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H2020Doctoral network2015–2018

SAF21 · Social Science Aspects of Fisheries for the 21st Century

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2015-01-01 → 2018-12-31
EU contribution
€2,724,034
Participants
14
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Results in brief

Social Science Aspects of Fisheries for the 21st Century

The aim of the SAF21 project was to understand how to manage socio-ecological complex systems better. This knowledge is hoped to be useful when developing innovative management strategies, particularly to address a shift to new regulatory regimes, which is necessary for the success of future complex pan-European initiatives. The research and development was undertaken by a group of 10 early stage researchers, managed by the SAF21 consortium, which was a mix of academic and commercial organisations. What is unique about the SAF21 project is the way the research and training programme was structured. The SAF21 network offered a practical, collaborative approach to learning, combining research with developing transferable skills through training and secondments. The aim of this doctoral program was to improve the commercialisation of R&D results, increase the employability of the researchers, expand the impact of such projects through education, outreach and communication to wider communities, as well as enabling more effective fisheries management. Exploring the fisheries models used in fisheries science, the SAF21 early stage researchers discovered that these models are not properly documented (e.g. data and code are not available), which hinders their transparency and reproducibility. Moreover, social aspects of fisheries (e.g. trust, compliance) are modeled through economic (e.g. profit) and environmental (e.g. stock size) variables. In addition, an analysis of more than 48.500 articles published in 21 scientific journals during the last 26 years indicates that the human dimension of fisheries is heavily under-researched, including in modelling. Another analysis showed that most commonly used definitions of fisheries extensively address the natural components of the fisheries system and only partially the human and management components. Among the fisheries management case studies that some of the SAF21 early stage researchers worked with during the project there are Iceland, Ireland, and Spain. If researchers or decision-makers are interested in facilitating interdisciplinary social-ecological system research in practice, SAF21 suggests using the dedicated framework developed during the project.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

SAF21 is an interdisciplinary and intersectoral network that embeds the social scientists of the future into EU fisheries management systems. It trains experts in analysis of human social behaviour for the better management of socio-ecological complex systems such as fisheries. Behaviour of fishers is complex as trust building and norms acceptance influence compliance with fishing regulations in unpredictable ways. The desired behaviour of fishers is often different from the actual subsequent one as those involved adapt to and find ways around new regulatory regimes, often with catastrophic consequences on resources. Therefore, an integrated understanding of the fine mechanisms governing fishers’ behaviour in relation with the regulative processes is needed, to the benefit of decision makers, fishing industry and the environment alike. Academic research and training have insufficiently reflected this need. SAF21 will contribute to rectifying this by training researchers in using tools of the 21st century, e.g. computational sociology techniques, to analyse this topic from a multitude of angles: public understanding of fisheries, trust and norms, social and regulative norms, social marketing of fisheries norms, stakeholders interaction in different management systems and socio-economic resilience. This knowledge will initiate the development of innovative management strategies, especially when it comes to shifting to new regulatory regimes. The wide-ranging training envisaged will offer a structured doctoral training in academic and transferable skills in addition to highly intersectoral non-academic mobility opportunities. Thus, the SAF21 candidates will have the necessary skills and experience to cross disciplines and work sectors. SAF21 will provide researchers the opportunity to fulfill their scientific social responsibility at a higher level than conventional doctoral programs, by ensuring significant time and training for public engagement and outreach.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITETET I TROMSOE - NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITET · TromsoCoordinatorNorway
  • CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DEL MAR - FUNDACION CETMAR · VigoSpain
  • HASKOLI ISLANDS · ReykjavikIceland
  • MAPIX TECHNOLOGIES LTD · EDINBURGHCity levelUnited Kingdom
  • MATIS OHF · ReykjavikIceland
  • MUNDO AQUATICO - PARQUES OCEANOGRAFICOS DE ENTRETENIMENTO EDUCATIVO SA · LISBOAPortugal
  • National Association of Small Boat Owners · ReykjavíkIceland
  • SYNTESA APS · KOBENHAVNDenmark
  • South African Association for Marine Biological ResearchSouth Africa
  • THE CULTURE FACTOR GROUP OY · HELSINKIFinland
  • THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY · MANCHESTERUnited Kingdom
  • TRACKWELL HF · ReykjavikIceland
  • The Iceland Ocean Cluster · ReykjavíkIceland
  • UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT · UtrechtNetherlands

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union