Historian of Oceans Past, Humanist for the Environment, Advocate for Evidence-based Research Phone: +353 1 896 8490 Address: Trinity College Dublin School of Histories and Humanities 2 College Green Dublin 2 Ireland
I 1993 brændte problemerne sammen i dansk fiskeri. Flere
{1rs advarsler viste sig uhyggeligt sand... more I 1993 brændte problemerne sammen i dansk fiskeri. Flere {1rs advarsler viste sig uhyggeligt sandfærdige . I denne artikel giver museumsinspektør, dr. phil. Poul Holm et overblik over nogle af de problemer, som har ramt fiskeriet. Den totale fangstmængde kan ikke udvides, og mens erhvervet bliver mere effektivt, må stadig flere skibe lægges op. Antallet af arbejdspladser ombord og på land er faldende. Græ11Sen for vækst frustrerer fiskerne, mens den offentlige debat om erhvervet er i forfald. Den biologiske og politiske styring af fangsterne er ikke accepteret af erhvervet, men andre løsninger er ikke i sigte. Overordnet set er der tale om et erhvervskulturelt fo,jald, som forfatteren definerer som et sammenbrud i det ressourcemæssige, sociale, politiske og ideologiske grundlag for fiskeriet. Der er en fremtid for erhvervet, men den kræver god vilje fra alle parter og vil ikke komme uden store omkostninger for beskæftigelsen og lokalsamfundene.
Northern Studies. The Journal of the Scottish Society for Northern Studies, 2021
In the sixteenth century, fisheries expanded in the Northwest Atlantic due
to the discovery of la... more In the sixteenth century, fisheries expanded in the Northwest Atlantic due to the discovery of large cod stocks off the coast of Newfoundland and on the Grand Banks. The catches flooded a market that was traditionally served by Northeast Atlantic fisheries off Norway, Iceland, the Farnes, and the Shetland Islands. This paper addresses the question: How did the fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic fare during the rise of the Northwest?
We contend that the harvest of marine resources played a critical, but as yet underappreciated an... more We contend that the harvest of marine resources played a critical, but as yet underappreciated and poorly understood, role in global history. In a review of the field of marine environmental history and archaeology we conclude that while much progress has been made, especially in the last two decades, fundamental questions remain unanswered. In order to make full use of the rapid growth of Big Data and ongoing methodological breakthroughs there is a need for collaborative and comparative research. Such joint efforts on a global scale must be guided by a focus on common, simple yet challenging, questions. We propose a Human Oceans Past research agenda to call for multi-and trans-disciplinary archaeological, historical and palaeoenvironmental/palaeoecological research to investigate: (1) when and where marine exploitation was of significance to human society; (2) how selected major socioeconomic , cultural, and environmental forces variously constrained and enabled marine exploitation; and (3) what were the consequences of marine resource exploitation for societal development. We contend that this agenda will lead to a fundamental revision in our understanding of the historical role of marine resources in the development of human societies.
This chapter will first consider the obvious, i.e., changes that have been recognized and given r... more This chapter will first consider the obvious, i.e., changes that have been recognized and given rise to management concerns in recent decades. I shall then look at the long history of poorly understood human impact on and management of marine life through millennia. The major historical impact by humans on marine life have been extractions (fisheries, hunting) followed by habitat change of nearshore waters.1 Despite much attention in recent decades to pollution, introduction of alien species, and climate change, these factors have played relatively minor roles up to the present. Finally, I consider the development of scientific understanding and evidence-based management developing in the last century and a half.
By c. 1990, worldwide captures of marine fish reached the limit of what the oceans could provide,... more By c. 1990, worldwide captures of marine fish reached the limit of what the oceans could provide, given the extractive methods currently available and the limited nature of all marine living resources. The majority of fish stocks globally have since been either fully exploited or over-overexploited (FAO, 2020). During the last millennium, European marine fisheries have risen in five distinct temporal steps, around 1000 AD, after 1500 AD, after 1750, again after 1880 and lastly after 1950. Archaeologists understand the first step as the "fish event horizon," indicated by a rise in volumes of marine fish bones in human settlement sediments around
We apply a novel methodology to the study of the Newfoundland cod fisheries in order to determine... more We apply a novel methodology to the study of the Newfoundland cod fisheries in order to determine a reasoned and acceptable chronological value series for total catch amounts in the early modern period where data are scarce. The paper focuses on the two main protagonists in the Newfoundland fisheries arena in that period: France and England. The period 1675-1790 has been selected as a viable and representative chronology for a case study where data, while available in part, are limited and often missing. The new methodology proposed here enables further exploration, input and assessment such that an ever-greater level of accuracy, integrity and robustness may be achieved in future.
At the turn of the sixteenth century, John Cabot and his successors discovered abundant fish stoc... more At the turn of the sixteenth century, John Cabot and his successors discovered abundant fish stocks in the northwest Atlantic waters near Newfoundland. This article accounts for how sixteenth- and seventeenth-century mapping provide another strand of evidence that supplement our knowledge of the subsequent Iberian, French, and British fisheries. Such cartography exhibited significant mutations and innovations in rendering fishing locations, and illustrating fishing practices and fish species. Fishermen’s knowledge must have informed such mapping. The innovation of hydrographical indicators in aesthetically appealing maps recognized from an early stage the status of the Grand Banks as a globally important feature of submarine topography. More refined and accurate delineations of its submarine plateaus and other adjacent continental shelves closely followed the development of fishing activities, encompassing both Newfoundland’s nearshore and the Grand Banks themselves. Furthermore, such cartography reflected transformative and reciprocal relationships with commerce and inter-state politics across the North Atlantic.
This quantitative study of commodity prices examines theearly modern food market, a period ... more This quantitative study of commodity prices examines theearly modern food market, a period and topic widely neglected byhistorians owing to a lack of data or palaeographic expertise that hasprompted scholars to turn their attention to later periods. Despite theubiquitous presence of fish in European food markets, specialists havedifficulty identifying its consumption levels or price. This paper providesa wide panorama of qualitative observations about food provisioningpractices and the cost hierarchy of commodities on the French marketfrom the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. We conclude that sea fishbecame an affordable alternative source of protein in the general diet.Our research demonstrates that cod fish occupied a good place on theFrench food market, competing successfully against top-sellingcommodities such as meat.
We propose the concept of the "Fish Revolution" to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlan... more We propose the concept of the "Fish Revolution" to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlantic fisheries after AD 1500, which led to a 15-fold increase of cod (Gadus morhua) catch volumes and likely a tripling of fish protein to the Euro-pean market. We consider three key questions: (1) What were the environmental parameters of the Fish Revolution? (2) What were the globalising effects of the Fish Revolution? (3) What were the consequences of the Fish Revolution for fishing com-munities? While these questions would have been considered unknowable a decade or two ago, methodological developments in marine environmental history and historical ecology have moved information about both supply and demand into the realm of the discernible. Although much research remains to be done, we conclude that this was a major event in the history of resource extraction from the sea, mediated by forces of climate change and globalisation, and is likely to provide a fruitful agenda for future multidisciplinary research.
We propose the concept of the “Fish Revolution” to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlan... more We propose the concept of the “Fish Revolution” to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlantic fisheries after AD 1500, which led to a 15-fold increase of cod (Gadus morhua) catch volumes and likely a tripling of fish protein to the European market. We consider three key questions: (1) What were the environmental parameters of the Fish Revolution? (2) What were the globalising effects of the Fish Revolution? (3) What were the consequences of the Fish Revolution for fishing communities? While these questions would have been considered unknowable a decade or two ago, methodological developments in marine environmental history and historical ecology have moved information about both supply and demand into the realm of the discernible. Although much research remains to be done, we conclude that this was a major event in the history of resource extraction from the sea, mediated by forces of climate change and globalisation, and is likely to provide a fruitful agenda for future multidisciplinary research.
The largest commercial fishery in medieval Europe was
in the western Baltic. The aim of this pap... more The largest commercial fishery in medieval Europe was
in the western Baltic. The aim of this paper is to assess
traded and landed amounts of the main target species,
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), and to discuss the
development of cod (Gadus morhua) and other fisheries
the eastern and northern parts of the Baltic.
I shall primarily consider the supply side, namely,
the catch and procurement of fish, for which we have a
growing body of evidence. The demand side of
preferences, in both local and international markets,
remains under-researched, but in recent years some
information has become available – primarily from the
analysis of archaeological fish bones – that points to
potential breakthroughs in the future. The commercial,
cultural and political significance of the Baltic fisheries is
currently poorly understood, and this paper will identify
some possible future lines of investigation.
Historical research is playing an increasingly important role in marine sciences. Historical data... more Historical research is playing an increasingly important role in marine sciences. Historical data are also used in policy making and marine resource management, and have helped to address the issue of shifting baselines for numerous species and ecosystems. Although many important research questions still remain unanswered, tremendous developments in conceptual and methodological approaches are expected to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the global history of human interactions with life in the seas. Based on our experiences and knowledge from the "History of Marine Animal Populations" project, this paper identifies the emerging research topics for future historical marine research. It elaborates on concepts and tools which are expected to play a major role in answering these questions, and identifies geographical regions which deserve future attention from marine environmental historians and historical ecologists.
WWII had fundamental consequences for the fishing industry, which in its turn increased its ecolo... more WWII had fundamental consequences for the fishing industry, which in its turn increased its ecological impact both at sea and on land. Changes were due to the partial reprieve for fish stocks and to immediate post-war developments: the use of naval technology for commercial fishing, reorientation of markets, and reassessment
of ocean policies in the light of the war.
Historical overview of aquaculture as introduction to book: Bela Buck & Richard Langan (eds), Aqu... more Historical overview of aquaculture as introduction to book: Bela Buck & Richard Langan (eds), Aquaculture Perspective of Multi-Use Sites in the Open Ocean. The Untapped Potential for Marine Resources in the Anthropocene (Springer, 2017)
International journal of maritime history, Jan 1, 2007
Fisheries historians can learn a great deal from marine science. If properly applied, methodologi... more Fisheries historians can learn a great deal from marine science. If properly applied, methodologies commonly used by fisheries biologists can enrich fish- eries history and offer completely new insights to maritime historians. This article will discuss how one powerful set of analytical tools from fisheries bi- ology can clarify central concepts within the field of fisheries history.
In the introduction and in contributions by Joseph Taylor and Christine Keiner to the Marine Foru... more In the introduction and in contributions by Joseph Taylor and Christine Keiner to the Marine Forum in this issue of Environmental History, the authors refer to the History of Marine Animal Populations (HMAP) project. 1 As HMAP coordinators, we have been invited by the journal editor to respond. A few words on the HMAP project may therefore be of value.
I 1993 brændte problemerne sammen i dansk fiskeri. Flere
{1rs advarsler viste sig uhyggeligt sand... more I 1993 brændte problemerne sammen i dansk fiskeri. Flere {1rs advarsler viste sig uhyggeligt sandfærdige . I denne artikel giver museumsinspektør, dr. phil. Poul Holm et overblik over nogle af de problemer, som har ramt fiskeriet. Den totale fangstmængde kan ikke udvides, og mens erhvervet bliver mere effektivt, må stadig flere skibe lægges op. Antallet af arbejdspladser ombord og på land er faldende. Græ11Sen for vækst frustrerer fiskerne, mens den offentlige debat om erhvervet er i forfald. Den biologiske og politiske styring af fangsterne er ikke accepteret af erhvervet, men andre løsninger er ikke i sigte. Overordnet set er der tale om et erhvervskulturelt fo,jald, som forfatteren definerer som et sammenbrud i det ressourcemæssige, sociale, politiske og ideologiske grundlag for fiskeriet. Der er en fremtid for erhvervet, men den kræver god vilje fra alle parter og vil ikke komme uden store omkostninger for beskæftigelsen og lokalsamfundene.
Northern Studies. The Journal of the Scottish Society for Northern Studies, 2021
In the sixteenth century, fisheries expanded in the Northwest Atlantic due
to the discovery of la... more In the sixteenth century, fisheries expanded in the Northwest Atlantic due to the discovery of large cod stocks off the coast of Newfoundland and on the Grand Banks. The catches flooded a market that was traditionally served by Northeast Atlantic fisheries off Norway, Iceland, the Farnes, and the Shetland Islands. This paper addresses the question: How did the fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic fare during the rise of the Northwest?
We contend that the harvest of marine resources played a critical, but as yet underappreciated an... more We contend that the harvest of marine resources played a critical, but as yet underappreciated and poorly understood, role in global history. In a review of the field of marine environmental history and archaeology we conclude that while much progress has been made, especially in the last two decades, fundamental questions remain unanswered. In order to make full use of the rapid growth of Big Data and ongoing methodological breakthroughs there is a need for collaborative and comparative research. Such joint efforts on a global scale must be guided by a focus on common, simple yet challenging, questions. We propose a Human Oceans Past research agenda to call for multi-and trans-disciplinary archaeological, historical and palaeoenvironmental/palaeoecological research to investigate: (1) when and where marine exploitation was of significance to human society; (2) how selected major socioeconomic , cultural, and environmental forces variously constrained and enabled marine exploitation; and (3) what were the consequences of marine resource exploitation for societal development. We contend that this agenda will lead to a fundamental revision in our understanding of the historical role of marine resources in the development of human societies.
This chapter will first consider the obvious, i.e., changes that have been recognized and given r... more This chapter will first consider the obvious, i.e., changes that have been recognized and given rise to management concerns in recent decades. I shall then look at the long history of poorly understood human impact on and management of marine life through millennia. The major historical impact by humans on marine life have been extractions (fisheries, hunting) followed by habitat change of nearshore waters.1 Despite much attention in recent decades to pollution, introduction of alien species, and climate change, these factors have played relatively minor roles up to the present. Finally, I consider the development of scientific understanding and evidence-based management developing in the last century and a half.
By c. 1990, worldwide captures of marine fish reached the limit of what the oceans could provide,... more By c. 1990, worldwide captures of marine fish reached the limit of what the oceans could provide, given the extractive methods currently available and the limited nature of all marine living resources. The majority of fish stocks globally have since been either fully exploited or over-overexploited (FAO, 2020). During the last millennium, European marine fisheries have risen in five distinct temporal steps, around 1000 AD, after 1500 AD, after 1750, again after 1880 and lastly after 1950. Archaeologists understand the first step as the "fish event horizon," indicated by a rise in volumes of marine fish bones in human settlement sediments around
We apply a novel methodology to the study of the Newfoundland cod fisheries in order to determine... more We apply a novel methodology to the study of the Newfoundland cod fisheries in order to determine a reasoned and acceptable chronological value series for total catch amounts in the early modern period where data are scarce. The paper focuses on the two main protagonists in the Newfoundland fisheries arena in that period: France and England. The period 1675-1790 has been selected as a viable and representative chronology for a case study where data, while available in part, are limited and often missing. The new methodology proposed here enables further exploration, input and assessment such that an ever-greater level of accuracy, integrity and robustness may be achieved in future.
At the turn of the sixteenth century, John Cabot and his successors discovered abundant fish stoc... more At the turn of the sixteenth century, John Cabot and his successors discovered abundant fish stocks in the northwest Atlantic waters near Newfoundland. This article accounts for how sixteenth- and seventeenth-century mapping provide another strand of evidence that supplement our knowledge of the subsequent Iberian, French, and British fisheries. Such cartography exhibited significant mutations and innovations in rendering fishing locations, and illustrating fishing practices and fish species. Fishermen’s knowledge must have informed such mapping. The innovation of hydrographical indicators in aesthetically appealing maps recognized from an early stage the status of the Grand Banks as a globally important feature of submarine topography. More refined and accurate delineations of its submarine plateaus and other adjacent continental shelves closely followed the development of fishing activities, encompassing both Newfoundland’s nearshore and the Grand Banks themselves. Furthermore, such cartography reflected transformative and reciprocal relationships with commerce and inter-state politics across the North Atlantic.
This quantitative study of commodity prices examines theearly modern food market, a period ... more This quantitative study of commodity prices examines theearly modern food market, a period and topic widely neglected byhistorians owing to a lack of data or palaeographic expertise that hasprompted scholars to turn their attention to later periods. Despite theubiquitous presence of fish in European food markets, specialists havedifficulty identifying its consumption levels or price. This paper providesa wide panorama of qualitative observations about food provisioningpractices and the cost hierarchy of commodities on the French marketfrom the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. We conclude that sea fishbecame an affordable alternative source of protein in the general diet.Our research demonstrates that cod fish occupied a good place on theFrench food market, competing successfully against top-sellingcommodities such as meat.
We propose the concept of the "Fish Revolution" to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlan... more We propose the concept of the "Fish Revolution" to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlantic fisheries after AD 1500, which led to a 15-fold increase of cod (Gadus morhua) catch volumes and likely a tripling of fish protein to the Euro-pean market. We consider three key questions: (1) What were the environmental parameters of the Fish Revolution? (2) What were the globalising effects of the Fish Revolution? (3) What were the consequences of the Fish Revolution for fishing com-munities? While these questions would have been considered unknowable a decade or two ago, methodological developments in marine environmental history and historical ecology have moved information about both supply and demand into the realm of the discernible. Although much research remains to be done, we conclude that this was a major event in the history of resource extraction from the sea, mediated by forces of climate change and globalisation, and is likely to provide a fruitful agenda for future multidisciplinary research.
We propose the concept of the “Fish Revolution” to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlan... more We propose the concept of the “Fish Revolution” to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlantic fisheries after AD 1500, which led to a 15-fold increase of cod (Gadus morhua) catch volumes and likely a tripling of fish protein to the European market. We consider three key questions: (1) What were the environmental parameters of the Fish Revolution? (2) What were the globalising effects of the Fish Revolution? (3) What were the consequences of the Fish Revolution for fishing communities? While these questions would have been considered unknowable a decade or two ago, methodological developments in marine environmental history and historical ecology have moved information about both supply and demand into the realm of the discernible. Although much research remains to be done, we conclude that this was a major event in the history of resource extraction from the sea, mediated by forces of climate change and globalisation, and is likely to provide a fruitful agenda for future multidisciplinary research.
The largest commercial fishery in medieval Europe was
in the western Baltic. The aim of this pap... more The largest commercial fishery in medieval Europe was
in the western Baltic. The aim of this paper is to assess
traded and landed amounts of the main target species,
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), and to discuss the
development of cod (Gadus morhua) and other fisheries
the eastern and northern parts of the Baltic.
I shall primarily consider the supply side, namely,
the catch and procurement of fish, for which we have a
growing body of evidence. The demand side of
preferences, in both local and international markets,
remains under-researched, but in recent years some
information has become available – primarily from the
analysis of archaeological fish bones – that points to
potential breakthroughs in the future. The commercial,
cultural and political significance of the Baltic fisheries is
currently poorly understood, and this paper will identify
some possible future lines of investigation.
Historical research is playing an increasingly important role in marine sciences. Historical data... more Historical research is playing an increasingly important role in marine sciences. Historical data are also used in policy making and marine resource management, and have helped to address the issue of shifting baselines for numerous species and ecosystems. Although many important research questions still remain unanswered, tremendous developments in conceptual and methodological approaches are expected to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the global history of human interactions with life in the seas. Based on our experiences and knowledge from the "History of Marine Animal Populations" project, this paper identifies the emerging research topics for future historical marine research. It elaborates on concepts and tools which are expected to play a major role in answering these questions, and identifies geographical regions which deserve future attention from marine environmental historians and historical ecologists.
WWII had fundamental consequences for the fishing industry, which in its turn increased its ecolo... more WWII had fundamental consequences for the fishing industry, which in its turn increased its ecological impact both at sea and on land. Changes were due to the partial reprieve for fish stocks and to immediate post-war developments: the use of naval technology for commercial fishing, reorientation of markets, and reassessment
of ocean policies in the light of the war.
Historical overview of aquaculture as introduction to book: Bela Buck & Richard Langan (eds), Aqu... more Historical overview of aquaculture as introduction to book: Bela Buck & Richard Langan (eds), Aquaculture Perspective of Multi-Use Sites in the Open Ocean. The Untapped Potential for Marine Resources in the Anthropocene (Springer, 2017)
International journal of maritime history, Jan 1, 2007
Fisheries historians can learn a great deal from marine science. If properly applied, methodologi... more Fisheries historians can learn a great deal from marine science. If properly applied, methodologies commonly used by fisheries biologists can enrich fish- eries history and offer completely new insights to maritime historians. This article will discuss how one powerful set of analytical tools from fisheries bi- ology can clarify central concepts within the field of fisheries history.
In the introduction and in contributions by Joseph Taylor and Christine Keiner to the Marine Foru... more In the introduction and in contributions by Joseph Taylor and Christine Keiner to the Marine Forum in this issue of Environmental History, the authors refer to the History of Marine Animal Populations (HMAP) project. 1 As HMAP coordinators, we have been invited by the journal editor to respond. A few words on the HMAP project may therefore be of value.
ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTAL HUMANITIES, 2022
Concerns of the DEH include, firstly, how we come to know – with masses of information becoming i... more Concerns of the DEH include, firstly, how we come to know – with masses of information becoming increasingly available in diverse forms and platform – and secondly, how we work –in collaborative, “glocally” scaled endeavours that integrate physical and virtual environments which are changing techniques, workflows, and the ontology of research and teaching practices – and thirdly, how we understand – as cybernetic tools and methodologies provide radically new insights into and integrations of “old analogue,” “new digital,” and “natural archival” types of data. These concerns inform the three DEH case studies featured in this chapter. The first offers a geo-literary eco-digital geo-hermeneutic on 19th-century US expansion and environmental degradation in the American West; the second offers a “data canon” precis on the North Atlantic “Fish Revolution” between 1500 and 1800; and the third features computer-automated readings of ancient astronomical diaries to analyse ancient relations between climate and conflict in the Fertile Crescent kingdoms of Babylon and Assyria.
We introduce the Humanities for the Environment (HfE) 2018 Report. The HfE 2018 Report consists o... more We introduce the Humanities for the Environment (HfE) 2018 Report. The HfE 2018 Report consists of two publications; of which this Special Issue is one. The other is a special section of the journal Global and Planetary Change 156 (2017); 112–175. While the Humanities special issue may primarily reach our colleagues in the humanities disciplines; the Global and Planetary Change section reaches out to that journal's primary readership of earth scientists. The HfE 2018 Report provides examples of how humanities research reveals and influences human capacity to perceive and cope with environmental change. We hope that the HFE 2018 Report will help change perceptions of what it is we do as humanities scholars. Human preferences, practices and actions are the main drivers of planetary change in the 21st century. The academic disciplines of the humanities are largely concerned with how humans perceive, articulate and behave as a species. Therefore, the Humanities for the Environment is a global initiative of eight regional Observatories that aim to bring out how the humanities may contribute to pro-environmental behaviour. This Special Issue reviews ways in which the humanistic disciplines may help us understand and engage with global environmental problems. The " for " is a carefully chosen word. It originated at talks between founders of the HfE initiative in 2009 (primarily Sally Kitch, Sarah Buie, and Poul Holm). We were united in a concern that the humanities were not playing what we thought could be a vital part in global change scholarship and indeed politics. We believed that there was a need to bring out the best of humanities to identify tools and insights that might contribute to the greater good. We wanted to look not just to self-identified environmental humanists, but to the full range of humanities disciplines to find helpful ways forward.
The “New Human Condition” is our translation of the philosopher Hannah Arendt’s (1906-1975) conce... more The “New Human Condition” is our translation of the philosopher Hannah Arendt’s (1906-1975) concept of the Polis, to consider the turbulent social and environmental climates that have emerged in the first decades of the twenty-first century. While it has been recognized that the role of human agency in global climate change is slowly destroying the conditions for life on earth, our agency also holds the potential to transform social and environmental perception and action to maintain and sustain the essential planetary conditions for the survival of its species. What gave Arendt’s conception of the “human condition” such convincing force in the twentieth century was the recognition that our modern agency had made unimaginable loss possible. The birth of the Anthropocene during the Steam and Industrial Revolutions and its nihilistic manifestation in the detonation of the Atomic Bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, stand as tragic testaments. In the face of these inconceivable acts, Arendt states that humankind can “no longer go back to traditional concepts and values . . . to understand the monstrous by means of the familiar” (1958). The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) comprises over a thousand scientists, but only a small percentage of humanities and social science scholars contribute to its reports. This fact alone illustrates the huge opportunity cost to the world’s societies by not engaging such scholars in these disciplines to address what is essentially a “human problem.” The natural and physical sciences have done mag- nificent, groundbreaking work in alerting us to the threats of global warming, but it is the humanities and social sciences that may hold the keys to addressing the core of human agency that is driving global warming.
Human preferences, practices and actions are the main drivers of global environmental change in t... more Human preferences, practices and actions are the main drivers of global environmental change in the 21st century. It is crucial, therefore, to promote pro-environmental behavior. In order to accomplish this, we need to move beyond rational choice and behavioral decision theories, which do not capture the full range of commitments, assumptions, imaginaries, and belief systems that drive those preferences and actions. Humanities disciplines, such as philosophy, history, religious studies, gender studies, language and literary studies, psychology, and pedagogics do offer deep insights into human motivations, values, and choices. We believe that the expertise of such fields for transforming human preferences, practices and actions is ignored at society’s peril. We propose an agenda that focuses global humanities research on stepping up to the challenges of planetary environmental change. We have established Environmental Humanities Observatories through which to observe, explore and enact the crucial ways humanistic disciplines may help us understand and engage with global ecological problems by providing insight into human action, perceptions, and motivation. We present this Manifesto as an invitation for others to join the “Humanities for the Environment” open global consortium of humanities observatories as we continue to develop a shared research agenda.
ABSTRACT Responses to Environmental and Societal Challenges for our Unstable Earth (RESCUE), ESF ... more ABSTRACT Responses to Environmental and Societal Challenges for our Unstable Earth (RESCUE), ESF Forward Look – ESF-COST ‘Frontier of Science’ joint initiative
Poul Holm, Verena Winiwarter, Climate change studies and the human sciences, In Global and Planetary Change, Volume 156, 2017, Pages 115-122, ISSN 0921-8181, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2017.05.006. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092181811630306X), 2017
Policy makers have made repeated calls for integration of human and natural sciences in the field... more Policy makers have made repeated calls for integration of human and natural sciences in the field of climate change. Serious multidisciplinary attempts began already in the 1950s. Progress has certainly been made in understanding the role of humans in the planetary system. New perspectives have clarified policy advice, and three insights are singled out in the paper: the critique of historicism, the distinction between benign and wicked problems, and the cultural critique of the ‘myths of nature’. Nevertheless, analysis of the IPCC Assessment Reports indicates that integration is skewed towards a particular dimension of human sciences (economics) and major insights from cultural theory and historical analysis have not made it into climate science. A number of relevant disciplines are almost absent in the composition of authorship. Nevertheless, selective assumptions and arguments are made about e.g. historical findings in key documents. In conclusion, we suggest to seek remedies for the lack of historical scholarship in the IPCC reports. More effort at science-policy exchange is needed, and an Integrated Platform to channel humanities and social science expertise for climate change research might be one promising way.
In light of the dilemma of global climate change that we have presented ourselves with in the twe... more In light of the dilemma of global climate change that we have presented ourselves with in the twenty-first century and beyond, many researchers express despair at the ability of humans and societies to change behavior. The paper identifies how global humanity at individual, institutional, and governmental levels have addressed life-threatening dangers in the recent past and begun processes of long-term corrective action. The paper thus discusses global social transformations from the recent past in regards to tobacco use and HIV/AIDS, to think about how Hannah Arendt's concept of the Polis detailed in The Human Condition (1958) may be engaged to address the human dimensions of climate change. As an output of the Andrew W. Mellon European Observatory of the New Human Condition, this paper's focus is commensurate with the thrust of this special issue of Global and Planetary Change which considers climate change to be more of a crisis in the human condition than an environmental problem. Arendt's concept of the Polis provides a framework for a better understanding of change in behavior, preference and motivation. We argue that her perspectives are central to developing multi and inter-disciplinary humanities, social science, science and business perspectives to mobilize collective human action towards adapting to and mitigating the social and environmental threats of global climate change.
R. Hutton (ed), Medieval or Early Modern. The Value of a Traditional Historical Division, Cambridge, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015, pp70 - 84
Historians use periodisation such as the medieval and early modern as a convenient chronological ... more Historians use periodisation such as the medieval and early modern as a convenient chronological shorthand. However, the periodisation is a mind-trap, confusing in its chronological fuzziness and obscuring the long-term impact of phenomena that cut across centuries. The paper argues that environmental historians need long-term rich data-sets and that Big Data analysis will obliterate the "divide".
Please cite this article in press as: Holm, P., et al., Collaboration between the natural, social and human sciences in Global Change Research. Environ. Sci. Policy (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2012.11.010, Dec 22, 2012
In nearly all domains of global change research (GCR), the role of humans is a key factor as a dr... more In nearly all domains of global change research (GCR), the role of humans is a key factor as a driving force, a subject of impacts, or an agent in mitigating impacts and adapting to change. While advances have been made in the conceptualisation and practice of interdisciplinary global change research in fields such as climate change and sustainability, approaches have tended to frame interdisciplinarity as actor-led, rather than understanding that complex problems which cut across disciplines may require new epistemological frameworks and methodological practices that exceed any one discipline.
GCR studies must involve from their outset the social, human, natural and technical sciences in creating the spaces of interdisciplinarity, its terms of reference and forms of articulation. We propose a framework for funding excellence in interdisciplinary studies, named the Radically Inter- and Trans-disciplinary Environments (RITE) framework. RITE includes the need for a realignment of funding strategies to ensure that national and international research bodies and programmes road-map their respective strengths and identified areas for radical interdisciplinary research; then ensure that these areas can and are appropriately funded and staffed by talented individuals who want to apply their creative scientific talents to broader issues than their own field in the long term, rather than on limited scope (5 year and less) research projects. While our references are mostly to Europe, recommendations may be applicable elsewhere.
In the ninth to twelfth centuries the Dublin fleet was one of the most formidable war machines in... more In the ninth to twelfth centuries the Dublin fleet was one of the most formidable war machines in the Irish Sea area. I analyse the annalistic and archaeological evidence for Hiberno-Norse naval power in Dublin around 1000 AD. Drawing on comparative information from Scandinavia and England, I consider the manpower needed for the fleet, and the financial and monetary implications of the size of the fleet.
Tales of Medieval Dublin (http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/product.php?intProductID=1189)
Sometime in the 850s a Leinsterman, Fintan, arrived in the monastery of Rheinau, near St. Gallen ... more Sometime in the 850s a Leinsterman, Fintan, arrived in the monastery of Rheinau, near St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. He came to be considered a most holy man as he decided to have himself shut up in close seclusion in a place near the northern side of the church of St. Mary. He donned a shirt of hair, never indulged himself at the heat of a fire or in the comfort of a bed or a bath. He devoted himself to fasts, vigils and prayers, and became a wonder to the local people who came to see him especially on the feast day of the Irish St Bridget. When he died, presumably 15 November 878, he had lived in this way for 22 years. Because of the veneration with which his monastic community remembered him Fintan was recognized as a saint. It was probably the abbot who decided to have his life written up, and a tenth or eleventh century manuscript Vita Sancti Findani survives to tell his story
A comparative study of thirty city-state cultures: an …, Jan 1, 2000
Viking Dublin and the City-State Concept Parameters and Significance of the Hiberno-Norse Settlem... more Viking Dublin and the City-State Concept Parameters and Significance of the Hiberno-Norse Settlement POUL HOLM (RESPONDENT: DONNCHADH 6 CORRAIN) The Vikings are normally credited with the foundation of Irish towns, and more than one historian has described the ...
(In Danish) The Fight over That Which Noone Owns. On the Rights to Deserted Lands before 1241 as ... more (In Danish) The Fight over That Which Noone Owns. On the Rights to Deserted Lands before 1241 as a Backdrop to Early Medieval Peasant Unrest Discusses royal and monastic encroachment on woodlands in 11th-13th century Denmark
Ten years, ten volumes. Medieval Dublin arrives like clockwork. The series has brought to light a... more Ten years, ten volumes. Medieval Dublin arrives like clockwork. The series has brought to light an exact number of 100 papers on the city and its hinterland. Contributions have been almost equally drawn from archaeology and history, including art history and literature. In all we now have more than 3,000 pages of academic research into the history of medieval Dublin. It is an impressive accumulation of scholarship in such a short time and no other city in Ireland and indeed few in Europe can count themselves so lucky.
What happened to the men and women who were sold on the Dublin slave market in the early middle a... more What happened to the men and women who were sold on the Dublin slave market in the early middle ages? Some were taken off to places as far away as Iceland, Scandinavia, Normandy and the Spanish Caliphate. A few of their voices have survived to be told.
Speaker: Poul Holm
Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, 2019
This paper develops and utilizes novel methods that combine historical records concerning the die... more This paper develops and utilizes novel methods that combine historical records concerning the diets of European naval mariners in the sixteenth century with modern information on the nutritional content of food. Energy, vitamin, and mineral intakes were compared to modern recommended values. Calorie provisions were sufficient and relatively constant in all Western European fleets. The absence of vitamin C was a universal failure of the naval diet. The limiting factor to variety and balance in the naval diet was the demands of preservation with limited technology. Fish declined in importance between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries while beef increased in importance. A database structure that allows for calculation of nutritional information was designed and utilized in this research and is provided online for future reference and calculation of diets.
Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee. VLIZ. Informatie over marien en kustgebonden onderzoek & beleid in ... more Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee. VLIZ. Informatie over marien en kustgebonden onderzoek & beleid in Vlaanderen.
Thinking Ahead. Research, Funding and the Future, 2015
Knowledge integration is key to advances in research and the digital
revolution is providing mass... more Knowledge integration is key to advances in research and the digital revolution is providing masses of data. Yet, humanities research suffers from disciplinary and institutional confines that perpetuate analogue research practices.
Människans kunskap och kunskapen om människan: En gränslös historia. O. H. Maria Wallenberg Bondesson, Janken Myrdal & Mattias Tydén. Lund, Sekel., 2012
Humanistisk forskning producerer fund nøjagtig lige som alle andre videnskaber. Der er ingen fors... more Humanistisk forskning producerer fund nøjagtig lige som alle andre videnskaber. Der er ingen forskel. I det følgende vil jeg give nogle eksempler på humanistiske fund, og hvad de kan bruges til. Jeg vil argumentere for, at fremtidens miljø-og klimaudfordringer saetter humanistisk forskning i centrum, og at den digitale revolution giver enorme og hidtil uindløste muligheder for erkendelsesgennembrud i humaniora. Anvendeligheden af humaniora i både privat og offentligt regi vil stige eksponentielt under forudsætning af, at vi udvikler et koncept for hvad jeg vil kalde translationel humaniora.
This book is open access under a CC BY license.
The first of its kind, this 'Report' gives an ov... more This book is open access under a CC BY license.
The first of its kind, this 'Report' gives an overview of the humanities worldwide. Published as an Open Access title and based on an extensive literature review and enlightening interviews conducted with 90 humanities scholars across 40 countries, the book offers a first step in attempting to assess the state of the humanities globally. Its topics include the nature and value of the humanities, the challenge of globalisation, the opportunities offered by the digital humanities, variations in funding patterns around the world, and the interaction between humanities and society. Despite the stereotypical view of humanists as scholars locked away in their ivory towers, the picture that emerges from this report is that they are deeply committed to the social value of their work and appreciate the long-term importance it has for addressing global challenges. The report will be of interest not only to researchers and students in the humanities themselves, but also to administrators and funders.
Dette oplæg til en forskningspolitisk handlingsplan er udarbejdet af en uafhængig arbejdsgruppe n... more Dette oplæg til en forskningspolitisk handlingsplan er udarbejdet af en uafhængig arbejdsgruppe nedsat af Videnskabsministeriet. Arbejdsgruppen har fået til opgave at udfærdige oplægget med henblik på et indspil til Det Strategiske andre relevante dele af det danske forsknings- og Arbejdsgruppen har skullet udpege og beskrive et antal humanistiske og samfundsvidenskabelige område, som i særlig til at skabe vækst og innovation på det højteknologiske område erhvervslivet.
Knowledge integration is key to advances in research and the digital revolution is providing mass... more Knowledge integration is key to advances in research and the digital revolution is providing masses of data. Yet, humanities research suffers from disciplinary and institutional confines that preserve knowledge silos and perpetuate analogue research practices. I propose that Integrative Platforms may help overcome these constraints.
This report offers an overview of emerging trends in research in the social sciences and humaniti... more This report offers an overview of emerging trends in research in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) in Europe. It is based on the contributions of 14 senior researchers who were asked to review emerging trends in research in the five priorities of theme 8 (Social Sciences and Humanities) of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) as well as cross-cutting trends, and to formulate recommendations for further action.
The panel discusses in what ways the EERA has been and continues to be a participant in the const... more The panel discusses in what ways the EERA has been and continues to be a participant in the construction of an international and European educational research identity, either in line with EU strategies or as an agent in opposition to EU strategies.
Maritime history of the waters of the Kattegat and Skagerrak, the straits between the North Sea a... more Maritime history of the waters of the Kattegat and Skagerrak, the straits between the North Sea and the Baltic. The book examines the impact of war on everyday life in Norway, Sweden and Denmark between 1550 and 1914.
Danish-language history of the fishmeal industry of Esbjerg 1948-1998, based on privileged access... more Danish-language history of the fishmeal industry of Esbjerg 1948-1998, based on privileged access to business archives
I "Aktører i Landskabet" fortæller personer fra forskellige fag... more I "Aktører i Landskabet" fortæller personer fra forskellige fagområder om landskabets forandringer. Hvordan er den lokale erhvervsudvikling med fokus på landbruget? Hvor lever de vilde dyr? Hvor er den gode jord? Hvor er de forhistoriske levn gemt? Flere af forfatterne tager udgangspunkt i undersøgelsesområdet Bjerringbro og Hvorslev kommuner. Et par indlæg diskuterer, hvordan forskningen kan bidrage til en bedre forståelse af landskabet og dermed skabe et bedre grundlag for debat. Hvilket landskab vil vi have? Er mere skov positivt ...
The Wageningen UR Library Catalogue contains bibliographic data on books and periodicals held by ... more The Wageningen UR Library Catalogue contains bibliographic data on books and periodicals held by the libraries of Wageningen University and Research Centre and some 15 associated libraries. Holding data are added to each record. ... Subjects covered include Agrotechnology, Food and Food Production, Plant and Animal Sciences, Soil Science, Geo-information, Landscape and Spatial Planning, Water and Climate, Ecosystem Studies, Economics and Society. ... The joint collections of the participating libraries cover a substantial part of ...
Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and mari... more Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and marine natural resources over time. This is the first book which deals in a systematic way with the theoretical backgrounds of this discipline. Major theories and methods are introduced by leading scholars of the field. The book seeks to encapsulate some of the major novelties of this fascinating new discipline and its contribution to the management, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the cultural heritages of coastal communities in different parts of the world.
In the introduction and in contributions by Joseph Taylor and Christine Keiner to the Marine Foru... more In the introduction and in contributions by Joseph Taylor and Christine Keiner to the Marine Forum in this issue of Environmental History, the authors refer to the History of Marine Animal Populations (HMAP) project. 1 As HMAP coordinators, we have been invited by the journal editor to respond. A few words on the HMAP project may therefore be of value.
In light of the dilemma of global climate change that we have presented ourselves with in the twe... more In light of the dilemma of global climate change that we have presented ourselves with in the twenty-first century and beyond, many researchers express despair at the ability of humans and societies to change behavior. The paper identifies how global humanity at individual, institutional, and governmental levels have addressed life-threatening dangers in the recent past and begun processes of long-term corrective action. The paper thus discusses global social transformations from the recent past in regards to tobacco use and HIV/AIDS, to think about how Hannah Arendt's concept of the Polis detailed in The Human Condition (1958) may be engaged to address the human dimensions of climate change. As an output of the Andrew W. Mellon European Observatory of the New Human Condition, this paper's focus is commensurate with the thrust of this special issue of Global and Planetary Change which considers climate change to be more of a crisis in the human condition than an environmental problem. Arendt's concept of the Polis provides a framework for a better understanding of change in behavior, preference and motivation. We argue that her perspectives are central to developing multi and inter-disciplinary humanities, social science, science and business perspectives to mobilize collective human action towards adapting to and mitigating the social and environmental threats of global climate change.
The Bohuslen fishery was a short but remarkable phase in the transition from South Scandinavian t... more The Bohuslen fishery was a short but remarkable phase in the transition from South Scandinavian to Dutch predominance in the herring fishery. The paper presents calculations of total trade through the Sound and discusses Dutch and Danish competition for supremacy of the herring trade.
From the ninth century, the taking of slaves was an integral part of Viking warfare. Though never... more From the ninth century, the taking of slaves was an integral part of Viking warfare. Though never the prime motive for raiding, it was a means of indicating defiance and was followed up by the extraction of ransom and tribute. Slave-trading with Scandinavia and Iceland developed slowly. In the eleventh century, when the Irish internal struggle for over-kingship escalated, the taking of slaves became a widespread phenomenon. Warring Irish kings sold prisoners of war in the Dublin slave-market and Dublin experienced a growing slave-trade ...
Fiskeriet var af stor økonomisk betydning i senmiddelalderen.
Sild fra Øresund var Europas tredje... more Fiskeriet var af stor økonomisk betydning i senmiddelalderen. Sild fra Øresund var Europas tredjestørste handelsvare, og sammen med torsk og kuller fra Vestkysten og andre fangster var fisk Danmarks vigtigste handelsvare og udgjorde en dobbelt så stor økonomisk værdi som Danmarks næststørste eksportvare, stude. Sildehandelen var domineret af hanseaterne i middelalderen, men i 1500-tallet oplevede de danske købmænd en kortvarig fremgangstid i sammenhæng med stigende økonomisk uafhængighed og fremkomsten af nye fiskerier ved den jyske vestkyst og ved Båhuslen. Mellem 1590 og 1630 gik alle danske fiskerier drastisk tilbage, og den hollandske eksport af sild og torsk fik en altdominerende rolle på det nordeuropæiske fiskemarked helt frem til udgangen af det attende århundrede. Fiskeriet gik ind i en langvarig nedgangsperiode hvorunder kystbefolkningen blev forarmet og måtte finde arbejde som billig arbejdskraft i landbruget. Landet vendte så at sige havet ryggen, og Danmark blev et landbrugsland .
At the turn of the sixteenth century, John Cabot and his successors discovered abundant fish stoc... more At the turn of the sixteenth century, John Cabot and his successors discovered abundant fish stocks in the north west Atlantic waters near Newfoundland. This article accounts for how sixteenth- and seventeenth-century mapping provide another strand of evidence that supplement our knowledge of the subsequent Iberian, French, and British fisheries. Such cartography exhibited significant mutations and innovations in rendering fishing locations, and illustrating fishing practices and fish species. Fishermen’s knowledge must have informed such mapping. The innovation of hydrographical indicators in esthetically appealing maps recognized from an early stage the status of the Grand Banks as a globally important feature of submarine topography. More refined and accurate delineations of its submarine plateaus and other adjacent continental shelves closely followed the development of fishing activities, encompassing both Newfoundland’s nearshore and the Grand Banks themselves. Furthermore, such cartography reflected transformative and reciprocal relationships with commerce and inter-state politics across the North Atlantic.
We contend that the harvest of marine resources played a critical, but as yet underappreciated an... more We contend that the harvest of marine resources played a critical, but as yet underappreciated and poorly understood, role in global history. In a review of the field of marine environmental history and archaeology we conclude that while much progress has been made, especially in the last two decades, fundamental questions remain unanswered. In order to make full use of the rapid growth of Big Data and ongoing methodological breakthroughs there is a need for collaborative and comparative research. Such joint efforts on a global scale must be guided by a focus on common, simple yet challenging, questions. We propose a Human Oceans Past research agenda to call for multi- and trans-disciplinary archaeological, historical and palaeoenvironmental/palaeoecological research to investigate: (1) when and where marine exploitation was of significance to human society; (2) how selected major socio-economic, cultural, and environmental forces variously constrained and enabled marine exploitation; and (3) what were the consequences of marine resource exploitation for societal development. We contend that this agenda will lead to a fundamental revision in our understanding of the historical role of marine resources in the development of human societies.
Humanistisk forskning producerer fund nøjagtig lige som alle andre videnskaber. Der er ingen fors... more Humanistisk forskning producerer fund nøjagtig lige som alle andre videnskaber. Der er ingen forskel. I talen giver jeg nogle eksempler på humanistiske fund, og hvad de kan bruges til. Jeg argumenterer for, at fremtidens miljø- og klimaudfordringer sætter humanistisk forskning i centrum, og at den digitale revolution giver enorme og hidtil uindløste muligheder for erkendelsesgennembrud i humaniora. Anvendeligheden af humaniora i både privat og offentligt regi vil stige eksponentielt under forudsætning af, at vi udvikler et koncept for translationel humaniora.
"Today’s Wadden Sea is a heavily human-altered ecosystem. Shaped by natural forces since its orig... more "Today’s Wadden Sea is a heavily human-altered ecosystem. Shaped by natural forces since its origin 7,500 years ago, humans gradually gained dominance in influencing ecosystem structure and functioning. Here,
we reconstruct the timeline of human impacts and the history of ecological changes in the Wadden Sea. We then discuss the ecosystem and societal consequences of observed changes, and conclude with management implications. Human influences have intensified and multiplied over time. Large-scale habitat transformation over the last 1,000 years has eliminated diverse terrestrial, freshwater, brackish and marine habitats. Intensive
exploitation of everything from oysters to whales has depleted most large predators and habitat-building species since medieval times. In the twentieth century, pollution, eutrophication, species invasions and, presumably, climate change have had marked impacts on the Wadden Sea flora and fauna. Yet habitat loss and overexploitation were the two main causes for the
extinction or severe depletion of 144 species (20% of total macrobiota). The loss of biodiversity, large predators, special habitats, filter and storage capacity, and degradation in water quality have led to a simplification
and homogenisation of the food web structure and ecosystem functioning that has affected the Wadden Sea ecosystem and coastal societies alike. Recent conservation efforts have reversed some negative trends by enabling some birds and mammals to recover and by creating new economic options for society. The Wadden Sea history provides a unique long-term perspective on ecological change, new objectives for conservation, restoration and management, and an ecological baseline that allows us to envision a rich, productive and diverse Wadden Sea ecosystem and coastal society."
Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and mari... more Marine environmental history analyses the changing relationships between human societies and marine natural resources over time. This is the first book which deals in a systematic way with the theoretical backgrounds of this discipline. Major theories and methods are introduced by leading scholars of the field. The book seeks to encapsulate some of the major novelties of this fascinating new discipline and its contribution to the management, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the cultural heritages of coastal communities in different parts of the world.
Fisheries data (landings) in the Baltic Sea have been systematically recorded since the 1920s
wh... more Fisheries data (landings) in the Baltic Sea have been systematically recorded since the 1920s whereas the stock dynamics of most commercially important species (e.g., cod, herring) are available since only the 1960s or 1970s. In this paper we identify and describe potential archival sources of fisheries data that may be useful for investigating multi-decadal scale variability in fish landings. We present examples of some long-term datasets for previous centuries for local fisheries such as those conducted by inhabitants of fishing villages and manors. The information recovered to date includes landings of fish species (e.g., cod, herring, perch, roach, whitefish, ide, pike) of different abiotic and habitat (open sea, coastal) preferences, and human factors that could serve as indirect measures of fishing effort. This information is available for various areas of the Baltic Sea: Bothnian Sea, Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga, northern and central Baltic Proper, Bornholm Basin and the Belts. This material and additional material not yet recovered will provide a new perspective from which to consider factors (e. g., fishing, climate change, eutrophication, marine mammal predation) affecting long-term variations in yields and abundance. Some of the material can be used in comparative studies with fisheries in other geographic regions. This investigation is part of the History of Marine Animal Populations programme of the Census of Marine Life.
As a discipline, marine historical ecology (MHE) has contributed significantly to our understandi... more As a discipline, marine historical ecology (MHE) has contributed significantly to our understanding of the past state of the marine environment when levels of human impact were often very different from those today. What is less widely known is that insights from MHE have made headway into being applied within the context of present-day and long-term management and policy. This study draws attention to the applied value of MHE. We demonstrate that a broad knowledge base exists with potential for management application and advice, including the development of baselines and reference levels. Using a number of case studies from around the world, we showcase the value of historical ecology in understanding change and emphasize how it either has already informed management or has the potential to do so soon. We discuss these case studies in a context of the science–policy interface around six themes that are frequently targeted by current marine and maritime policies: climate change, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem structure, habitat integrity, food security, and human governance. We encourage science–policy bodies to actively engage with contributions from MHE, as well-informed policy decisions need to be framed within the context of historical reference points and past resource or ecosystem changes.
Responses to Environmental and Societal Challenges for our Unstable Earth (RESCUE), ESF Forward L... more Responses to Environmental and Societal Challenges for our Unstable Earth (RESCUE), ESF Forward Look – ESF-COST ‘Frontier of Science’ joint initiative
In the twenty-first century, we are challenged with a transformation in human collective intellig... more In the twenty-first century, we are challenged with a transformation in human collective intelligence. The key features of this transformation involve the " digital " replacing the " analogue " ; design thinking and post-secularism supplanting tradition, and human perception and agency emerging as the main drivers of planetary change. The Digital Anthropocene is defined by the twenty-first century confluence of the digital revolution, global warming and social, economic, and political conflict. The digital environmental humanities can be seen as an academic response to these challenges. This chapter contends digital and geographical information science (GIScience) approaches to " Humanities Big Data " in conjunction with multidisciplinary studies on oceans and cities will be crucial in coming to terms with global climate change. This chapter defines and describes digital environmental humanities practices by featuring two case studies in this emerging field. First, the digital/GIS work-in-progress component of an Environmental History of the North Atlantic 1400–1700 project will be discussed, followed by the Imagineering of SmartCity Lifeworlds as urban-cybernetic dimensions of the " Digital Anthropocene. " Lastly, the chapter argues that literacy in the digital environmental humanities will be necessary to tackle the global humanitarian and environmental challenges of the twenty-first century.
Human preferences, practices and actions are the main drivers of global environmental change in t... more Human preferences, practices and actions are the main drivers of global environmental change in the 21st century. It is crucial, therefore, to promote pro-environmental behavior. In order to accomplish this, we need to move beyond rational choice and behavioral decision theories, which do not capture the full range of commitments, assumptions, imaginaries, and belief systems that drive those preferences and actions. Humanities disciplines, such as philosophy, history, religious studies, gender studies, language and literary studies, psychology, and pedagogics do offer deep insights into human motivations, values, and choices. We believe that the expertise of such fields for transforming human preferences, practices and actions is ignored at society’s peril. We propose an agenda that focuses global humanities research on stepping up to the challenges of planetary environmental change. We have established Environmental Humanities Observatories through which to observe, explore and enact the crucial ways humanistic disciplines may help us understand and engage with global ecological problems by providing insight into human action, perceptions, and motivation. We present this Manifesto as an invitation for others to join the “Humanities for the Environment” open global consortium of humanities observatories as we continue to develop a shared research agenda.
Responses to Environmental and Societal Challenges for our Unstable Earth (RESCUE), ESF Forward L... more Responses to Environmental and Societal Challenges for our Unstable Earth (RESCUE), ESF Forward Look – ESF-COST ‘Frontier of Science’ joint initiative
As a discipline, marine historical ecology (MHE) has contributed significantly to our understandi... more As a discipline, marine historical ecology (MHE) has contributed significantly to our understanding of the past state of the marine environment when levels of human impact were often very different from those today. What is less widely known is that insights from MHE have made headway into being applied within the context of present-day and long-term management and policy. This study draws attention to the applied value of MHE. We demonstrate that a broad knowledge base exists with potential for management application and advice, including the development of baselines and reference levels. Using a number of case studies from around the world, we showcase the value of historical ecology in understanding change and emphasize how it either has already informed management or has the potential to do so soon. We discuss these case studies in a context of the science–policy interface around six themes that are frequently targeted by current marine and maritime policies: climate change, bio...
The ICES Working Group on the History of Fish and Fisheries (WGHIST) is a forum for interdiscipli... more The ICES Working Group on the History of Fish and Fisheries (WGHIST) is a forum for interdisciplinary research on social-ecological change in marine and fisheries systems over multi-decadal to centennial timescales. WGHIST comprises a diverse group of researchers, including marine biologists, fisheries scientists, historians, and historical ecologists, from Europe and North America, as well as Australia, Russia, and South Africa. WGHIST provided a platform for the sharing and reporting of a wide range of research on marine and fisheries systems change over time, including the use of novel and non-traditional data sources and methodologies to identify and interpret these changes. WGHIST members also worked with the ICES Secretariat to forward digital tools to make historical resources more accessible and regarding WGHIST’s potential to support ICES Fisheries and Ecosystem Overviews. WGHIST engaged with the larger research community on the following manuscripts, still in development o...
We propose the concept of the “Fish Revolution” to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlan... more We propose the concept of the “Fish Revolution” to demarcate the dramatic increase in North Atlantic fisheries after AD 1500, which led to a 15-fold increase of cod (Gadus morhua) catch volumes and likely a tripling of fish protein to the European market. We consider three key questions: (1) What were the environmental parameters of the Fish Revolution? (2) What were the globalising effects of the Fish Revolution? (3) What were the consequences of the Fish Revolution for fishing communities? While these questions would have been considered unknowable a decade or two ago, methodological developments in marine environmental history and historical ecology have moved information about both supply and demand into the realm of the discernible. Although much research remains to be done, we conclude that this was a major event in the history of resource extraction from the sea, mediated by forces of climate change and globalisation, and is likely to provide a fruitful agenda for future mult...
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{1rs advarsler viste sig uhyggeligt sandfærdige . I denne
artikel giver museumsinspektør, dr. phil. Poul Holm et
overblik over nogle af de problemer, som har ramt fiskeriet.
Den totale fangstmængde kan ikke udvides, og mens
erhvervet bliver mere effektivt, må stadig flere skibe
lægges op. Antallet af arbejdspladser ombord og på land
er faldende. Græ11Sen for vækst frustrerer fiskerne, mens
den offentlige debat om erhvervet er i forfald. Den biologiske
og politiske styring af fangsterne er ikke accepteret af
erhvervet, men andre løsninger er ikke i sigte. Overordnet
set er der tale om et erhvervskulturelt fo,jald, som forfatteren
definerer som et sammenbrud i det ressourcemæssige,
sociale, politiske og ideologiske grundlag for fiskeriet. Der
er en fremtid for erhvervet, men den kræver god vilje fra
alle parter og vil ikke komme uden store omkostninger for
beskæftigelsen og lokalsamfundene.
to the discovery of large cod stocks off the coast of Newfoundland and on the Grand Banks. The catches flooded a market that was traditionally served by Northeast Atlantic fisheries off Norway, Iceland, the Farnes, and the Shetland Islands. This paper addresses the question: How did the fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic fare during the rise of the Northwest?
Newfoundland. This article accounts for how sixteenth- and seventeenth-century mapping provide another strand of evidence that supplement our
knowledge of the subsequent Iberian, French, and British fisheries. Such
cartography exhibited significant mutations and innovations in rendering
fishing locations, and illustrating fishing practices and fish species.
Fishermen’s knowledge must have informed such mapping. The innovation of hydrographical indicators in aesthetically appealing maps recognized from an early stage the status of the Grand Banks as a globally important feature of submarine topography. More refined and accurate delineations of its submarine plateaus and other adjacent continental shelves closely followed the development of fishing activities, encompassing both Newfoundland’s nearshore and the Grand Banks themselves. Furthermore, such cartography reflected transformative and reciprocal relationships with commerce and
inter-state politics across the North Atlantic.
in the western Baltic. The aim of this paper is to assess
traded and landed amounts of the main target species,
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), and to discuss the
development of cod (Gadus morhua) and other fisheries
the eastern and northern parts of the Baltic.
I shall primarily consider the supply side, namely,
the catch and procurement of fish, for which we have a
growing body of evidence. The demand side of
preferences, in both local and international markets,
remains under-researched, but in recent years some
information has become available – primarily from the
analysis of archaeological fish bones – that points to
potential breakthroughs in the future. The commercial,
cultural and political significance of the Baltic fisheries is
currently poorly understood, and this paper will identify
some possible future lines of investigation.
of ocean policies in the light of the war.
{1rs advarsler viste sig uhyggeligt sandfærdige . I denne
artikel giver museumsinspektør, dr. phil. Poul Holm et
overblik over nogle af de problemer, som har ramt fiskeriet.
Den totale fangstmængde kan ikke udvides, og mens
erhvervet bliver mere effektivt, må stadig flere skibe
lægges op. Antallet af arbejdspladser ombord og på land
er faldende. Græ11Sen for vækst frustrerer fiskerne, mens
den offentlige debat om erhvervet er i forfald. Den biologiske
og politiske styring af fangsterne er ikke accepteret af
erhvervet, men andre løsninger er ikke i sigte. Overordnet
set er der tale om et erhvervskulturelt fo,jald, som forfatteren
definerer som et sammenbrud i det ressourcemæssige,
sociale, politiske og ideologiske grundlag for fiskeriet. Der
er en fremtid for erhvervet, men den kræver god vilje fra
alle parter og vil ikke komme uden store omkostninger for
beskæftigelsen og lokalsamfundene.
to the discovery of large cod stocks off the coast of Newfoundland and on the Grand Banks. The catches flooded a market that was traditionally served by Northeast Atlantic fisheries off Norway, Iceland, the Farnes, and the Shetland Islands. This paper addresses the question: How did the fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic fare during the rise of the Northwest?
Newfoundland. This article accounts for how sixteenth- and seventeenth-century mapping provide another strand of evidence that supplement our
knowledge of the subsequent Iberian, French, and British fisheries. Such
cartography exhibited significant mutations and innovations in rendering
fishing locations, and illustrating fishing practices and fish species.
Fishermen’s knowledge must have informed such mapping. The innovation of hydrographical indicators in aesthetically appealing maps recognized from an early stage the status of the Grand Banks as a globally important feature of submarine topography. More refined and accurate delineations of its submarine plateaus and other adjacent continental shelves closely followed the development of fishing activities, encompassing both Newfoundland’s nearshore and the Grand Banks themselves. Furthermore, such cartography reflected transformative and reciprocal relationships with commerce and
inter-state politics across the North Atlantic.
in the western Baltic. The aim of this paper is to assess
traded and landed amounts of the main target species,
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), and to discuss the
development of cod (Gadus morhua) and other fisheries
the eastern and northern parts of the Baltic.
I shall primarily consider the supply side, namely,
the catch and procurement of fish, for which we have a
growing body of evidence. The demand side of
preferences, in both local and international markets,
remains under-researched, but in recent years some
information has become available – primarily from the
analysis of archaeological fish bones – that points to
potential breakthroughs in the future. The commercial,
cultural and political significance of the Baltic fisheries is
currently poorly understood, and this paper will identify
some possible future lines of investigation.
of ocean policies in the light of the war.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) comprises over a thousand scientists, but only a small percentage of humanities and social science scholars contribute to its reports. This fact alone illustrates the huge opportunity cost to the world’s societies by not engaging such scholars in these disciplines to address what is essentially a “human problem.” The natural and physical sciences have done mag- nificent, groundbreaking work in alerting us to the threats of global warming, but it is the humanities and social sciences that may hold the keys to addressing the core of human agency that is driving global warming.
disciplines may help us understand and engage with global ecological problems by providing insight into human action, perceptions, and motivation. We present this Manifesto
as an invitation for others to join the “Humanities for the Environment” open global consortium of humanities observatories as we continue to develop a shared research agenda.
GCR studies must involve from their outset the social, human, natural and technical sciences in creating the spaces of interdisciplinarity, its terms of reference and forms of articulation. We propose a framework for funding excellence in interdisciplinary studies, named the Radically Inter- and Trans-disciplinary Environments (RITE) framework. RITE includes the need for a realignment of funding strategies to ensure that national and international research bodies and programmes road-map their respective strengths and identified areas for radical interdisciplinary research; then ensure that these areas can and are appropriately funded and staffed by talented individuals who want to apply their creative scientific talents to broader issues than their own field in the long term, rather than on limited scope (5 year and less) research projects. While our references are mostly to Europe, recommendations may be applicable elsewhere.
Discusses royal and monastic encroachment on woodlands in 11th-13th century Denmark
Speaker: Poul Holm
revolution is providing masses of data. Yet, humanities research
suffers from disciplinary and institutional confines that
perpetuate analogue research practices.
The first of its kind, this 'Report' gives an overview of the humanities worldwide. Published as an Open Access title and based on an extensive literature review and enlightening interviews conducted with 90 humanities scholars across 40 countries, the book offers a first step in attempting to assess the state of the humanities globally. Its topics include the nature and value of the humanities, the challenge of globalisation, the opportunities offered by the digital humanities, variations in funding patterns around the world, and the interaction between humanities and society. Despite the stereotypical view of humanists as scholars locked away in their ivory towers, the picture that emerges from this report is that they are deeply committed to the social value of their work and appreciate the long-term importance it has for addressing global challenges. The report will be of interest not only to researchers and students in the humanities themselves, but also to administrators and funders.
udfærdige oplægget med henblik på et indspil til Det Strategiske
andre relevante dele af det danske forsknings- og
Arbejdsgruppen har skullet udpege og beskrive et antal
humanistiske og samfundsvidenskabelige område, som i særlig
til at skabe vækst og innovation på det højteknologiske område
erhvervslivet.
Sild fra Øresund var Europas tredjestørste handelsvare,
og sammen med torsk og kuller fra Vestkysten og andre
fangster var fisk Danmarks vigtigste handelsvare og udgjorde
en dobbelt så stor økonomisk værdi som Danmarks
næststørste eksportvare, stude. Sildehandelen var domineret
af hanseaterne i middelalderen, men i 1500-tallet oplevede
de danske købmænd en kortvarig fremgangstid i sammenhæng
med stigende økonomisk uafhængighed og fremkomsten
af nye fiskerier ved den jyske vestkyst og ved
Båhuslen. Mellem 1590 og 1630 gik alle danske fiskerier
drastisk tilbage, og den hollandske eksport af sild og torsk
fik en altdominerende rolle på det nordeuropæiske fiskemarked
helt frem til udgangen af det attende århundrede.
Fiskeriet gik ind i en langvarig nedgangsperiode hvorunder
kystbefolkningen blev forarmet og måtte finde arbejde som
billig arbejdskraft i landbruget. Landet vendte så at sige
havet ryggen, og Danmark blev et landbrugsland .
Jeg argumenterer for, at fremtidens miljø- og klimaudfordringer sætter humanistisk forskning i centrum, og at den digitale revolution giver enorme og hidtil uindløste muligheder for
erkendelsesgennembrud i humaniora. Anvendeligheden af humaniora i både privat og offentligt regi vil stige eksponentielt under forudsætning af, at vi udvikler et koncept for translationel humaniora.
we reconstruct the timeline of human impacts and the history of ecological changes in the Wadden Sea. We then discuss the ecosystem and societal consequences of observed changes, and conclude with management implications. Human influences have intensified and multiplied over time. Large-scale habitat transformation over the last 1,000 years has eliminated diverse terrestrial, freshwater, brackish and marine habitats. Intensive
exploitation of everything from oysters to whales has depleted most large predators and habitat-building species since medieval times. In the twentieth century, pollution, eutrophication, species invasions and, presumably, climate change have had marked impacts on the Wadden Sea flora and fauna. Yet habitat loss and overexploitation were the two main causes for the
extinction or severe depletion of 144 species (20% of total macrobiota). The loss of biodiversity, large predators, special habitats, filter and storage capacity, and degradation in water quality have led to a simplification
and homogenisation of the food web structure and ecosystem functioning that has affected the Wadden Sea ecosystem and coastal societies alike. Recent conservation efforts have reversed some negative trends by enabling some birds and mammals to recover and by creating new economic options for society. The Wadden Sea history provides a unique long-term perspective on ecological change, new objectives for conservation, restoration and management, and an ecological baseline that allows us to envision a rich, productive and diverse Wadden Sea ecosystem and coastal society."
whereas the stock dynamics of most commercially important species (e.g., cod, herring) are
available since only the 1960s or 1970s. In this paper we identify and describe potential
archival sources of fisheries data that may be useful for investigating multi-decadal scale
variability in fish landings. We present examples of some long-term datasets for previous
centuries for local fisheries such as those conducted by inhabitants of fishing villages and
manors. The information recovered to date includes landings of fish species (e.g., cod,
herring, perch, roach, whitefish, ide, pike) of different abiotic and habitat (open sea, coastal)
preferences, and human factors that could serve as indirect measures of fishing effort. This
information is available for various areas of the Baltic Sea: Bothnian Sea, Gulf of Finland,
Gulf of Riga, northern and central Baltic Proper, Bornholm Basin and the Belts. This
material and additional material not yet recovered will provide a new perspective from which
to consider factors (e. g., fishing, climate change, eutrophication, marine mammal predation)
affecting long-term variations in yields and abundance. Some of the material can be used in comparative studies with fisheries in other geographic regions. This investigation is part of the History of Marine Animal Populations programme of the Census of Marine Life.
of planetary environmental change. We have established Environmental Humanities Observatories through which to observe, explore and enact the crucial ways humanistic
disciplines may help us understand and engage with global ecological problems by providing insight into human action, perceptions, and motivation. We present this Manifesto
as an invitation for others to join the “Humanities for the Environment” open global consortium of humanities observatories as we continue to develop a shared research agenda.