Ex-seafarers shore-based employment: the current UK situation

The decline of the British shipping industry has had a significant impact on those sectors of the UK economy which have traditionally relied on ex-seafarers as a source of skilled labour. An in-depth study of the impacts of this problem was undertaken in 2003 to consider the implications of developments which have taken place in the industry since 1996. The UK economy's requirement for people with seafaring experience to fill land-based jobs was assessed, together with the implications of any shortfall. This paper considers the demand aspects of changes which have occurred since 1996.     

The land-based jobs market for seafarers: Consequences of market imbalance and policy implications

Concern has existed for some time that the decline of the British shipping industry is resulting in the UK economy losing its maritime skills base. The effects of this loss could extend beyond the shipping industry because former seafarers are employed in other maritime related businesses besides shipping ashore. A study undertaken during 1995 and 1996 identified the economy’s requirement for people with seafaring experience in land based jobs and assessed the consequences of a shortfall in supply of seafarers to fill such jobs. This paper is mainly concerned with the supply aspects and policy implications of that study.     

The communicative competence of Chinese seafarers and their employability in the international maritime labour market

In the past two decades, the seafarer workforce in China has been growing at a much faster pace than that of the Chinese merchant fleet, resulting in an oversupply of seafarers in the domestic market. As one of the major seafarer suppliers in the world, China still faces great challenges to assign Chinese seafarers to the international maritime labour market. Although literature claims that a lack of English communication ability of Chinese seafarers is one of the main barriers for them to compete with seafarers of other nationalities for job opportunities, there is little empirical research to substantiate such claim. To fill this gap, this paper aims to investigate: 1) employers’ views on the current level of Chinese seafarers’ communicative competence; and 2) to what extent their communicative competence correlates with their employability in the international maritime labour market. To achieve the research objectives, a questionnaire survey relating to factors affecting the employability of Chinese seafarers on foreign ships was conducted. Interviews were carried out with employers who had been recruiting seafarers in China. The findings show that English communicative competence is among the top determinants for seafarers to be employed on foreign ships. Most employers believe that there has been a declining trend in the communicative competence of Chinese seafarers over the last decade. Employers interviewed agree that a high priority should be placed on the improvement of quality of maritime English teachers.     

The stamp of neoliberalism on the UK tonnage tax and the implications for British seafaring

In 2000 the UK adopted a tonnage tax strategy on ships and related businesses as the main strategy for revitalising its declining shipping industry. In line with EU policy on shipping, UK registered shipping companies were offered fiscal incentives based on reduced corporation taxes while labour was offered support for training. Almost a decade since the introduction of the tax it is clear that the strategy has delivered for business but not for labour. This paper considers the nature and limits of state intervention per se in declining economic sectors in the context of globalisation and a neoliberal approach to governance. It concludes that the problem is often not state intervention but rather the form of intervention, namely one that panders to, and is constrained by, neoliberalism.     

The European vision for oceans and seas—Social and political dimensions of the Green Paper on Maritime Policy for the EU

The EU Green Paper on Maritime Policy is the European response to the new generation of ocean strategies based on science, technology and innovation aimed at new objectives, such as the strengthening of security and access to new resources. The European character of the proposal is found in the presence of social, cultural and historical elements, what is called the “European vision”. The viability of a European vision of the oceans and the idea of maritime empire as an extension of the current concept of empire within the general context of emerging ocean strategies are the elements offered up for debate on this European Union initiative.     

Cooperation and the emergence of maritime clusters in the Atlantic: Analysis and implications of innovation and human capital for blue growth

The so-called ‘blue economy’ is gaining emphasis in European policy making due to the expansion of its relevance beyond traditional economic sectors but also to new and developing ones that exhibit rapid growth. Much of the discourse has focused on the emergence and consolidation of maritime clusters. However, there has been less attention on the regional development aspect and this article provides a timely contribution to filling the gap in knowledge by presenting the findings and analysis of a survey applied to blue economy organisations in Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Scotland. Specifically, issues of innovation, human capital and social capital provide the basis of inquiry around the creation and consolidation of maritime clusters. The article uses the survey data to understand the determinants of the variety of cooperation dynamics. A key finding reveals that participation in innovation activities and absorptive capacity are critical factors in increasing cooperation. From the analysis it is clear that there are significant discrepancies in participation between sectors, such as tourism where participation rates are below average. The article concludes by defining the core activities that should feature in a maritime cluster.     

The economics of the Swedish individual transferable quota system: Experiences and policy implications

Sweden and other European Union countries are currently carrying out extensive work aimed at improving the marine and freshwater environment. The adaptive management approaches typically used for this require the development of new policy instruments and measures when needed, but also evaluations of instruments and measures already in use or under way. This paper reports on a study of the Swedish individual transferable quota system introduced in 2009 for the pelagic fishery. The new system was motivated mainly by economic arguments and, thus, the need to get incentives right. Despite this, the design of the Swedish system weakened the intended incentive effects in several ways, compared with the foreign systems that served as models. Moreover, the information needed for future evaluations was not collected, even though the need for future evaluations had been expressed explicitly and the data needs for this could be identified at the time that the system was introduced.     

The formation of policy for protection of cold-water coral off the coast of Norway

This paper presents the implementation of conservation measures, especially bottom trawl free areas, for the protection of cold-water coral off the Norwegian coast. The protection measures became effective less than 9 months after the managers were informed and the public became aware of damaged coral on nationwide television. Behind this quick reaction were a number of agents such as the oil industry, fishers, biologists, NGOs as well as policy-makers. The implementation of the protected areas was remarkably free of contention. This work attempts to outline the reasons for this, and determine whether there are lessons to be learned with regard to conservation measures elsewhere.     

The institutional implications of environmental ethics for fishery management in the US exclusive economic zone

The public discourse surrounding many fishery management issues suggests that ethical concerns may be an important aspect of these issues for a segment of the American public. Questions have been raised about the capacity of regional fishery management councils created under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act to be adequately responsive to different ethical values. To date, legislative efforts to broaden council membership have been unsuccessful, but pressure for institutional reform is likely to increase with the adoption of an ecosystem approach to fishery management.     

美国海洋保护区国家管理体系及其对我国的启示

从美国海洋保护区的立法基础、管理机构和职能分工、纳入国家管理体系的资质要求和流程等方面探析美国海洋保护区的国家管理体系。结合我国海洋保护区管理工作中存在的问题,提出完善我国海洋保护区的法律法规、建立健全海洋保护区综合管理网络体系、完善海洋保护区监督协调机制等对策建议,以期进一步提升我国海洋保护区管理的系统性和规范性,完善我国海洋保护区的管理体系,从而更好地保护我国的海洋生态,实现海洋资源的更有效利用,推进我国海洋生态文明建设的发展。     

The use of a consequential perspective to upgrade the utility of Life Cycle Assessment for fishery managers and policy makers

Attributional LCA, which monitors specific production systems in steady state conditions, is increasingly used in fisheries to assess the environmental profile of fleets and seafood supply chains. However, this approach is not pertinent to assess the environmental consequences of (large scale) policies. In contrast, consequential LCA (CLCA) has been successfully implemented in other sectors to assess the expected changes in environmental impacts of a given production system and other (marginal) production systems that may be affected in response to changes driven by policy or strategic decisions. CLCA commonly combines LCA with economic models to simulate the interactions occurring between the analysed systems. However, the use of these models may not be the most appropriate approach to follow for fisheries. Hence, it seems feasible that CLCA should be combined with stock prediction tools rather than with economic models, to determine how changes in stock sizes and quota restrictions may cause variations in the environmental impact of fishing fleets.     

The thermal structure of the Dvurechenskii mud volcano and its implications for gas hydrate stability and eruption dynamics

The sediment temperature distribution at mud volcanoes provides insights into their activity and into the occurrence of gas hydrates. If ambient pressure and temperature conditions are close to the limits of the gas hydrate stability field, the sediment temperature distribution not only limits the occurrence of gas hydrates, but is itself influenced by heat production and consumption related to the formation and dissociation of gas hydrates. Located in the Sorokin Trough in the northern Black Sea, the Dvurechenskii mud volcano (DMV) was in the focus of detailed investigations during the M72/2 and M73/3a cruises of the German R/V Meteor and the ROV Quest 4000 m in February and March 2007. A large number of in-situ sediment temperature measurements were conducted from the ROV and with a sensor-equipped gravity corer. Gas hydrates were sampled in pressurized cores using a dynamic autoclave piston corer (DAPC). The thermal structure of the DMV suggests a regime of fluid flow at rates decreasing from the summit towards the edges of the mud volcano, accompanied by intermittent mud expulsion at the summit. Modeled gas hydrate dissociation temperatures reveal that the gas hydrates at the DMV are very close to the stability limits. Changes in heat flow due to variable seepage rates probably do not result in changes in sediment temperature but are compensated by gas hydrate dissociation and formation.     

西太平洋新不列颠海沟表层沉积物的地球化学特征及其物源指示

海沟通常拥有全球最深的区域——深渊,由于地理位置、地形地貌和气候等差异,海沟沉积物可能有不同的物质来源。因此,为进一步了解海沟深渊区的物质组成与来源,选取近陆的新不列颠海沟作为研究对象,通过分析其海底表层沉积物的地球化学特征,追踪新不列颠海沟不同水深与区域的沉积物来源。研究发现不论位于半深海、深海,乃至深渊区域,新不列颠“八字型”海沟的表层沉积物主要来自于周边岛屿的火山物质,但“八字型”海沟的西支和东支有差异,西支主要为新不列颠岛东部Rabaul火山和北部火山群及所罗门群岛的火山物质,其中在西支的最北站位新不列颠岛北部火山物质的比例最高。与西支相比,东支还受到了更多来源于TLTF(Tabar、Lihir、Tanga和Feni火山)火山链物质的影响,海沟东西支物源的差异与该地区复杂的洋流密切相关。此外,西支海沟轴部(最底端)站位更多来源于岛屿河流沉积物,受火山物质影响相对较小。     

Characterization of the southeastern US black sea bass (Centropristis striata) pot commercial fishery and implications for western North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) management and policy

A vital component of marine policy is the conservation and management of diverse marine resources. In the southeastern US, commercial fishermen target black sea bass (Centropristis striata) with pots from North Carolina to Cape Canaveral, Florida. During the fall through spring fishing season, western North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) distribution overlaps the black sea bass commercial pot fishery. Fishermen interviews revealed that the number of pots set ranged from 3 to 240 and the number of pots set per trawl ranged from 1 to 18. Generally, the amount of gear increased from south to north.     

The bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) industry collapse in Virginia and its implications for the successful management of scallop-seagrass habitats

Virginia supported the most productive bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) fishery in the United States in 1930, but the fishery disappeared three years later and never recovered. This collapse highlights a tipping point, but managers of extant bay scallop fisheries have not looked to this case for guidance, because the collapse has long been attributed to an exogenous eelgrass (Zostera marina) ‘wasting disease’ pandemic. Consequently, it remains little understood. However, efforts to restore the fishery, following successful eelgrass restoration, now warrant a thorough examination of its economic significance and disappearance. This study comprehensively surveyed information on the original fishery and reconstructed the pre-collapse population to evaluate restoration prospects and management strategies that reduce the risk of future scallop-seagrass system collapses. Harvest records suggest that overharvesting possibly contributed to the Virginia fishery disappearance—a factor that influenced other bay scallop fisheries but did not alarm contemporary managers in Virginia. The harvest peaked before managers observed eelgrass disappearing and exceeded most pre-collapse population estimates. Intensive dredging possibly precipitated a feedback that reduced scallop recruitment by lowering seagrass shoot densities. Managers should, therefore, consider a potential tradeoff between future scallop harvest and eelgrass restoration goals. The restored wild scallop population in Virginia cannot yet support a commercial fishery at historic levels, which removed between 270 and 380x as many individuals. However, the economic risks associated with reestablishing this fishery are low. The collapse did not cause a significant loss in total economic value, because harvesters rapidly shifted focus to clams, supplanting lost scallop revenue.     

胶州湾沉积物中有机质的来源与组成及其对百年尺度环境变化的指示

The Jiaozhou Bay is characterized by heavy eutrophication that is associated with intensive anthropogenic activities. Four core sediments from the Jiaozhou Bay are analyzed using bulk technologies, including sedimentary total organic carbon(TOC), total nitrogen(TN), the stable carbon(δ~(13)C) and nitrogen(δ~(15) N) isotopic composition to obtain the comprehensive understanding of the source and composition of sedimentary organic matter and further shed light on the environmental changes of the Jiaozhou Bay on a centennial time scale.Results suggest that the TOC and TN concentrations increase in the upper core, having indicated a probable eutrophication process since the 1920 s in the inner bay and the 2000 s in the bay mouth. The TOC and TN concentrations outside the bay have also changed since 1916 owing to the variation of terrigenous input.Considering TOC/TN ratio, δ~(13) C and δ~(15) N, it can be concluded there is a mixture of terrigenous and marine organic matter sources in the study area. A simple two end-member(terrigenous and marine) mixing model usingδ~(13) C indicats that 45%–79% of TOC in the Jiaozhou Bay is from the marine source. The environmental changes of the Jiaozhou Bay are recorded by geochemical proxies, which are influenced by the intensive anthropogenic activities(e.g., extensive use of fertilizers, and discharge of sewage) and climate changes(e.g., rainfall).     

东海南部陆架水体2011年夏季温盐结构及其对台湾暖流和黑潮入侵的指示

利用2011年7月5个断面共30个站位的温盐深（CTD）测量资料,分析东海南部陆架水体的温盐结构和温跃层特征,探讨黑潮和台湾暖流对东海陆架水文状况的影响。结果显示,本区广泛存在着浅部温跃层和深部温跃层。浅部温跃层分布于20 m水深以内,跃层强度普遍较弱,具有明显的日内生消变化。深部温跃层分布于中、外陆架和台湾海峡。在中、外陆架的深水区,跃层底界深度约80 m,跃层厚度约10 m;跃层强度大,约为0.8 ℃/m,且较为稳定。在台湾海峡北部,温跃层分布于水深14～30 m,跃层厚度6～10 m,跃层强度偏弱,为0.2～0.5 ℃/m。在温跃层附近,由于上、下层水团温度、盐度的差异,其混合过程常出现盐指现象。在东海陆架90～110 m等深线之间,深部温跃层之下盘踞着一个深层冷水团,水温为16.8～17.6 ℃。黑潮水的入侵,使得外陆架温跃层强度减弱至0.2～0.5 ℃/m;同时,跃层层位上升,厚度加大。温跃层强度可以作为指示黑潮入侵的灵敏指标。当夏季深部温跃层强度低于0.6 ℃/m,同时伴随跃层厚度加大时,可判别为黑潮入侵。本区夏季黑潮锋可以到达110 m等深线附近。在中陆架50～80 m等深线之间,深部温跃层的消失,说明台湾暖流的强烈影响遍及整个水柱;而从南向北,台湾暖流的影响逐渐减弱。台湾海峡北部深层水温度较低,平均值为22.52 ℃,要比东海南部中陆架深层水低3 ℃,这可能意味着台湾暖流深层水主要源于黑潮分支的加入。