NOFIMA Repository
Not a member yet
2784 research outputs found
Sort by
FishPoll – a serious game about sharing moving fish stocks under climate change
Full text linkoai:nofima.brage.unit.no:11250/3213320Climate change is driving shifts in fish stock distributions, creating challenges for transboundary fisheries governance and quota allocation. Traditional negotiation processes often fail to achieve consensus among stakeholders, leading to geopolitical tensions and unsustainable resource use. To address this, we introduce FishPoll, an innovative serious game designed to simulate the complexities of quota negotiations under changing ecological conditions in a fictional scenario. FishPoll provides a structured, yet flexible, role-playing environment where participants take on the roles of coastal state representatives, negotiating catch allocations based on shifting stock distributions. The game incorporates a dynamic “sliding scale” mechanism that transitions quota allocation from historical rights to zonal attachment, offering a realistic and interactive framework for decision-making. Through structured gameplay and facilitated discussions, FishPoll simulates quota negotiations to illustrate the consequences of participants failing to reach consensus. Thereby, the game fosters collaborative problem-solving, policy exploration, and stakeholder engagement in fisheries management. Furthermore, it encourages discussions about allocation agreements. Playtesting with scientists and policymakers demonstrated that FishPoll enhances understanding of allocation challenges, stimulates constructive dialogue, and serves as a practical tool for research, education, and stakeholder training. Hence, FishPoll may contribute to the discourse on the tragedy of the commons while offering a valuable addition to previous intervention games. FishPoll represents a novel application of serious gaming in fisheries governance, bridging the gap between scientific modelling and real-world negotiation dynamics.publishedVersio
Assessment of welfare aspects of stunning and killing of farmed fish in Norway
Full text linkBakgrunn: Millioner av fisk bedøves og avlives i norsk akvakultur hvert år. Fiskens velferd er beskyttet gjennom lovverket, og det er krav om at alle individer skal være bevisstløse før avlivning og holdes bevisstløse til de er bekreftet døde etter avblødning. Det er mangelfull kunnskap om i hvilken grad de forskjellige bedøving og avlivningsmetodene som brukes i Norge oppfyller regelverket for alle aktuelle fiskearter. Oppdrettsfisk har forskjellig anatomi, fysiologi og adferd, og det er individuelle forskjeller i størrelse og helsestatus som det må tas hensyn til ved slakting. På grunn av dette ba Mattilsynet Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM) gjøre en vurdering av hvilke kriterier for dokumentasjon av metoder som vil sikre fiskevelferden under slakting, samt hvordan forskjeller mellom fiskeartene kan påvirke fiskevelferden og krav til dokumentasjonen. VKM ble også bedt om å oppsummere kunnskapen og risikofaktorer for fiskevelferden ved metoder for bedøving og avliving for oppdrettsfisk i Norge. Metoder: VKM opprettet en arbeidsgruppe med ekspertise innen fiskevelferd, slaktemetoder og risikovurdering. Litteratursøk ble utført av Folkehelseinstituttet. Det ble også utført ytterligere manuelle søk, inkludert gjennomgang av artikler sitert i den nyeste litteraturen, søk i prosjektdatabasen til Fiskeri- og havbruksnæringens forskningsfinansiering og nettsteder til offentlige organisasjoner. Artene som ble inkludert i søket var fisk som oppdrettes i Norge til konsum: laks, regnbueørret, røye, ørret, kveite, piggvar, torsk, flekksteinbit og yellowtail kingfish. I tillegg ble enkelte fiskearter inkludert som ikke går til konsum, men som fortsatt kan komme til slakteriene: fisk brukt til lakselusbekjempelse (rognkjeks, berggylt, bergnebb, grønngylt, grasgylt) og villfisk (sei, hyse) som kan ha kommet inn i merdene under produksjonsfasen. Effektene av bedøvelse og avliving på fiskens velferd ble vurdert ved å følge en modifisert versjon av EFSAs veiledning om vurderingskriterier for søknader om nye eller endrede bedøvningsmetoder. Vurderinger: Velferden hos fisk er essensiell under bedøving og avlivning, og det er viktig å etablere kunnskap om metoder som sikrer at alle individer holdes bevisstløse til de er bekreftet døde. Elektroencefalogram (EEG) er den beste metoden til å bekrefte bevisstløshet og død. Måling av EEG på enkelt fisk er derimot ikke praktisk gjennomførbart på slakteriet i dag, og derfor må forskjellige fysikkrelaterte parametere sammen med atferds- og fysiologiske indikatorer brukes. Elektrisk bedøvelse er en metode som forårsaker midlertidig bevisstløshet. Den største risikofaktoren for redusert fiskevelferd med denne metoden er derfor at fisken gjenvinner bevisstheten før avblødning. Effekten av elektrisk bedøvelse varierer mellom artene, og det er nødvendig med dokumentasjon av effekten hos hver enkelt art. Antall fisk som kommer til tørr elektrisk bedøvelse er en viktig faktor for fiskevelferden, siden for mange fisk på en gang øker risikoen for utilstrekkelig bedøvelse og dermed unødvendig smerte og lidelse for fisken. Slagbedøvelse forårsaker umiddelbart og irreversibelt tap av bevissthet når slagene påføres korrekt og med tilstrekkelig kraft. Utføres slaget feil, for eksempel ved å treffe fisken på feil sted eller med for lite kinetisk energi, kan fisken forbli bevisst mens den blir avlivet. Dette vil forårsake lidelse for fisken. Automatiske slagbedøvere må tilpasses til fiskens størrelse og art, sistnevnte fordi hjernens plassering varierer mellom arter. Den største velferdsrisikoen ved avlivingsmetoden gjellekutting er utilstrekkelig kutting med langsom avblødning, noe som resulterer i at fisken kan gjenvinne bevisstheten før den er død. (...)Assessment of welfare aspects of stunning and killing of farmed fish in NorwayacceptedVersio
Preventing Illegal Enterprise in the Norwegian Fisheries Industry
Full text linkUnreported fishing in Norwegian cod fisheries has been a concern for years. The scope is unknown, but it is a recognised challenge that unregistered fish are being added to the legal supply. Despite strict regulations, prevention is complex, and ample opportunities exist for misreporting. We analyse how prevention mechanisms in Norwegian fisheries address the enterprise environment that affects industry actors’ behaviour and misreporting practices by applying an integrated framework of combining the enterprise model with situational crime prevention (SCP). Implemented prevention mechanisms are organised according to the five opportunity-reducing strategies in the SCP model and linked to the enterprise dimensions of supply, demand, competition, and regulation. Based on this, we discuss why the existing prevention strategies are (in)sufficient for preventing unreported fishing. The study shows that the prevention mechanisms mainly address supply and regulation dimensions. Despite their significant role in driving and facilitating unreported fishing, less emphasis is given to market and competition. The analysis reveals the limitations of the heavy reliance of the prevention on fisheries resource control, as many of the motivating conditions are outside the realm of the control authorities. To enhance the prevention of fisheries crime, the authorities should expand the perspective to encompass contextual challenges such as competitive conditions and low profitability. The framework proves helpful for analysing fisheries crime prevention, offering insights into addressing food fraud in legitimate supply chains, but the analysis would have benefited from a more apparent distinction between the different conditions that influence criminal behaviour.publishedVersio
“Is This Edible Anyway?” The Impact of Culture on the Evolution (and Devolution) of Mushroom Knowledge
Full text linkpublishedVersio
Material Properties of Paperboard With Biodegradable and Nonbiodegradable Coatings Affected by Storage Conditions and Contact With Selected Food Products
Full text linkThis study aimed to evaluate the suitability of paperboard with biodegradable and nonbiodegradable coatings as alternatives to conventional plastics under realistic storage conditions and in contact with moist and fatty foods. Paperboard with biodegradable (PLA/PBAT) and nonbiodegradable (PET and PE) coatings in contact with mayonnaise, cream cheese and butter were stored under refrigerated conditions (4°C/85%RH) for 1, 3, 6 and 9 weeks. To evaluate the impact on functional properties, tensile strength, puncture resistance, water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) and thickness were measured before and after storage. The mechanical properties of coated paperboards were significantly affected by storage conditions and food contact. Moisture from humid air led to swelling of the cellulose fibres that caused structural changes and weakening. Paperboard with the biodegradable coating was more prone to weakening by food contact than by refrigerated storage alone, with mayonnaise having the greatest effect. For paperboard with the nonbiodegradable coatings, the impact of different foods was less pronounced. These materials generally experienced similar or less weakening from food contact than refrigerated storage alone, highlighting the effectiveness of the coating layers as barrier between moist and fatty foods and the cellulose fibres. These findings emphasise the need to test functional properties after storage under realistic conditions in contact with relevant food products for extended periods, when considering the feasibility of replacing plastic packaging with fibre-based alternatives.publishedVersio
Ultrasound and enzymatic processing of Palmaria palmata – effects on biochemical components
Full text linkPalmaria palmata is gaining commercial interest in the northern hemisphere as a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. However, the complex cell wall limits digestibility and extraction efficiency. This study investigated the use of ultrasound (US) and enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE), individually and in combination, to enhance the extraction of valuable components from P. palmata and to reduce iodine content. The US treatment was tested at two energy inputs (2.0 W/g and 9.1 W/g) alongside EAE using the multifunctional carbohydrase mixture Depol 793 EAE effectively degraded the cell wall components of P. palmata, resulting in a solid fraction rich in proteins. In contrast, the liquid fraction was enriched with sugars (xylose, glucose and galactose) and ash. In contrast, US alone did not affect extraction, and no additive or synergistic effects were observed when combining US with EAE. No significant reduction in iodine was obtained for any of the treatments, ranging from 10 % to 18 %. This study confirms that EAE is a promising approach for nutrient extraction from P. palmata, and future studies should explore additional enzymes and optimize US conditions to further improve extraction efficiency, in addition to including analysis of toxic elements to identify potential challenges for safe consumption.publishedVersio
Transcriptomic characterization of transitioning cell types in the skin of Atlantic salmon
Full text linkBackground The skin maintains the body’s integrity and serves as the first line of defence against pathogens, stressors and mechanical injuries. Despite the global significance of salmon in aquaculture, how the transcriptomic profile of cells varies during wound healing remains unexplored. Teleost’s skin contains adult pluripotent cells that differentiate into various tissues, including bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, adipose, dermis, muscle and connective tissue within the skin. These cells are pivotal for preserving the integrity of skin tissue throughout an organism’s lifespan and actively participate in the wound healing processes. In this study, we characterize the transcriptomic profiles of putative mesenchymal stromal cells (fibroblast-like adult stem cells) in healthy Atlantic salmon tissue and during the wound healing process. Results Single-nucleus sequencing and spatial transcriptomics were used to detect transcriptomic changes occur ring during wound healing that are commonly associated with mesenchymal stromal cells. We followed the transcriptomic activity of these cells during an in vivo wound healing time course study showing that these cells become more transcriptionally active during the remodelling stage of wound healing. The changes detected give insights into the potential differentiation pathways leading to osteogenic and fibroblast lineages in the skin of Atlantic salmon. Conclusions We chart the transcriptomic activity of subclusters of putative differentiating stromal cells during the process of wound healing for the first time, revealing different spatial niches of the various putative MSC subclusters, and setting the stage for further investigation of the manipulation of transitioning cell types to improve fish health.publishedVersio
In Atlantic salmon skin infested with salmon lice, elevated seawater temperatures change gene expression and mucus glycosylation, which promotes pathogen binding
Full text linkSkin barrier function is paramount for fish health and is likely affected by the predicted increases in seawater temperature. Salmonid skin produces a mucus layer mainly composed of mucins. Mucin glycans regulate interactions with pathogens, including binding to host cells, quorum sensing and regulation of virulence genes. In this work, the objective was to elucidate the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) skin mucosal responses to temperature in the presence of salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) to mimic salmon louse pressure at sea. A simultaneous louse and temperature challenge trial was performed, at low (5 °C), medium (10 °C), and high (17 °C) temperatures, using a protocol resulting in lice at the same development stage and density in all groups. Temperature affected skin morphology, with a thinner outer epidermal layer with fewer mucous cells at 17 °C than at 5 °C. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry demonstrated that the skin mucin O-glycome changed with temperature: the most pronounced glycan changes were a decrease of the disaccharide Sialyl-Tn and an increase of the tetrasaccharide NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-3[NeuAcα2-6]GalNAcol and sulfated glycans at 17 °C. Principal component analysis of gene expression data clustered samples according to temperature treatments, and changes in expression of homologues of human sialyl-, core 1-, Gal, and GalNAc transferase genes were proposed to be linked to the glycan changes observed by mass spectrometry. Finally, Aeromonas salmonicida had a higher ability to bind mucins from fish kept at 17 °C than at 5 °C, demonstrating effects of temperature related glycosylation changes on host-pathogen interactions.publishedVersio
Discrimination of normal and wooden breast chicken fillets using NIR, fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy
Full text linkWooden breast (WB) is a concerning myopathy affecting broilers that results in hardened and pale fillets, with lowered pysicochemical, technological and textural traits. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been successful to sort defective meat, but other spectroscopic methods, such as fluorescence emission, based on the detection of fluorophores, and Raman, based on inelastic scattering, have never been tested for this purpose. Breasts (40 normal, 40 WB) from a commercial slaughterhouse were selected by an experienced veterinarian and measured with NIRS (780–1080 nm), fluorescence emission (350–580 nm) after excitation at 330 nm, and Raman (100–3250 cm−1, 50 s of exposure moving the sample). Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to measure T2 relaxation distribution, and water, fat and collagen content were measured for reference. Finally, PLS models assessed the discriminant power of each technology. The NIRS and NMR spectra showed more loosely bound water in WB. Fluorescence allowed to detect collagen and collagen crosslinking, as well as adipose tissue, and revealed two groups within the WB, one with greater collagen, and another with higher fat content. Raman spectra displayed a greater distinction of these two groups, and revealed less protein in WB, besides increased collagen and fat. Reference measurements of moisture, fat and collagen were well correlated with principal componentsof spectral data from each method, confirming the interpretation. Although NIRS accurately discriminates between normal and WB (100% accuracy), fluorescence, with 95%, and Raman, with 100%, revealed markers that could be used to assess the degree of both fibrosis and lipidosis in WB, providing a more detailed characterization of histological lesions.publishedVersio