Net sem virkar: Uppfinning og þróun flottrollsins - verkefni lokið
Fréttatilkynning verkefnisstjóra
The pelagic trawl was a major innovation in twentieth century fisheries technology. This project is about how the pelagic trawl evolved technologically from its invention in the interwar period and its economic significance to the communities and nations that used it.
Very few studies of fisheries and fishing gear have been explored in history studies, and fewer still in the history of technology. The study of the pelagic trawl demonstrates the complex relationships within the fishing industry, between individuals, and communities. It examines the environments in which it was created and developed, the drivers of change, and the ways in which ideas and technology travel.
There are four key questions; how and why this technological change occurred, what are the drivers of change, what was the significance of the pelagic trawl, and how do all of these change over time. A study of technological change in the pelagic trawl is by default a study of technological development in fisheries, as the changes seen are industry wide. This allows us to understand how technology enables the exploitation of fisheries, how this relates to the drivers of change, and the complex factors that encourage or inhibit individuals and organisations to innovate.
In this thesis I present the sources for the earliest known inventors of the pelagic trawl. I compare
their respective environments, determining how the drivers of change which affected each of them. I also examine how and why they communicate with each other, their consumer base, as well as scientists and organisations involved in fisheries. In doing this, I establish the factors which affected the technological development of the pelagic trawl during a time of innovation and growing demand for fishery products. I then follow the technological development of the pelagic trawl for several more decades, examining the relationships between its ongoing use, new markets and areas of use, as well as the influx of new technologies and materials. Having explored its technological development, I then analyse and present its significance through various different aspects, with particular focus on its quantifiable economic significance. I demonstrate, using historical statistical datasets, that while the pelagic trawl was neither as popular or as effective as contemporary pelagic fishing methods, it was nevertheless critical for allowing catch quotas to be fully maximised. I also determine the relationship between the pelagic trawl and the growing pelagic fisheries sector, as well as briefly establishing its relationship to overfishing during the 1960s.
A list of the project’s outputs:
The thesis and a journal article will be the core output.
In 2022 the project was presented at the Baltic Connections conference in Jyväskylä, Finland.
In 2023 the project was presented at the ICOHTEC conference in Tallin and Tartu, Estonia.
In 2024 the project will likely be presented again, with applications pending
Heiti verkefnis: Net sem
virkar: Uppfinning og þróun flottrollsins/Net-works: The
Invention of the Pelagic Trawl
Verkefnisstjóri: Sylvía Marsibil Bates, Háskóla Íslands
Tegund styrks: Doktorsnemastyrkur
Styrktímabil: 2022
Fjárhæð styrks kr. 7.950.000
Tilvísunarnúmer Rannsóknasjóðs: 228513
