] [log in to unmask] wrote:

]So the fresh graduate is competing now with a strong "cohort"  of
]the  previous  generation,  plus  seniors looking to lighten up a
]little.

In Europe, we  neither  had  draft-dodgers  swamping colleges nor
much of a war in SEAsia.  However,  in  the  real  world  of  the
European   Community,  junior  scientists  have  to  compete  for
research        funds/data        access/jobs/whatever       with
100-to-300-papers-CV senior scientists:

    - Is this acceptable ?   [And  with  this  question  I'm  not
      referring   to  ethical  issues  but  to  the  operativity,
      development and evolution of fish/ery research];

    - What can be done to  avoid such unfair competition (if this
      may be considered 'unfair' at all) ?;

    - Does fish related  research  (to  society)  go  beyond  any
      sociobiological game ?  [i.e.  a sociobiological game where
      those  who  made  it  in the 60's, in an expanding research
      complex, say: If you're enough good, boy, you'll make it].

The  outcome of the applications for funds are very clear: Junior
scientists, no matter how 'good',  are denied funds and forced to
be at the 'hot-dog stand' for a year or so to afford the high end
computer badly needed to run the  data  analyses;  to  distribute
around  700.000  newspapers in a year to pay the motorboat gas to
go out sampling; to  live  and  eat  poorly, lacking even medical
insurance, etc.

Under such conditions,  many  junior  scientists  are expected to
produce and compete with publications in the international arena.
And if they complain, they may be kicked out of the  game.   This
implies  that  _huge  human  efforts_ have to be made in order to
'make it'.  Tolls are high.  Hence, the FE list owner receives so
many e-mails where junior  scientists  write something like this:
"AP, just get me off, I've got to quit  'cause  ...".   I  always
attempt  to  cheer  up  and  encourage  them  not-to-quit but the
'casualty' toll's already there.  I  do not have hard figures but
after >4 years running this conference, I've got  the  perception
this  'problem'  is  worse  than  I  ever  thought.

Finally, for myself, yes, I may think "I'll make it if  I'm  good
enough"  but  I  cannot  apply  the  same premise to other junior
scientists: In my view, marine  research  goes well beyond a mere
sociobiological game: We may  be  contributing  to  develop  this
world  to  the better, we've acquired a huge responsibility being
academics and, in  this  chain-venture,  it  is  the weakest link
which   breakes.    In   academia,   we   need   more   of    the
the Gung-Ho (working and struggling together) spirit.

Cheers,

    Aldo-Pier Solari.