Informal conversations of students at a Pacific Islands university: A study of the nature of shared information and knowledge construction

This study investigated the topic and information in informal conversations by 332 students at a Pacific Islands university, utilizing the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). A quantitative study, it used descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test to analyse data. Conceptualized around the notion of grapevines, it found that students are least likely to have conversations on the arts, but are more likely to have conversations on the economy. It was also found that the students were least likely to persuade their peers as a consequence of knowledge they have gained, but are likely to refer to knowledge they have gained to investigate other ways of thinking about a topic. This has implications for the understanding of the coconstruction of knowledge by university students outside of class, and what influence that could have on the understanding of intellectual conversations of students within the class. It is important to recognize that the “community of truth” should not be seen as existing only in the classroom, but out-of-class as well where students can have a better understanding of the curriculum, evaluate what is happening in society, and also have the opportunity to disagree and interrogate what is being taught to them

Why they must be counted: Significant contributions of Fijian women fishers to food security and livelihoods

Worldwide, small-scale fisheries (SSF) are an important source of food and livelihoods for rural communities and contribute substantially to national economies. Women play crucial roles in these fisheries, yet their contributions are largely invisible, often ignored and unrecognized. We conducted household and focus group surveys to examine the role of indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) women in SSF, documenting fishing practices and contributions to household food security and income. Our results reinforced several traditional views, such as iTaukei women preferentially fishing closer to their villages; but also challenged other assumptions with women fishing a wider range of habitats (from inland rivers to the open ocean) and species than previously described, and many using a boat and fishing with men. In addition to gleaning for invertebrates and seaweed, women also caught over 100 species of fish. Women fished primarily for subsistence, emphasizing their significant contribution to household food security. Although almost half of the women sold part of their catch to supplement household incomes, they also engaged in other income earning livelihoods, and therefore were not solely dependent on fisheries. Of concern was the high targeting of nursery areas for fish and invertebrate species by women fishers, and species with low spawning potential ratios. Given the level of engagement in, and contributions to fisheries, the inclusion of iTaukei women fishers in fisheries planning and management is critical for ensuring the sustainability of SSF in Fiji. Furthermore, empowering women for full participation in fisheries and lifting them out of poverty requires a re-consideration of traditional gender norms in rural communities, which are already shifting and evolving

The GIFT that keeps on giving? A genetic audit of the Fijian Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) broodstock nucleus 20 years after introduction

The Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) strain of Nile tilapia is a valuable global freshwater aquaculture commodity, forming the basis of the Fiji Islands' largest freshwater aquaculture industry. Unfortunately, recent negative stock performance has been reported by farmers, possibly indicating reduced genetic diversity and inbreeding in the primary broodstock nucleus. Using high-resolution genome-wide markers (5208 SNPs), 282 individuals from three Fijian broodstock ponds were analysed and compared against two reference strains of Nile tilapia: 9th generation GIFT fish from the WorldFish Center, Malaysia, and 11th generation fish from the Abbassa Selection Line, Eygpt, (n = 94 respectively for each strain). Genetic data were used to evaluate levels of genetic diversity, inbreeding, relatedness and genetic structure; and assess the viability of the Fijian nucleus for future seed production. Results revealed only mild declines in the Fijian GIFT nucleus genetic diversity compared to both reference strains, since introduction 20 years ago. Average observed and expected heterozygosities were largely comparable for all sample groups, except for one Fijian pond which showed a heterozygote deficit (Ho = 0.2025, Hn.b. = 0.2320). One of the three Fijian ponds sampled exhibited reduced effective population size; (NeLD = 3.2 [95% C.I. = 3.2–3.2], cf. 23.3[23.2–23.3] and 31.5[31.4–31.6]), however allelic diversity remained high (A = 1.953, cf. 1.765–1.770). Fish sampled from this pond also showed a loss of rare alleles (Ar = 0.1542, cf. 0.4063–0.4065) and displayed genetic sub-structuring, possibly as a result of wild O. niloticus entering the broodstock nucleus. Analyses of genetic structure and relatedness revealed admixture of founding individuals, likely due to a combination of stock management practices and past pond flooding events. These findings suggest that the Fijian GIFT nucleus has retained much of the genetic diversity from its source population. It is recommended that the nucleus culture performance (fecundity, growth and survival) be evaluated through a phenotypic audit, to determine if valuable high-performing alleles have been lost. Over the longer term, stock management guidelines and genetic monitoring of the broodstock nucleus at regular intervals are proposed, to minimise further erosion of valuable genetic diversity. These results have important implications for stock management practices by demonstrating the importance of monitoring, and undertaking genetic assessments of broodstock nuclei after initial introduction, to ensure that genetic quality and performance is maintained over subsequent generations