Jennifer Jacquet

The Role of Gender in Scholarly Authorship

Gender disparities appear to be decreasing in academia according to a number of metrics, such as grant funding, hiring, acceptance at scholarly journals, and productivity, and it might be tempting to think that gender inequity will soon be a problem of the past. However, a large-scale analysis based on over eight million papers across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities reveals a number of understated and persistent ways in which gender inequities remain. For instance, even where raw publication counts seem to be equal between genders, close inspection reveals that, in certain fields, men predominate in the prestigious first and last author positions. Moreover, women are significantly underrepresented as authors of single-authored papers. Academics should be aware of the subtle ways that gender disparities can occur in scholarly authorship.

Seafood stewardship in crisis

The main consumer-targeted certification scheme for sustainable fisheries is failing to protect the environment and needs radical reform, say Jennifer Jacquet, Daniel Pauly and colleagues.

Funding priorities: Big barriers to small-scale fisheries

Since the mid-1990s there has been a concerted effort to encourage fisheries sustainability by targeting large-scale, high-catch fisheries and by raising consumer awareness. Because of the often slow pace of regulatory approaches, this voluntary, market-oriented effort has been structured so as to avoid government involvement. But have smallscale fisheries, our best option for sustainable use of fisheries resources, been lost in the market-based push toward sustainability? In financial terms the largest sustainable fisheries initiative has been the U.S.-based Seafood Choices campaign, largely funded by the Packard Foundation. From 1999 to 2004, Seafood Choices invested

Conserving wild fish in a sea of market-based efforts

37 million in more than 30 nonprofit organizations to promote marketbased sustainable seafood initiatives, such as ecolabeling certification and seafood wallet cards that tell consumers which fish are being caught sustainably (Bridgespan Group 2005). In contrast, over the last decade, only 2 U.S.-based nonprofit organizations have invested <

Few data but many fish: marine small-scale fisheries catches for Mozambique and Tanzania

1.5 million in research and policy reform related to global fisheries subsidies. Since the late 1990s the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has had one full-time person working on fisheries subsidies and lobbying countries to reduce subsidies (approximate cost <

Shame and honour drive cooperation

100,000/year). In 2005 the nonprofit organization Oceana began a campaign against fisheries subsidies with some staff working part-time on the issue of subsidies (approximate cost <

Fish Farms at Sea: The Ground Truth from Google Earth

75,000). In 2006 Oceana ramped up their efforts against subsidies (approximate cost

Intra- and intergenerational discounting in the climate game

125,000– 150,000) and in 2007 spent approximately

A multilevel evolutionary framework for sustainability analysis

400,000 on subsidy-related efforts, including a paid advertising campaign, media, staff, and travel (M. Hirshfield, personal communication). Although they are often described as very variable between countries, small-scale fisheries are characterized as fishers operating in boats of 15 m or less, or without

In hot soup: sharks captured in Ecuador's waters

Over the past decade conservation groups have put considerable effort into educating consumers and changing patterns of household consumption. Many groups aiming to reduce overfishing and encourage sustainable fishing practices have turned to new market-based tools, including consumer awareness campaigns and seafood certification schemes (e.g. the Marine Stewardship Council) that have been well received by the fishing and fish marketing industries and by the public in many western countries. Here, we review difficulties that may impede further progress, such as consumer confusion, lack of traceability and a lack of demonstrably improved conservation status for the fish that are meant to be protected. Despite these issues, market-based initiatives may have a place in fisheries conservation in raising awareness among consumers and in encouraging suppliers to adopt better practices. We also present several additional avenues for market-based conservation measures that may strengthen or complement current initiatives, such as working higher in the demand chain, connecting seafood security to climate change via life cycle analysis, diverting small fish away from the fishmeal industry into human food markets, and the elimination of fisheries subsidies. Finally, as was done with greenhouse gas emissions, scientists, conservation groups and governments should set seafood consumption targets.