Fisheries economist/scientist post-doctoral researcher

Centre for Applied Research at NHH (SNF), a research institute at the Norwegian School of Economics, Bergen, Norway, invites applications for a three years post-doc position. The position is funded by the Research Council of Norway as part of the CASINO-project (Winners and losers in the climate casino: Arctic marine resources under climate change). The project has an interdisciplinary scope and candidates should have, or be close to complete, a PhD in economics, ecology, or a related field. The primary objective of the project is to examine climate change impacts on fish, shellfish and their fisheries in the Atlantic and Pacific Arctic shelf seas. In the project, we will use a systemic approach to track main impacts of climate change through the natural and societal parts of the seas and the economic activities they support. The interdisciplinary and comparative perspective builds on experiences from case studies to identify common and case-specific challenges, and results will increase the understanding of climate-related challenges for Arctic marine resources and support integrated ocean management.

Applicants should outline a research plan within the scope of the project, broadly defined (further details on the project are given below). Working in Norway, the post-doc will have access to detailed and unique Norwegian fisheries data and be situated in one of the fisheries economics hubs of the world. The candidate will have the option to, and will be encouraged to, visit and collaborate with project partners at the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Stockholm), the Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø), and the Institute of Marine Research (Bergen). In addition to the appropriate research experience with regard to skills and knowledge, the ideal candidate has strong written and oral communication skills; English fluency is required.

The salary will be competitive with corresponding positions in Norway. The post-doc researcher will have access to Norwegian benefits in terms of free health care and other public services, and SNF offers a favorable pension scheme. As part of a project funded by the Research Council of Norway, the researcher also is eligible for travel funds for research stays abroad during the fellowship period. One can apply for extension of the fellowship period corresponding to the length of the stay abroad. Further details available here: https://www.forskningsradet.no/en/call-for-proposals/2019/personal-overseas-research-grant-for-doctoral-and-post-doctoral-fellows/.SNF (http://snf.no) is a research institute whose principal owner is the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). We conduct research and research-based studies for central decision makers in the private and public sector. Our project portfolio covers a wide range of research areas, including labor market and education, behavioral economics, taxation and public economics, industrial economics and competition policy, and energy and resource economics. On the west coast of Norway, Bergen has a mild and coastal climate and offers ample opportunities for culture and outdoor activities.

Applicants are asked to submit a brief application letter, a complete CV, certificates with grades, and other relevant documentation. Up to five publications or working papers and a research plan should also be attached. Applications should be submitted by e-mail to snf@snf.no by March 16, 2022. Enquiries about the position can be directed to Sturla Kvamsdal, project leader (sturla.kvamsdal@snf.no).

Project summary:
More than anywhere else on earth, climate change affects Arctic marine environments, resources, economies, and societies. Higher temperatures, retreating sea ice, increasing acidity, and many other vectors of change redefine conditions of biological life, ecological structures, and socioeconomic opportunities in the high north. Direct impacts on Arctic marine resources, in particular fish stocks, can benefit fishing and related activities, but indirect and systemic effects are less investigated. Assessing the impacts of climate change on the oceans, marine ecosystems, and communities that depend on them is a complex problem that requires convergence research – intimate collaboration between multiple scientific disciplines – to improve our ability to understand the pathways and effects of change. We seek to uncover pathways of climate-driven change in Arctic marine resources by applying a framework for integrated ecosystem-based management. The project will combine insights from a series of case studies to identify priorities for integrated ocean management in the Arctic.

We aim to study impacts of climate change on fish, shellfish and their fisheries in the extended Arctic, which includes the Barents, Nordic and Bering Seas. We focus specially on biological and economic productivity  changes, resilience of ocean resource management systems, and international governance. We will strengthen and complement the existing interdisciplinary approach on ecosystem-based fisheries management towards 1) a pan-Arctic perspective on Arctic marine resources under climate change and 2) understanding inherent complexities arising from the increasingly intertwined interactions between society and the natural environment it uses for its support. The project we propose leverages existing knowledge to support integrated ecosystem-based management of Arctic marine resources in the climate casino.