Technology and Nature

Changing Definitions of Wild Life

Salmon hatcheries produce millions of salmon to augment wild populations and sustain fishing industries, but emerging knowledge about salmon genomics has called into question the “wildness” of hatchery salmon. This research studies changes over time in how "wild" salmon have been defined in Canada and the United States and traces the social, political, and economic factors underlying what seems to be a scientific question on the surface. https://doi.org/10.1177/2514848620945315

Producing Climate-Resilient Nature

Climate change is altering the scale and intensity of threats to forests through interactions between abiotic (drought, heat, etc.) and biotic (pathogens, viruses, insects) threats. These changes are taking place faster than tree species can adapt, leaving forests increasingly vulnerable to large-scale disturbances. Genomic technologies offer tools to address forest health issues by providing insights into pest-host interactions, identifying the genetic signatures of resilient trees, and enabling more precise selection of desirable traits.

While responses to novel technologies are frequently plotted along a support-opposition continuum, the debate over selective breeding Pacific salmon is multivalent, with respondents supporting selective breeding in some contexts while opposing it in others. Nearly half of respondents supported selective breeding to fix the mistakes of past interventions and rewild salmon. Given that past problems have stemmed from technological responses, these findings paradoxically suggest that further interventions may not necessarily be perceived as violating values of naturalness or wildness. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2022.2144476

These tools could be particularly valuable in mitigating the effects of large-scale forest disturbances, such as epidemic-level outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (MPB) which have caused widespread destruction of forests in North America. Drawing on STS and sociology of risk, this study situates public knowledge not as a barrier to overcome but as a critical input for co-developing actionable and context-sensitive solutions. We ask: How do forest managers and stakeholders view forest health and resilience? What are the perceived benefits of genomic selection for MPB resilience? What are the perceived barriers, risks, and uncertainties facing implementation of resilient seedlings for mitigating future MPB outbreaks? https://tria-for.ualberta.ca/

Technology and Visions of Production in Artificial Breeding Programs This paper builds on the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, introducing the concept of cumulative visioning to describe how multiple, often conflicting, visions of salmon have developed over time and been woven into biopolitical systems of economic and technological order. Drawing from 105 interviews with stakeholders involved in Canadian Pacific salmon management, the study identifies four distinct sociotechnical visions of salmon production: abundant, sporting, wild, and resilient. These visions reflect competing economic, cultural, and ecological priorities, shaping management strategies that attempt to balance sustainable harvest with conservation. This study offers new insights into the evolving and sometimes contradictory nature of sociotechnical imaginaries in the context of sustainable fisheries, food security, and conservation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-025-10737-w