Research

Fisheries management, fisheries development, organizational aspects of the fisheries, fisheries in developing countries.

For the last 20 years I have worked partly as a consultant and partly as an academic with fisheries development issues in various countries (Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Sri Lanka, Vietnam as well as in Central America).

For the time being I have my sabbatical year in Chile, studying fisheries and aquaculture management in this country, with special focus on the introduction of ITQs (and transferable licenses in the aquaculture industry). This is an activity that will be followed up over the next four years, as we are now in the process of linking up with Chilean universities and research institutions.

In terms of research I have just finished a long-running project on the Norwegian fisheries (see list of publications) and have also been loosely associated with the PKFM project, looking at fisheries management of the North Sea cod stock.

As a guest lecturer at University of Fisheries in Vietnam I hope to get something started in this country during 2007. In the meantime I work with policy coherence issues (OECD) and the ecosystem approach to fisheries (FAO).

As a member of the Board of the NORSA program (Norwegian- South African fisheries cooperation) I also continue my long-term interest in the transformation of the South African fisheries.

Teaching areas

I have been teaching a large number of different courses over the years, spanning from social science method to international fisheries management. The most recent years I have mainly been engaged in fisheries management and development, organizational theory, project management, as well as more practical courses on how to write Master thesis. In Namibia, Vietnam and South Africa I have been teaching fisheries and aquaculture management, both as ordinary university courses and as part of more intensive training courses for managers. In addition I normally participate in a variety of extension activities, giving speeches on management related issues in fishing forums, policy forums and public conferences.

Selected publications

Unfinished business. New Zealand’s experience with rights-based fisheries management (Eburon 2002).

Fishing in a sea of sharks. Reconstruction and development in the South African fishing industry (Eburon 2002)

Fisheries development. The institutional challenge (Eburon 2004) (together with Svein Jentoft and Poul Degnbol)

Closing the commons. Norwegian fisheries from open access to private property (Eburon 2005)