Divya Karnad

Bio: Divya Karnad is an academic researcher from Ashoka University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Fishing & Bycatch. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 13 publications receiving 119 citations. Previous affiliations of Divya Karnad include Rutgers University & National Centre for Biological Sciences.

Perceptions matter: how fishermen's perceptions affect trends of sustainability in Indian fisheries

Abstract: Indian marine fisheries have expanded four-fold in the last 50 years in the form of open-access commons. Although studies predict that fish stocks are on the decline there is little evidence that these declines are being countered by changes in either fishing regulations or fishing practices. Fishermen rarely comply with regulations, instead operationalizing and directing the fishery on their own. In these circumstances understanding how fishermen perceive and use resources has significant management and policy implications. Our study examined fishermen's perceptions about the state of fish stocks and documents current fishing practice and management strategies in India. We surveyed 342 fishermen in two states, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. We found that 86% of fishermen perceived a decline in catch and 69% perceived a decline in bycatch. Fishermen adapt to these declines by increasing fishing area and time spent, changing their gear, and overlapping in fishing zones. The convoluted interactions between ineffective community and state regulations guiding their actions has prevented fishermen from developing successful models of sustainable fisheries management. We identified non-compliance with regulations and government incentives as an important livelihood opportunity. Non-compliance drives change in fishing practice by giving fishermen the flexibility to respond to perceived fish catch dynamics by modifying their practices. We recommend strengthening local fishing communities by enabling them to enforce fishing regulations locally and by scaling back of existing government incentives, to protect the sustainability of these fisheries.

Locating effective commons and community in Maharashtra State's Fisheries, India

Abstract: OF THE DISSERTATION LOCATING EFFECTIVE COMMONS AND COMMUNITY IN MAHARASHTRA STATE'S FISHERIES, INDIA By DIVYA KARNAD Dissertation Directors: Kevin St. Martin Bonnie McCay This thesis views commons and resource management through a lens of plurality. Through discussions of plural identities, diverse economies and multiple legal systems, this work seeks to challenge the bounds of commons thinking, pushing past static understandings of people, social networks, the environment and resources. Principles created by Elinor Ostrom and colleagues have largely defined the commons management discourse, but my work follows that of St Martin, McCay and Jentoft in realizing the limits to a systems approach to commons research. The commons institution that I study does not fit Ostrom's criteria, and therefore could be assumed to be a failure, except that I have found evidence of key outcomes of successful commons institutions. These include management based on goals of social equity and ecological sustainability, as well as clear examples of the existence of community. Understanding this so-called 'anomalous' institution as successful requires a reexamination of commons theory. Thus my work uses post structural thinking,

Local drivers of declining shark fisheries in India

Abstract: This study evaluates local-scale drivers of shark harvests in India, one of the world’s largest shark fishing nations. Focusing on key harbours in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, which together contribute 54% of India’s shark harvest, this study uses a semi-structured survey to examine the practices of shark fishers and traders, their knowledge of shark trade and policy, and perceptions of shark declines. Findings indicate that a domestic market for shark meat is presently the main local driver for harvests rather than the global trade in shark fins. Sharks are mostly non-target catch, landed whole, contributing to the protein needs of coastal communities. Consumer demand is the greatest for small-bodied and juvenile sharks. Perceived steep declines in shark numbers and sizes have had economic impacts on fishers and traders. The unregulated domestic market for shark meat is a key challenge requiring nuanced local approaches that diverge from global shark conservation priorities.

萨义德的“Orientalism”释义

Abstract: 萨义德以其独特的双重身份,对西方中心权力话语做了分析,通过对文学作品、演讲演说等文本的解读,将O rie n ta lis m——"东方学",做了三重释义:一门学科、一种思维方式和一种权力话语系统,对东方学权力话语做了系统的批判,同时将东方学放入空间维度对东方学文本做了细致的解读。

Law's Empire

Abstract: Scholars of culture, humanities and social sciences have increasingly come to an appreciation of the importance of the legal domain in social life, while critically engaged socio-legal scholars around the world have taken up the task of understanding "Law's Empire" in all of its cultural, political, and economic dimensions. The questions arising from these intersections, and addressing imperialisms past and present forms the subject matter of a special symposium issue of Social Identities under the editorship of Griffith University's Rob McQueen, and UBC's Wes Pue and with contributions from McQueen, Ian Duncanson, Renisa Mawani, David Williams, Emma Cunliffe, Chidi Oguamanam, W. Wesley Pue, Fatou Camara, and Dianne Kirkby. This paper introduces the volume, forthcoming in late 2007. The central problematique of this issue has previously been explored through the 2005 Law's Empire conference, an informal but vibrant postcolonial legal studies network.

Justice, Nature and the Geography of Difference

Abstract: This book engages with the politics of social and environmental justice, and seeks new ways to think about the future of urbanization in the twenty-first century. It establishes foundational concepts for understanding how space, time, place and nature the material frames of daily life are constituted and represented through social practices, not as separate elements but in relation to each other. It describes how geographical differences are produced, and shows how they then become fundamental to the exploration of political, economic and ecological alternatives to contemporary life.