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In August 2013 we set sail from Stromness on our second Sea Change expedition, aboard Lerwick community boat The Swan, with a crew of 27 artists, scientists and informers. More ›

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The expedition crew of 27 includes a wide range of scientific and creative folk.
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Quota

bunk and deck

quota
n
1. the proportional or part of a whole that is due from, due to, or allocated to a person or group
2. a prescribed number or quantity, as of items to be manufactured, imported, or exported, immigrants admitted to a country
[from Latin quota pars how big a share?, from quotus of what number]

Individual fishing quotas (IFQs) also known as “individual transferable quotas” are one kind of catch share, a means by which many governments regulate fishing. The regulator sets a species-specific total allowable catch (TAC), typically by weight and for a given time period. A dedicated portion of the TAC, called quota shares, is then allocated to individuals. Quotas can typically be bought, sold and leased, a feature called transferability

I have been thinking about QUOTAS. I am trying to understand BIG and complex issues relating to fishing quotas after much discussion relating to quota, quota shares and trading and leasing quotas.

QUOTA of space in the fish hold.

On our voyage, there was much discussion on possible claustrophobia in our allotted sleeping berths. Now that I am back in my spacious Glasgow flat with its high ceilings, I have been thinking about how privileged I am to have more than ample space to sleep and live.

TRADING my shallow bunk for the stars in vast Unst Skies.
I spent the night on deck cosy in my sleeping bag, waking every few hours to check the sky and Swans mast above. I realised how much I value having space above me (I am a flyer rather than a diver). I am sure there must be a ‘phobia’ relating to lack of sleep in shallow closed spaces.
In the past, fishermen on the Swan would have no time for such luxury, hauling fish through the night. I was very lucky indeed to spend a night on the deck of a 113 year old herring drifter on the most northerly point of Britain.

 

THE CROWDED STORM

Many communities worldwide live in crowded areas with limited personal space so 8 days on a crowded boat was hardly a huge burden to bear.

I have been reading ‘The Coming Storm’ (The people of Bangladesh have much to teach us about how a crowded planet can best adapt to rising sea levels. For them, that future is now)

“…a possible multifoot rise in sea level by 2100 as a result of climate change. Such a scenario
could mean that 10 to 30 million people along the southern coast would be displaced, forcing Bangladeshis to crowd even closer together or else flee the country as climate refugees—a group predicted to swell to some 250 million worldwide by the middle of the century, many from poor, low-lying countries”.

More HERE

There are many QUOTAS to think about. Big and small.

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Author: Deirdre Nelson

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Joins the expedition for week 2 and 3 Deirdre Nelson is an artist working mainly in textiles. Her nomadic nature and interest in communities have allowed her to develop work for exhibiton and on residencies both in UK and Australia.
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James Brady’s expedition blog for ecoartscotland

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See James Brady’s blog here:   http://ecoartscotland.net/    

Leaving Fair Isle

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Andy Crabb’s Sea Changes Part 1 now on vimeo

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Sea Changes, part 1 featuring Karine Polwart from Andy Crabb on Vimeo. Part 1 of a film about Cape Farewell’s Northern Isles expedition, on board the Swan LK243. The Swan is a traditional Shetland fishing sail boat, restored and operated by a community based trust in Shetland swantrust.com/. She is a truly beautiful boat. The film... Read more ›

Carbon Cycle

1.carbon sink
CARBON/SINK Site-specific organic drawing, North Haven pier, Fair Isle (peat and fresh water / 12” x 120”)     A musing on the ecology of the Carbon Cycle and the human intervention within it’s system: the symbiotic links between the entropy of organic matter – moorland as a carbon sink – fossil fuels – carbon... Read more ›

Wind, stone

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Wind, stone: by Teresa Elwes

Fish For The Table

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FishForTheTable 03 vimeo from Tam Treanor.

Microcosms: Eons, Tides and Dreams

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‘I go to the rockpool at the slack of the tide to mind me what my poetry’s for.’ –      Jen Hadfield (from the poem, Daed-traa*)           ‘The parent materials were gathered together as volcanoes poured them out in fiery streams, as waters running over the bare rocks of the continents wore... Read more ›

Quota

bunk and deck
quota n 1. the proportional or part of a whole that is due from, due to, or allocated to a person or group 2. a prescribed number or quantity, as of items to be manufactured, imported, or exported, immigrants admitted to a country [from Latin quota pars how big a share?, from quotus of what... Read more ›

Freedom Come All Ye” performed by Karine Polwart in The Italian Chapel, Orkney August 2013.

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“Freedom Come All Ye” performed by Karine Polwart in The Italian Chapel, Orkney August 2013. from Andy Crabb on Vimeo. In August 2013 members of Cape Farewell’s “Sea Change” project explored the landscapes, history and future of the Orkneys whilst sailing on board The Swan, a beautifully restored Shetland Fifie. The group consisting of artists,... Read more ›

Pelagic Gannets

gannet
When the seas calmed and I was no longer confined to my sick bunk, it was wonderful to be on deck and to observe my new watery surroundings, I saw gannets flap and glide past the Swan and was amazed to see their large wingspan for the first time. They truly are a majestic bird!... Read more ›

Sea change See change

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Poet. Climate change.  Environmentalist.  Scientist. Carbon economy. (Ex-)soldier. Renewables. Conservationist.  Fishing quota.  Artist. Sustainability. Writer.  Everyday words susceptible to our own interpretation, predisposition and characterisation.   Words that can be polarising and divisive.  So what happens when you mix them with a few associated ingredients?  On the one hand there is the potential for an explosive... Read more ›

Big words + Lumpy times

scalloway map
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