Evaluatie van de milieu-impact van WArrelnet- en boomKOrvisserij op het Belgisch deel van de Noordzee (WAKO). Eindrapport

The project WAKO wants to give a first attempt to map the current knowledge and the knowledge gaps on the effects of trammel net and beam trawl fisheries for the Belgian part of the North Sea. The project focuses on three ecosystem components, i.e. benthic invertebrates, sea birds and marine mammals. The aim of this project consists of three phases: (1) compilation and analysis of existing, experimental data for the Belgian part of the North Sea on the effects of trammel net and beam trawl fisheries; (2) current knowledge on the impact of beam trawl and trammel/gill net fisheries, based on literature review and (3) evaluation of the direct effects of beam trawl and trammel/gill net fisheries on three ecosystem components, knowledge gaps and investigation of an appropriate methodology to evaluate the environmental impact of fishing gears.WAKO indicates that direct, short-term effects of trammel net and beam trawl fisheries are clearly directed to different ecosystem components. Similarities between analogous, scientific studies allow a first evaluation of the effects, but quantitative data (on both biological impact data and data related to fishing effort and distribution) are so far insufficient to allow the development of a decision support tool for environmental and fisheries management

The reliability of perinatal and neonatal mortality rates: Differential under-reporting in linked professional registers vs. Dutch civil registers

Official Dutch perinatal mortality rates are based on birth and death certificates. These civil registration data are not detailed enough for international comparisons or extensive epidemiological research. In this study, we linked and extrapolated three national incomplete, professional registers from midwives, obstetricians and paediatricians, containing detailed perinatal information. This linkage and extrapolation resulted in one detailed professional database which is representative of all Dutch births and from which gestational age-specific perinatal mortality rates could be calculated. The reliability of these calculated mortality rates was established by comparing them with the rates derived from the national civil registers. The professional database reported more perinatal deaths and fewer late neonatal deaths than the civil registers. The underreporting in the civil registers amounted to 1.2 fewer perinatal deaths per 1000 births and was most apparent in immature newborns. We concluded that under-reporting of perinatal and neonatal deaths depends on the data source used. Mortality rates for the purpose of national and international comparison should, therefore, be defined with caution. This study also demonstrated that combining different incomplete professional registers can result in a more reliable database containing detailed perinatal information. Such databases can be used as the basis for extensive perinatal epidemiological research

Can dissonance engineering improve risk analysis of human–machine systems?

The paper discusses dissonance engineering and its application to risk analysis of human–machine systems. Dissonance engineering relates to sciences and technologies relevant to dissonances, defined as conflicts between knowledge. The richness of the concept of dissonance is illustrated by a taxonomy that covers a variety of cognitive and organisational dissonances based on different conflict modes and baselines of their analysis. Knowledge control is discussed and related to strategies for accepting or rejecting dissonances. This acceptability process can be justified by a risk analysis of dissonances which takes into account their positive and negative impacts and several assessment criteria. A risk analysis method is presented and discussed along with practical examples of application. The paper then provides key points to motivate the development of risk analysis methods dedicated to dissonances in order to identify the balance between the positive and negative impacts and to improve the design and use of future human–machine system by reinforcing knowledge

Collapse of the world's largest herbivores

Large wild herbivores are crucial to ecosystems and human societies. We highlight the 74 largest terrestrial herbivore species on Earth (body mass ≥100 kg), the threats they face, their important and often overlooked ecosystem effects, and the conservation efforts needed to save them and their predators from extinction. Large herbivores are generally facing dramatic population declines and range contractions, such that ~60% are threatened with extinction. Nearly all threatened species are in developing countries, where major threats include hunting, land-use change, and resource depression by livestock. Loss of large herbivores can have cascading effects on other species including large carnivores, scavengers, mesoherbivores, small mammals, and ecological processes involving vegetation, hydrology, nutrient cycling, and fire regimes. The rate of large herbivore decline suggests that ever-larger swaths of the world will soon lack many of the vital ecological services these animals provide, resulting in enormous ecological and social costs