystsamfunn. Studien viser at relasjonene mellom fiskeriene og kystsamfunnene har endret seg. På 1970-talet var sysselsettingssystemet preget av et helhetlig nettverk av gjensidig avhengighet mellom fiskeriaktørene. I dag ser vi utviklingen av et mer og mer formalisert, spesialisert og profesjonalisert fiskerisysselsettingssystem. Dagens rekrutteringspolitikk er knyttet til ideologi og teori, enten økonomiske teorier eller teorier om bygdeutvikling. På grunn av endringene i fiskeriene og sysselsettingssystemet har nye mekanismer for rekruttering dukket opp, og sammen med dette, nye typer fiskere med nye måter å drifte på. I tillegg så viser studien at fiskerne har et større mangfold av operative tilpasninger og at flere virkeligheter eksisterer side om side. Derfor, en politikk basert på utdatert kunnskap gir usammenhengende og motstridene politikk. Resultatet er at en ensartet politikk har lite mulighet for å lykkes, dette inkluderer politiske mål som å opprettholde lokalsamfunn og sysselsetting. For eksempel, når økt fartøystørrelse svekker flåtens relasjon til kystsamfunnene, vil en politikk som fører til større fartøy undergrave fiskeripolitiske mål knyttet til samfunnshensyn. Gitt de mange tilpasninger og virkeligheter i fiskeriene, skal fiskeripolitikken bidra til å opprettholde rådende bosettingsmønster og flåtestruktur, kan en fortsatt differensiering mellom regioner, fylker og flåte være nødvendig. Videre, siden generell fiskeripolitikk også påvirker sysselsetting og rekruttering, må rekrutteringspolitikk sees i sammenheng med generell fiskeripolitikk

Catch-based aquaculture in Norway - Institutional challenges in the development of a new marine industry

Catch-based aquaculture (CBA) is an important production system in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. In Norway CBA is based on capture and storage/farming of mature, North-east Atlantic (NEA) cod (Gadus morhua). The objective is to reduce seasonal variations and add value, by storing/farming fish to take advantage of higher prices in low seasons. Despite numerous development programs and economic incentives, the development of the CBA business has been slow. Few actors are storing fish long enough to take advantage of high price in low season. A reason for this is that CBA is caught in between two sectors: the fisheries and aquaculture, with radically different institutional frameworks, creating entry barriers and a complex regulatory framework. Moreover, the legitimacy of the CBA is in question, as CBA intervene into the resource allocation mechanism in traditional fisheries. Still, it is too early to conclude that CBA has failed, as we are dealing with an industry in the making