Exploited anadromous fish in Portugal: Suggested direction for conservation and management.

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and allis shad (Alosa alosa) have been fished for centuries in mainland Portugal during their upstream spawning migration. Here, biological information is compared for the two species and governance and monitoring data from Portugal are reviewed to propose species-specific courses of future action. Despite a national fisheries legislation common for the two species and the designation of Sites of Community Interest (SCIs) for both, the current conservation needs for sea lamprey and allis shad in Portugal are considered to be distinct. For sea lamprey, conservation priorities must focus on planning fisheries managementinarticulationwithhabitatrecoverytoguaranteecost-effective monitoring andsustainablelong-termexploitationthataddsvaluetolocalcommunitiesandpaysdue taxation. Onthecontrary,conservationconcernsandactionsforallisshadmuststrengthenandbemore proactive in the reduction of fishing mortality, both target (in rivers) and by catch (at sea).There is a need to make better use of the opportunities inherent in the Habitats Directive and the possibility to define specific management actions within SCIs. To this effect, it will be necessary to revise existing legislation and guarantee better articulation between jurisdictional authorities. A good example in this direction is the articulation already established in the river Mondego where habitat restoration, fish monitoring and effective species-specific fisheries control measures have been taken and implemented in recent years by a large institutional partnership.

Non perennial Mediterranean Rivers in Europe: Status, pressurs, and challanges for research and management

Non-perennial rivers and streams (NPRS) cover >50% of the global river network. They are particularly predominant in Mediterranean Europe as a result of dry climate conditions, climate change and land use development. Historically, both scientists and policy makers underestimated the importance of NRPS for nature and humans alike, mainly because they have been considered as systems of low ecological and economic value. During the past decades, diminishing water resources have increased the spatial and temporal extent of artificial NPRS as well as their exposure to multiple stressors, which threatening their ecological integrity, biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structural and functional characteristics of NPRS in the European Mediterranean, and discuss gaps and problems in their management, concerning their typology, ecological assessment, legislative and policy protection, and incorporation in River Basin Management Plans. Because NPRS comprise highly unstable ecosystems, with strong and often unpredictable temporal and spatial variability - at least as far as it is possible to assess - we outline the future research needs required to better understand, manage and conserve them as highly valuable and sensitive ecosystems. Efficient collaborative activities among multidisciplinary research groups aiming to create innovative knowledge, water managers and policy makers are urgently needed in order to establish an appropriate methodological and legislative background. The incorporation of NPRS in EU-Med River Basin Management Plans in combination with the application of ecological flows is a first step towards enhancing NPRS management and conservation in order to effectively safeguard these highly valuable albeit threatened ecosystems

Predicting Pollicipes pollicipes (Crustacea: Cirripedia) abundance on intertidal rocky shores of SW Portugal: a multi-scale approach based on a simple fetch-based wave exposure index

Understanding and predicting patterns of distribution and abundance of marine resources is important for con- servation and management purposes in small-scale artisanal fisheries and industrial fisheries worldwide. The goose barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) is an important shellfish resource and its distribution is closely related to wave exposure at different spatial scales. We modelled the abundance (percent coverage) of P. pollicipes as a function of a simple wave exposure index based on fetch estimates from digitized coastlines at different spatial scales. The model accounted for 47.5% of the explained deviance and indicated that barnacle abundance increases non-linearly with wave exposure at both the smallest (metres) and largest (kilometres) spatial scales considered in this study. Distribution maps were predicted for the study region in SW Portugal. Our study suggests that the relationship between fetch-based exposure indices and P. pollicipes percent cover may be used as a simple tool for providing stakeholders with information on barnacle distribution patterns. This information may improve assessment of harvesting grounds and the dimension of exploitable areas, aiding management plans and support- ing decision making on conservation, harvesting pressure and surveillance strategies for this highly appreciated and socio- economically important marine resource.

Os sistemas integrados de gestão na Administração Pública : Estratégias de desenvolvimento e reorientação organizacional. Estudo de um caso

Os Organismos públicos encontram-se, actualmente, a desenvolver estudos a nível dos Sistemas Integrados de Gestão, motivados pela necessidade que existe em adoptar novas técnicas de Gestão capazes de responder às novas exigências de informação. Em termos gerais, os Organismos públicos encontram-se numa fase de viragem na sua actuação, em que surge a necessidade de dispor de novos sistemas de informação capazes de dar resposta às exigências da Nova Gestão Pública. É certo que a Nova Gestão Pública conduz a uma maior motivação, proporcionando uma melhoria na obtenção dos resultados e modernizando a relação entre o controlo das despesas públicas e a prestação de contas a nível dos órgãos do Estado, e onde a uniformização de critérios se apresenta como um dos principais requisitos para criar condições de implementação de uma contabilidade pública que funcione como instrumento de apoio aos utilizadores da informação e, em particular, aos Órgãos de Chefia e Direcção. Este trabalho analisa o caso do Exército Português, como exemplo de um Organismo público que aproveitou a obrigatoriedade de adesão ao novo Regime de Administração Financeira do Estado, para promover a implementação de um Sistema Integrado de Gestão capaz de responder às novas exigências de informação. Analisam-se também as estratégias de actuação e reorientação organizacional utilizadas pelo Exército Português, de modo a permitir o desenvolvimento e implementação do sistema baseado na uniformização de critérios que garanta os requisitos e as técnicas de Gestão capazes de criar condições para desenvolver uma contabilidade pública que funcione como instrumento de apoio à decisão. ABSTRACT; At present, government entities are developing studies at an Integrated Management System level, impelled by the actual need of adopting new Management techniques capable of responding to the new demands regarding Information. ln global terms, government entities are reaching a turning point in its way of acting, due to the arising need of settling new information systems which provide an answer to the demands of the New Public Management. It is assured that the New Public Management leads to a higher motivation, providing an improvement in accomplishing results and modernizing the link between the control of public expenditure and presenting accounts of State Organs. It also presents the criteria standards as one of the main requirements to create implementation conditions of a public accounting which operates as a support mean to the information users and, more specifically, to the Command and Boarding Bodies. This study analyses the Portuguese Army, an example of government entity which seized the obligation of joining the New Public Financial Management Regime to promote the implementation of an Integrated Management System capable of responding to the new information demands. The performing strategies and organizational refocus used by the Portuguese Army are also analyzed in order to allow the development and implementation of the system. It is based in the standard criteria that secure the requirements and Management techniques which enable the progress of a public accounting acting as a support resource in decision-making.

Influência da gestão do habitat na distribuição e abundância do coelho-bravo no Sítio Natura 2000 Monchique

O coelho-bravo, devido à sua importância ecológica e económica, tem sido alvo de diversos planos de gestão e vários esforços têm sido empreendidos no sentido de contrariar o decréscimo das suas populações. Este estudo foi realizado em três zonas de caça do Sítio Monchique e o principal objectivo é determinar se as medidas de gestão implementadas influenciam a distribuição e abundância da espécie na área de estudo. A abundância relativa foi interpolada com o método "Inverso do Peso da Distância" {IDW), e as relações entre presença de coelho e os descritores ambientais foram analisadas através de Modelos Lineares Generalizados (GLM). Os resultados da modelação estatística mostraram que as medidas de melhoria de habitat parecem ter sido determinantes para um aumento da área de distribuição do coelho-bravo nos locais intervencionados. São propostas novas medidas de gestão, cujo objectivo será promover a continuação do aumento da ocorrência e abundância da espécie neste local. /ABSTRACT: The wild rabbit, due to its ecological and economical role, has been the target of several management plans and considerable efforts have been made to enhance its populations. This study was held in three game estates located inside Monchique Natura 2000. Site and aims to determine if the habitat management actions implemented in the study area influence rabbit distribution and abundance. The relative abundance was interpolated to all study area with lnverse Distance Weight method {IDW} and the relationships between rabbit presence and the environmental descriptors were evaluated with Generalized Linear Models (GLM). The results of the statistical modelling showed that the management actions seem to have contributed significantly to an enhancement on the rabbit occurrence in the studied game estates. Several new management actions are proposed with the aim to continue to increase rabbit occurrence and abundance in this site.

Product/Brand co-creation methodology crossing marketing, design thinking, creativity and management: ideas(r)evolution

This thesis introduce a new innovation methodology called IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION that was developed according to an on-going experimental research project started in 2007. This new approach to innovation has initial based on Design thinking for innovation theory and practice. The concept of design thinking for innovation has received much attention in recent years. This innovation approach has climbed from the design and designers knowledge field towards other knowledge areas, mainly business management and marketing. Human centered approach, radical collaboration, creativity and breakthrough thinking are the main founding principles of Design thinking that were adapted by those knowledge areas due to their assertively and fitness to the business context and market complexity evolution. Also Open innovation, User-centered innovation and later on Living Labs models emerge as answers to the market and consumers pressure and desire for new products, new services or new business models. Innovation became the principal business management focus and strategic orientation. All this changes had an impact also in the marketing theory. It is possible now to have better strategies, communications plans and continuous dialogue systems with the target audience, incorporating their insights and promoting them to the main dissemination ambassadors of our innovations in the market. Drawing upon data from five case studies, the empirical findings in this dissertation suggest that companies need to shift from Design thinking for innovation approach to an holistic, multidimensional and integrated innovation system. The innovation context it is complex, companies need deeper systems then the success formulas that “commercial “Design thinking for innovation “preaches”. They need to learn how to change their organization culture, how to empower their workforce and collaborators, how to incorporate external stakeholders in their innovation processes, hoe to measure and create key performance indicators throughout the innovation process to give them better decision making data, how to integrate meaning and purpose in their innovation philosophy. Finally they need to understand that the strategic innovation effort it is not a “one shot” story it is about creating a continuous flow of interaction and dialogue with their clients within a “value creation chain“ mindset; RESUMO: Metodologia de co-criação de um produto/marca cruzando Marketing, Design Thinking, Criativity and Management - IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION. Esta dissertação apresenta uma nova metodologia de inovação chamada IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION, que foi desenvolvida segundo um projecto de investigação experimental contínuo que teve o seu início em 2007. Esta nova abordagem baseou-se, inicialmente, na teoria e na práctica do Design thinking para a inovação. Actualmente o conceito do Design Thinking para a inovação “saiu” do dominio da area de conhecimento do Design e dos Designers, tendo despertado muito interesse noutras áreas como a Gestão e o Marketing. Uma abordagem centrada na Pessoa, a colaboração radical, a criatividade e o pensamento disruptivo são principios fundadores do movimento do Design thinking que têm sido adaptados por essas novas áreas de conhecimento devido assertividade e adaptabilidade ao contexto dos negócios e à evolução e complexidade do Mercado. Também os modelos de Inovação Aberta, a inovação centrada no utilizador e mais tarde os Living Labs, emergem como possiveis soluções para o Mercado e para a pressão e desejo dos consumidores para novos productos, serviços ou modelos de negócio. A inovação passou a ser o principal foco e orientação estratégica na Gestão. Todas estas mudanças também tiveram impacto na teoria do Marketing. Hoje é possivel criar melhores estratégias, planos de comunicação e sistemas continuos de diálogo com o público alvo, incorporando os seus insights e promovendo os consumidores como embaixadores na disseminação da inovação das empresas no Mercado Os resultados empiricos desta tese, construídos com a informação obtida nos cinco casos realizados, sugerem que as empresas precisam de se re-orientar do paradigma do Design thinking para a inovação, para um sistema de inovação mais holistico, multidimensional e integrado. O contexto da Inovação é complexo, por isso as empresas precisam de sistemas mais profundos e não apenas de “fórmulas comerciais” como o Design thinking para a inovação advoga. As Empresas precisam de aprender como mudar a sua cultura organizacional, como capacitar sua força de trabalho e colaboradores, como incorporar os públicos externos no processo de inovação, como medir o processo de inovação criando indicadores chave de performance e obter dados para um tomada de decisão mais informada, como integrar significado e propósito na sua filosofia de inovação. Por fim, precisam de perceber que uma estratégia de inovação não passa por ter “sucesso uma vez”, mas sim por criar um fluxo contínuo de interação e diálogo com os seus clientes com uma mentalidade de “cadeia de criação de valor”