The Environmental Uses of Experiment
Tuesday, 4 June 2019, 6 – 8pm 
A lecture by Dr Romain Grancher (French National Center for Scientific Research) organised by Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities in association with the Irish Environmental History Network.
The Environmental Uses of Experiment: A History of vernacular and scientific forms of fisheries management
(XVIIIth-XIXth century)
Following on from the work in the history of science devoted to the reconstruction of experimental practices, this presentation provides a new historical perspective on the notion of “épreuve” (which has often been translated by “test” or even “crucial test”) and its environmental uses from a survey of early vernacular and scientific forms of fisheries management. The challenge is to understand how a new mode of governance of the sea based on the use of scholarly tests spread and then became institutionalized in France during the 18th and 19th centuries. To do this, it will first be necessary to put the accounts of fishing experiments carried out at sea or on the shore in their production context, in order to identify the circumstances of the use of the test. In a second step, several specific cases will make it possible to identify the challenges of these tests, which could be organised to assess the state of marine resources, test the effects of certain techniques or verify the validity of fisheries regulatory measures. In a final step, we will examine more precisely the origins and meaning of the use of the test, with the aim of showing how the application of the experimental approach to fisheries management has enabled the navy administration to strengthen its power over the fishing world.
About
Romain Grancher works as an associate researcher (chargé de recherche) at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). He holds a PhD in history (2015) from the University of Rouen on the fishing world in Dieppe, Normandy, from the 1720s to the 1820s. His research spans maritime jurisdictions, work at sea, marine resources exploitation and most recently the political economy and management of fisheries in France and Europe.
Campus Location: Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute
Accessibility: Yes
Room: Neill Lecture Theatre
Event Category: Conferences, Lectures and Seminars, Public
Type of Event: One-time event
Audience: Undergrad, Postgrad, Alumni, Faculty & Staff, Public
Cost: Free
