The scientific basis of marine pollution control

The author examines the scientific basis of the work of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP). Problems of definition and methodology are discussed, and the work of GESAMP working groups on, among others, Marine Waste Disposal, Coastal Water Quality Criteria and the Impact of Oil on the Marine Environment are reported. The author concludes that marine pollution control at the international level has not been able to make much practical headway because political expectations have outstripped scientific and administrative possibilities.     

Failing the high seas: A global evaluation of regional fisheries management organizations

Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) collectively manage the largest distinct area of the world, the high seas, but their effectiveness in conserving the fish stocks therein has been questioned lately, as many stocks have declined. This study quantitatively assesses the effectiveness of the world's 18 RFMOs, based on a two-tiered approach, concentrating first on their performance ‘on paper’ and secondly, in practice. The former was determined by assessing how well RFMOs scored against 26 criteria that together reflect current RFMO best practices. The latter assessment referenced the current state of the stocks RFMOs manage, through biomass and fishing mortality reference points and biomass trends through time. Results show low performance of RFMOs for both assessments, i.e., average scores of 57% and 49%, respectively. The latter result is emphasized by findings that reflect two-thirds of stocks fished on the high seas and under RFMO management are either depleted or overexploited. Findings also indicate that there is no connection between the two sets of scores, suggesting a disparity between organization intent and action.     

基于Visual C++的MapObjects功能扩展的探讨

本文从组件的内部结构、MapObjects基本功能的组合、MO与其它组件的结合展开讨论,提出了Visual C++6.0编程环境下的MO功能扩展的三种方式,并对其基本原理和具体程序进行了介绍,包括图层渲染类型识别、图层搜索、MO空间数据集合管理与组织,从而为更好地使用MO组件提供一种思路。     

The certified Maine North Woods, where money grows from trees

Beginning in the 1990s, private ownership in Maine forestland shifted from a number of corporate owners to a patchwork of timber investment management organizations (TIMOs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs). This transformation reflected restructuring trends in the paper and pulp industry. During this same period, forest certification increased to levels that today make Maine one of the most certified states in the United States with nearly 8 million acres certified by one of a number of certifying entities. This paper examines the contradictory tensions of these trends. Specifically, the conservation goals of certification are undercut by increased investment in timber resources characterized by new financial instruments focused on return on investments. The increased use of first-party, industry-based certification suggests that the antagonisms between capital and conservation are being resolved in ways that undermine the purported conservation goals of forest certification standards.     

Nonprofit Foundations and Grassroots Organizing: Reshaping Urban Governance*

Collaborative urban governance has increased the role of community organizations in local decision‐making processes. These organizations need financial resources in order to participate in urban governance. In this article, I examine the impact of foundation grants on the relationships and agendas of four community organizations in one neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota. Drawing on interviews, observations of organizations, and archival research, I demonstrate that in the 1990s, nonprofit foundations had a significant impact on the formation of new organizations and on their agendas in the neighborhood. Foundations are, therefore, an important player in urban governance, shaping a “neighborhood policy regime.”     

Context and differentiation: Comparative analysis of two community-based fishers’ organizations

There has evolved, as of late, a strong interest in decentralized modes of governance over fisheries and other marine resources, particularly that of community-based resource management (CBRM). However, analysis of this institutional model is hindered by simplistic, typological depictions of CBRM. We use organizational theory to argue how, within the broad category of CBRM, there exists a rich variation of institutional forms. We illustrate the analysis by showing how two ostensibly similar fishers’ organizations in Batangas, Philippines, differ in important ways and, furthermore, how these differences respond to particular challenges and opportunities found in their respective contexts. We also discuss implications of this research for program evaluation.     

IN THE WAY OF DEVELOPMENT: INDIGENOUS LAND‐RIGHTS ISSUES IN MALAYSIA*

The Malaysian government regards the country's indigenous peoples as “backward” and in need of “modernization.” It aims to assimilate them into the so‐called mainstream society and to incorporate their lands and resources into national and global markets. These policy objectives leave little scope for indigenous groups to pursue their own life projects. Indigenous communities want to share in the benefits of economic development, but they are not prepared to give up their lands, cultures, and identities to obtain them. They have attempted to ward off the negative consequences of development projects by forming advocacy nongovernmental organizations, engaging in various forms of resistance, and seeking redress of their grievances in the courts. Most of all, they want recognition of their rights to land and place. The efficacy of their agency is severely hampered by a battery of repressive laws and by their own political weakness.