Quantitative analysis for maritime delimitation: Reassessing the Bay of Bengal delimitation between Bangladesh and Myanmar

This article examines technical aspects of the maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar (the ‘Bay of Bengal case’). This dispute was the first maritime delimitation determined by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). The 2012 decision was also the first time that a maritime boundary for the seabed and subsoil of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the extended continental shelf (ECS) was determined by international adjudication. This was also therefore the first time that detailed technical quantification of seabed areas within the EEZ and ECS was needed for achieving an equitable division of these maritime zones in an international forum. Following review of the principles of maritime delimitation on which the ITLOS reached its determination, this article analyzes the legal status and delimitation effect of St. Martin's Island. Concerning the question of whether the legal regimes of the EEZ and continental shelf should be treated differently in a single delimitation line, although the ITLOS determined that the legal regimes should not be distinguished in the present case, a different approach is proposed for future cases. The article identifies how quantitative modelling can be used to achieve an equitable boundary and proposes a model to adjust provisional equidistance lines in accordance with the complex geophysical rules prescribed for the outer limits of the ECS in Article 76 of the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC).     

How subsidies affect the economic viability of small-scale fisheries

This article presents the first bottom-up analysis of the proportion of global marine fisheries subsidies to small-scale fisheries (SSF). Using existing data, the reported national subsidy amounts are split into the fraction that goes to small- and large-scale fishing sectors. Results reveal a major imbalance in subsidy distribution, with SSF receiving only about 16% of the total global fisheries subsidy amount of $35 billion in 2009. To bring this into perspective, a person engaged in large-scale fishing received around 4 times the amount of subsidies received by their SSF counterparts. Furthermore, almost 90% of capacity-enhancing subsidies, which are known to exacerbate overfishing go to large-scale fisheries, thus increasing the unfair competitive advantage that large-scale fisheries already have. The developmental, economic and social consequences of this inequity are huge and impair the economic viability of the already vulnerable small-scale fishing sector. Conclusions indicate that taxpayers' money should be used to support sustainable fishing practices and in turn ocean conservation, and not to foster the degradation of marine ecosystems, often a result of capacity-enhancing subsidies. Reducing capacity-enhancing subsidies will have minimal negative effects on SSF communities since they receive very little of these subsidies to begin with. Instead, it will help correct the existing inequality, enhance SSF economic viability, and promote global fisheries sustainability.     

The discard ban policy,economic trends and opportunities for the Portuguese fisheries sector

In this paper the discard ban policy within the Portuguese fisheries sector is discussed and the opportunities and impact in the fisheries economy that arise from sales of unwanted fish under the new landing obligation are evaluated. The decadal mean price of fish (€/kg, adjusted for inflation) rose from the 1940s until the 1970s, dropping thereafter. The yearly averaged economic income estimated for discards sales between 1969 and 2009 ranged from 419345€ to 2164379€. Discard ban sales could contribute from 10% to 53% of the total landed value and 9–34% of the total catches (landings + discards). Under a discard ban policy, the fishing sector with the largest economic contribution for total discards sales would be multispecies (54%), followed by trawl (26%) and seine (20%). On average, fishing sales contributed with 0.63% to gross domestic production (GDP) between 1938 and 2009. Discard sales can increase 1.07–1.46 times more than the fish landing contribution to GDP. After 1983 the average landings/imports economic ratio was 0.28:1, which means that fish imports surpassed landings economic value 3.57 fold. The discard ban policy can create economic opportunities in the national context thus helping to revitalize some specific fisheries sectors.     

Communicating research on the economic valuation of coastal and marine ecosystem services

Quantifying the monetary value of ecosystem services (ES) provided by coastal and marine resources can help policy makers assess the trade-offs and synergies inherent in ecosystem-based management of marine and coastal environments, thus increasing the social efficiency of decision-making processes. As shown by the valuation literature, the number of coastal and marine management settings where valuation researchers have attempted to make a contribution is rising fast. However, this rise in research activity has not been matched by the increase in the use of economic valuation (EV) in the actual management of coastal and marine resources. This raises an interesting question: is EV responding to the needs of policy makers? This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the knowledge base regarding the economic values for coastal and marine ecosystems. It then discusses how to improve the uptake of ES valuation research by focussing on two core issues which are thought to be essential for more effective communication with the policy community.     

Social and economic consequences of 40 years of Dutch quota management

The Netherlands was one of the first nations to introduce ITQs in their fisheries to manage national yearly Total Allowable Catches (TACs). These ITQs have gradually developed from an individual quota system in 1976 to an ITQ system in the 1980s. In 1993 the system was reformed into a co-management system. In this paper it is argued that many of the usual negative socio-economic consequences of ITQs mentioned in the literature have been largely absent, due to the embeddedness of ITQs in co-management arrangements. However, cracks have appeared lately in this combined management system, allowing an identification of its vulnerabilities. These findings show that the social and economic structure of Dutch fisheries is changing from a rather cooperative to a more competitive and exclusive system, more like conventional ITQs.     

海洋产业结构变动对海洋经济效率影响研究

产业结构变动对经济增长影响已经得到了现代经济增长理论的肯定,但是产业结构变动对经济增长效率的影响一直是学术界没有解决的问题。目前中国已经进入了中等收入国家,粗放式增长逐渐结束,集约式增长越来越受到重视。文章基于海洋产业,研究了海洋产业结构变动对经济增长效率的影响,将海洋产业结构变动具体量化,分为海洋产业结构高级化和合理化;其次运用海洋产业全要素生产率来衡量海洋经济增长效率,通过从海洋生产函数中剔除初级要素带来的海洋经济增长效率得出海洋产业全要素生产率;同时计算出海洋产业劳动和资本的生产效率;最后收集了1996—2015年全国沿海11个省、市、自治区的数据,运用混合面板数据模型来研究海洋产业结构高级化和合理化对海洋经济增长效率的影响。研究发现海洋产业结构合理化和高级化对海洋经济增长具有正面影响,对于未来发展海洋经济提出了提高海洋产业技术来提高海洋产业结构优化,从而使得海洋经济发展走上集约式增长之路。     

丝绸之路经济带交通运输的时空演化特征及对经济发展的影响

采用交通网络维数法、相关系数法和格兰杰因果检验分析法等定量统计方法,系统分析了自1998-2015年丝绸之路经济带九省区交通运输投资额、交通网络发育程度、交通运输能力的时空变化特征及对国民经济发展的影响。结果表明：丝绸之路经济带九省区交通运输投资额总体呈增长趋势,交通网络密度明显低于全国平均水平;交通网络发育程度不高,但增长发育速度较快,道路密度和网络维数均有很大幅度的提升,公路网的通达性水平及增速明显优于铁路网;交通设施建设对经济发展的影响显著,对国民生产总值的促进作用时滞长度为两年左右,但各省区之间的交通基础设施建设造成了不明显的空间溢出效应,体现出丝绸之路经济带各省区之间的经济联系尚处薄弱阶段。     

长江经济带建设的若干问题与建议

建设长江经济带是现阶段、新常态下推进中国经济持续、稳定增长的重大战略举措之一。作为全国国土开发的一级轴线,长江经济带具有显著的区位优势、航运优势和相对完善的产业体系,2014年其经济总量占全国的45%左右。但与此同时,也面临着一些跨区域的重大问题,制约着长江经济带的未来发展。通过系统梳理改革开放以来长江经济带发展的主要特征,对长江轴线发展过程中面临的主要问题进行深入解剖,从经济增长、国土空间开发、航运建设、产业发展、资源环境、城镇化和体制机制等7个方面,提出了近期建设长江经济带的若干建议,供政府及学术界参考与讨论。     

长江经济带开发与保护空间格局构建及其分析路径

长江流域经济—社会—生态系统完整,是中国国土空间开发最重要的东西轴线,在区域发展总体格局中具有重要战略地位。当下,为应对全球经贸格局重组、国家与区域经济社会转型以及资源环境约束趋紧等新形势,国家提出依托长江黄金水道,构建横贯东西、辐射南北、通江达海、经济高效、生态良好的中国经济新支撑带,这就要求长江经济带形成人口资源环境协调的均衡化开发与保护格局。本文基于“点—轴”、分区式与多中心网络式等空间组织结构,明确空间格局的推演逻辑与思路。进而,在区域差异性分析与空间开发适宜性评价基础上,认为长江经济带需重点构建以“一轴两翼,三区六廊”为主体的开发格局、以“六大片区”为主体的农业发展格局、以“五大屏障”为主体的生态安全格局,并提出不同区域差异化发展导向、路径与制度建议,以及今后长江经济带空间结构需进一步研究的主要科学问题。     

长江经济带新型城镇化协调性的趋同与差异研究

近10年来,城镇化进程中暴露的很多问题可以归结为城镇化的协调性问题,本文以“人地关系”理论为基础,从城乡、产城、城镇化区域和城镇化与资源环境协调发展4个方面来衡量新型城镇化的协调性。并以长江经济带为研究区域,运用空间杜宾面板模型(spatial Durbin panel data model, SDPDM)从经验上考察新型城镇化协调性的俱乐部与条件趋同现象,发现制约长江经济带东、中、西部新型城镇化协调性的因素并不一致：东部城市应进一步加强城镇化同资源环境的协调,促进区域间的协同发展;中部城市应改变大拆大建的城市建设模式,着重发展服务业和增强城市间的合作;西部城市应进一步推进市场开放进程,减少政府对市场的干预和城市建设中的攀比,发展服务业和促进本地经济增长。同时,限制城市人口增长的政策对于新型城镇化协调性不存在显著影响,而放开户籍管制,则会促进人口向城市集聚;无论从促进第三产业发展、产城融合或是城乡协调发展,均会对新型城镇化协调性起到正向作用。