Sample Syllabus:
Human Ecology of Maritime Regions 11:374:308
Introduction: This is a junior-senior colloquium, and as such is intended to bring together
students of different “disciplinary” backgrounds and interests to become familiar with major issues
in food systems and the environment and to develop experience and expertise in addressing
those issues through multidisciplinary and collaborative interactions. The focus of this course is
human interaction with the ocean as mediated through the activity of fishing, and the main issue
we address is sustainable use of fish, shellfish, and their habitats. The topic calls for expertise in
oceanography; marine ecology and biology; resource and environmental economics; and
sociology, anthropology, political science, geography and the other “human ecology” disciplines.
Spring 2005
Blake 131
Fridays, 9:50-1 p.m.
SYLLABUS/OUTLINE
Required texts, at Cook/Douglass Coop Bookstore:
Pauly, Daniel and Jay Maclean, 2003, In a Perfect Ocean; the State of Fisheries and Ecosystems
in the North Atlantic Ocean. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Kurlansky, Mark, 1997, Cod. New York: Penguin Books.
Other readings in library, on eCompanion site, rutgersonline.net, or distributed via class e-mail list
or in hard copy.
Videos: “Commercial Fishing” (History Channel); “Empty Oceans, Empty Nets” (Habitat Media),
“Taking Stock” (National Film Board of Canada), “Work is our Joy” (Oregon Extension/Sea
Grant); “Family, business & Community: The Lives of Fishermen’s Wives” (Oregon Sea Grant),
etc.
Field-trip(s): Point Pleasant, New Jersey; optional participation in Washington DC conference,
“Managing the Nation’s Fisheries” (March 24 & 25); optional attendance at meetings of the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council (www.mafmc.org) and New Jersey Marine Fisheries
Council. Charter fishing trip, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Assignments and Grading: homework assignments (N=5) (30%), quizzes (N=2) (20%), two (2)
short papers, 4-6 pages (20%), one special project (assignment/topic will vary greatly; may be
team project) (30%)
Section One: Marine Fisheries: Conservation and Management Challenges in the North Atlantic
1. January 21st
Introduction
Section I: General issues in fisheries management and marine conservation
Introduction
“current events”
Tsunami and Indian Ocean fishing communities
Tsunami_IndianOcean_ENS.doc
2/12/2016
1
Atlantic Right Whales: Births and Deaths
Deaths Thin Ranks of Right Whales.doc
U.S. Fish Stocks Rebounding (2003 report).
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2243.htm
NOAA 2003 Status…. Doc
Winter flounder debates in New Jersey
WinterFlounderNJ Asbury Park Press losing credibility.doc
Scalloper sinking and deaths, linked to regulations
Fishing penalty to end after scallop deaths.txt
Last Great crab Race.doc.
Rotten Herring No Sweden.doc
Game: “Fish Banks, Ltd.” © 2001, Dennis Meadows, University of New Hampshire
Assignment #1: “Adopt A North Atlantic Fish”
2. Jan. 28
Completion and Discussion of Fish Banks, Ltd and “Adopt-a-North Atlantic Fish”
Assignment #2: Handout, New Zealand “Starfish” web-site.
3. Feb. 4
Discuss Assignment #2, from New Zealand “Starfish” web-site.
History of the North Atlantic
Pauly and Maclean, Ch1, “A brief history of the North Atlantic and its resources”
Short, Medium, and Long-Term Dynamics (key terms: ice age; North Atlantic Oscillation);
Structure (Labrador Current, Gulf Stream; Open Ocean v. Coastal Biomes; Large Marine
Ecosystems)
History of fisheries on both sides of Atlantic; histories of declines and “collapses;” responses of
moving on, investing in new technology. Herring, cod cases.
Importance of understanding the past; issue of shifting baselines for assessing the present and
future; ‘overfishing’ a primary cause of ecological change.
Kurlansky, Prologue; Chapters 1-6 (early history of cod fishing and description of cod)
Jeremy B.C. Jackson et al. 2001. Historical Overfishing and the Recent Collapse of Coastal
Ecosystems. Science, Vol 293, Issue 5530, 629-637 , 27 July 2001.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/293/5530/629
[Jacksonetal2001.pdf]
Notes from Powerpoint presentation available on the Website: Feb4notes.doc
Video on Commercial Fishing, from History Channel.
2/12/2016
2
Assignment #3: Write a 2 page essay on the theme “But what kind of tragedy is it? The saga of
the northern cod.” (sources include readings for next week). Bring it to class next week.
4. Feb. 11
History of North Atlantic: The Tragedy of Northern Cod
Video, “Taking Stock” (National Film Board of Canada)
Kurlansky, “Cod,” read the Whole Thing
Finlayson, A. K. and B.J. McCay. 1998. “Crossing the threshold of ecosystem resilience: the
commercial extinction of northern cod.” Pp 311-337 in Linking Social and Ecological Systems,
ed. By F. Berkes and C. Folke. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [on web-site as Copy
of Nfld-Fin597.wp.doc]
McCay, B.J. 2000. "Property Rights, The Commons, and Natural Resource Management," Pp.
67-82 In Property Rights, Economics, and the Environment, edited by Michael D. Kaplowitz.
Stamford, CT: JAI Press. (on web-site as MSUrev.doc)
Discuss Assignment #3 and “Cod” by Kurlansky
Assignment #4: revise essay “but what kind of tragedy is it?” based on video viewing and class
discussion. This version should be 4-6 pages in length. It counts as one of the two required
short-essays in the class.
Additional references:
Hutchings, Jeff. 2004. The Cod that Got Away. Nature 428: 899-900. (Hutchings_cod that got
away.pdf).
Neis, Barbara and Susan Williams. 1996. "Women and Children First": The Impacts of Fishery
Collapse on Women in Newfoundland and Labrador. Cultural Survival Quarterly 20(1).
(NeisandWilliams1996.doc) .
4. Feb. 18
Discussion of Assignment #3, “But what kind of tragedy is it?”
Analyzing causes of overfishing.
Chapter 3, “How did we get here?” in Pauly and Maclean.
1. Ecosystem perspectives:
Distinction between terrestrial and marine ecosystems
Over-estimates of ocean productivity
MSY models and single-species approaches, vs. ecosystem approaches
2. Economics and Governance:
Distorted economics: subsidization, tax policies
Matters of scale: small is beautiful?
Discounting the future; generational equity.
Local and national governance (Canada, Norway, US)
Co-management (lobster fishery; regional fishery management councils; monkfish
problem).
Politics vs. good management; EU Common Fisheries Policy.
2/12/2016
3
International governance: North Sea and ICES; other (ICCAT, NASCO, NAFO,
straddling stocks, IWC).
Question of compliance. ICCAT and NAFO
Ineffectiveness of institutions; argument for decentralizing control of many fisheries, for
more flexible institutions.
What about non-fishing communities? Future generations?
Further reading,
M. Ben-Yami, “Fisheries management: Hijacked by neoliberal economics”, post-autistic
economics review, issue no. 27, 9 September 2004, article 3,
http://www.btinternet.com/~pae_news/review/issue27.htm [Ben-YamiPAENews2004.doc]
5. Feb. 25th
Chapter 4, “What to do?” in Pauly and Maclean
Ecosystem-based management
Reducing fishing effort
Marine reserves
Removing subsidies; stronger consumer involvement (eco-labeling)
Stronger international institutions
Smaller-scale and decentralization
Pikitch, E.K. et al. 2004. Ecosystem-based fisheries management. Science 305 [July 16]; galley
pfPikitch1finalgalley.pdf
Marine Stewardship Council [use Baja lobster case?]; also material on Marine Reserves
Castilla, Juan C. and Miriam Fernandez. 1998. Small-scale Benthic Fisheries in Chile: On CoManagement and Sustainable Use of Benthic Invertebrates. Ecological Applications 8(1),
Supplement: Ecosystem Management for Sustainable Marine Fisheries, S124-S132.
[CastilloFernandez.pdf]
7. March 4th.
Community-Based Management
Lobstering & Lobster Communities
Market-Based Management
Surfclam & Ocean Quahog Fisheries; Alaskan Halibut and Cod Fisheries
Readings on eCompanion.
8. March 11th
Management Systems: from State to International
Highly Migratory Species Management (i.e. Tunas, Swordfish…)
Dr. Eleanor Bochenek, Rutgers (Haskin Shellfish Research Lab)
Dr. Bruce Freeman, New Jersey Dept. of Envir. Protection
Readings on eCompanion.
2/12/2016
4
9. March 25th
Habitats and Ecosystem Management
Fisheries Policy in New Jersey
Dr. Roger Locandro
[Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries, Wash DC field trip]
Readings on eCompanion.
10. April 1st
Fish Markets: Tsujiki, Japan (Film & readings)
Community-Based Fisheries of Japan
Satsuki Takahashi
Readings: on community-based and cooperative fisheries management
Readings on eCompanion.
11. April 8th
Cooperative Research
Dr. Eleanor Bochenek
Ms. Teresa Johnson
Readings on eCompanion.
12. April 15th
Area-Based Management and Marine Protected Areas
Class presentations
13. April 22nd
Marine Mammals
Class presentations
14. April 29th:
Last Class; 7-2:30 Trip on Charter Fishing Vessel, Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Car-pooling or
individual trips.
15. Final Examination: Thursday, May 5th, 12 noon to 3 p.m.
2/12/2016
5