The Directory of Research Centers in the Fishery Sector, edited by the European Commission in 1994, is based on replies to a widely circulated questionnaire and provides a comprehensive overview of European institutes in this sector. Although the Commission stressed the point that the inventory can in no way be considered complete as it relies on volunteered information, a total number of 646 European institutes with a focus on fishery research and development could be identified. The analysis of a randomized subsample (n = 32) showed that 72% of these institutes are executing research and development activities in collaboration with developing countries. Almost all of the research centers (93%) gave data about the number of scientists and other staff employed by their organisation. The number of staff involved in the European fishery sector according to these research centers adds up to 9234 scientists, and another 8424 as support staff.
More than 50% of the responding institutes gave information about their annual research budget (ECU/Year). The overall budget of the 348 institues (out of 648) summed up to more than 455 million ECU in 1994.
Fig. 9: Distribution of research and development institutions within the European Member States in the field of fisheries (n = 646)
The highest number of institutes per country could be identified for the United Kingdom (Fig. 9). Whereas Italy, France and Spain still possess considerably high numbers of fishery institutes, less than twenty institutes per country could be identfied for Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium and Austria.
Fig. 10: Research areas of European research centers in the fishery sector
With respect to the institutional research areas, most European institutes are involved in aquacultural research and management aspects of fisheries. Considerable competence of European institutions can also be found in the domains of fishery product research (upgrading of fishery products, research on food technology, food science and related disciplines, consumer response and demand studies), technical aspects (fishing techniques, fishing operations) and genetic resources (reproduction, genetics and conservation of gametes, biochemical population genetics). Research areas which fall under the category "Others" comprise ecosystem management, environmental technologies, oceanography and socioeconomics (Fig. 10).
Fig. 11: Clustering of research activities of European research centers in the fishery sector
Clustering the research activities of these institutes clearly shows major emphasis in the area of aquatic ecology and fish biology and covers all aquatic commercial species of fish, molluscs, bivalves, etc. Furthermore, major research areas could be identified in the fields of fish genetics, environmental research and fish physiology. Socioeconomic research is undertaken by less than 20 European institutes in the aquaculture and fishery sector (Fig. 11).
It is important to mention that 12% of the research centers in the fisheries sector belong to the private sector. Their main research areas are in the fields of food technology research, food science and related disciplines, breeding of all aquatic commercial species and fishing techniques.
The FAO/ICLARM Directory of Educational and Training opportunities in Fisheries and Aquaculture lists 79 courses (from a total of 670 records worldwide) in the areas of fisheries, aquaculture and fish genetics with 31, 36 and 33% within the EIARD Member States, respectively (Fig. 12). 54% of the European institutes in the aquaculture and fisheries sector explicitly offer courses for applicants from developing countries. The educational and training opportunities comprise vocational, BSc, MSc, PhD and non-specific training.
Fig. 12: Thematic areas of educational and training opportunities in fisheries and aquaculture
Fig.13: Number of educational and training opportunities in fisheries and aquaculture within the EIARD Member States
The distribution of courses within the European Union shows a remarkable number of training opportunities in the United Kingdom, and to a minor extent in Ireland. Rather low numbers of training courses could be identified in Germany, Greece and Sweden (Fig. 13).
Fig.14: Main subject areas in the educational and training programmes of EIARD Member States in the fisheries sector
The analysis of the major training opportunities shows large numbers of training courses in the breeding, marine ecology and fish biology sectors (Fig 14). Training in the field of fish diseases, processing and wastewater management is represented by just two courses each.
It should be noted that almost all courses are held in English. Only four courses are offered in French, and one each in Spanish and Portuguese. This is quite astonishing in view of the fact that a high number of potential training candidates comes from French, Spanish or Portuguese speaking developing countries.
In 1997 the European Tropical Forest Research Network (ETFRN) published a "Directory of European Research Institutions in the Field of Tropical and Mediterranean Forests" as part of its information service. The directory comprises more than 450 European research institutions in 16 European countries involved in tropical and subtropical forest research in the broadest sense.
Fig.15: Distribution of research and development institutions within the EIARD Member States in the field of tropical, subtropical and Mediterranean forests (n = 453)
The distribution of research and development institutions within the European Union according to countries showed high numbers of institutes in Germany, the United Kingdom and France and lower numbers in the Netherlands, Italy and Austria (Fig 15). The other European countries have an institutional capacity in forestry dedicated to research in the Tropics and Subtropics of less than twenty institutes each.
The clustering of the research and development institutes according to their general research orientation resulted in high capacities in the fields of forest technology, socioeconomics and forest conservation. The lowest institutional capacities have been identified in the soil science and forest ecology areas (Fig. 16).
Fig.16: Clustering of the research and development institutions according to their research orientation (n = 453)
The evaluation of the most cited research activities of the European institutions, however (see Fig. 17), showed pronounced activity in the areas of ecology, biodiversity and agroforestry. When comparing Figures 16 and 17, a discrepancy between the most cited research activity - ecology - and the research orientation - forest / technology becomes evident.
Fig.17: Number of the ten most cited research activities of European institutions concerned with research and development in the field of tropical, subtropical and Mediterranean forests
Fig. 18:Continental focus of partnerships in research and development of European forestry institutes
The continental focus of partnerships of European institutions involved in forest research and development is rather evenly distributed, with the highest number of activities in Latin America and Africa and to a slightly minor extent in Asia. In the Mediterranean region there are still considerable efforts in forest research and development (Fig. 18). Almost the whole research in this specific region is done by the Mediterranean countries Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece. However, a detailed regional description of the distribution of research and development activities of the European institutes on the three continents Africa, Asia and Latin America is presented in the figures annex 1.
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