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Floodplains are unique environments that provide a dynamic link between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Intensification of human activity – particularly agriculture and urbanisation – has resulted in the degradation of floodplains worldwide. Restoration and sustainable management of floodplains requires holistic assessment and compromise between stakeholders to successfully balance environmental, economic, and social benefits. Yet, understanding these complex systems sufficiently to provide evidence-based recommendations is a challenge. We present the lessons learned from establishing an interdisciplinary research-based framework on the agricultural floodplain of Lake Saint Pierre, Québec, Canada, whose mandate was to a) understand and define key environmental, agricultural, and socioeconomic attributes of the landscape, b) quantify the trade-offs and synergies between these attributes across different agricultural practices, regions, and land uses, and c) explore novel agri-environmental management practices to assess their role in sustainable floodplain management. Within this manuscript, we explore the benefits that such an approach offers in evaluating sustainable floodplain land use. We found that an interdisciplinary research-based approach demonstrated important benefits such as knowledge transfer, more efficient use of resources (e.g., personnel, funding), and a flexible yet robust research framework. A framework of individual research projects connected to broader interdisciplinary themes allowed a more holistic synthesis of the floodplain systems and assessment of agri-environmental practices. By implicitly considering spatial and social scales, we conceptualised not just how redistribution of the land use types can meet sustainable management objectives, but also explored how compromises within existing uses can optimise socio-economic, agricultural and environmental dimensions and move towards a sustainable multifunctional landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to determine socio-economic factors influencing the use of information and communication technology (ICT) for accessing agricultural information among cowpea farmers in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria using using structured questionnaire. The result of the study showed that 83.33% of the respondents were males and about 77.50% of the cowpea farmers were married. Findings from the study also revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 39 year while the mean farming experience of the cowpea farmers was 18.60 years. Findings on educational status show that majority of the farmers had one form of formal education or another. The result also reveals that 70% of the cowpea farmers had no contact with an extension services. The co-efficient of gender and education were both positive and significant at 1% level and the co-efficient of farming experience was significant at 5%. Some of the major problems identified include unstable power supply, unaffordable cost of ICT tools, and lack of technical know-how and lack of confidence to operate ICTs. It was concluded that education, gender and farming experience were the socioeconomic variables that determine the use of ICTs for agricultural information on cowpea production among small holder farmers in the study area. It was recommended that trainings should be organized to help small holders cowpea farmers acquire the skills needed to operate ICTs tools, help them gain confidence on how to use ICTs, thereby facilitating adoption and use of ICTs for agricultural information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the socioeconomic factors determining rural households' reliance on forest resources, a case of forested communities in Quan'Pan Council Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Using a multistage sampling process, 150 household heads were chosen for the study. Descriptive statistics, five point Likert scale and binary logit regression analysis were used to achieve the objectives of the study. The study's outcome showed that the heads of the households were averagely 40years. About 71% of the selected persons were men with a greater (89%) number married. Majority (58%) of them had only primary education. Findings from the study also revealed that 82% of the heads of the households were into farming as their major occupation. They practice farming on average farm sizes of 1.6hectares. All (100%) interviewed household heads collected and utilized a variety of forest products throughout the year for their daily subsistence and income generation. The respondents showed high level of dependability on resources from the forest to support themselves such as firewood (4.7), timber (4.0), charcoal (4.0), fruits and nuts (3.8), bush meat (3.7), honey (3.7) and medicinal herbs (3.0). Forest products contributed the second largest proportion of income in the home by 27.0% after income from agriculture (51.0%). Gender (0.944), education status (-0.385), household size (0.432), farm size (-0.581) and farm income (-0.024) were significant determinant of households reliance on the resources of the forest. Gender (0.944) and household size (0.432) had positive and significant relationships with households dependence on forest resources while education status (- 0.385), farm size (-0.581) and farm income (-0.024) showed a significant inverse relationship with the reliance of households on forest resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern-day coral reef conservation requires connections between researchers, decision-makers and stakeholders to achieve holistic ecosystem-based management (EBM), rooted in and supported by local communities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, global political and financial instability and growing concerns over emissions from air travel have meant that face-to-face meetings and in-person fieldwork are increasingly difficult for many researchers at distant institutions. In this paper we discuss how to achieve EBM remotely, using a combination of freely available online data, remote fieldwork techniques and virtual communication and engagement tools. We highlight resources that have been useful in our work for components of overseas EBM and discuss lessons learned from those experiences. There are benefits to remote working, including reduced carbon emissions and travel costs, the ability to record and re-use electronic training materials, the ability to reach a wider audience than through face-to-face meetings and an increased reliance and division of labour with local researchers and stakeholders. However, developing new relationships and gaining a deeper contextual understanding of the local site and culture is not easily replaced by online or remote methods. Post-COVID-19, it is likely that some aspects of remote working within coral reef conservation will continue, as in many other aspects of global collaboration. We propose a blended approach where much of the work and collaboration is conducted online, but with some in-person visits to develop the key relationships or decisions are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban heat island (UHI) effect exists both during daytime and nighttime and varies with urban characteristics, such as 2D/3D urban morphology and socio-economics. However, there is a lack of quantitative understanding of the roles of these characteristics in influencing land surface temperature (LST) variations in different urban functional zones (UFZs) throughout the diurnal cycle. In this study, we examined the responses of diurnal LSTs in different UFZs to 2D/3D urban morphology and socio-economic variables. Results showed the following: (1) During daytime, the main drivers of LST varied with not only the UFZs but also the observation times; during nighttime, the LST variations across different UFZs were largely controlled by 3D urban morphology and socio-economic factors. (2) At 10:37, LST declined most rapidly when the percentage of tree cover (PER_Tree) exceeded a certain threshold. The threshold values of PER_Tree were 85%, 70%, 50%, and 60% for the residential, industrial, commercial, and public service zones, respectively. Irrespective of the UFZs, a nighttime cooling effect occurred only when sky view factor (SVF) exceeded 0.8. (3) For locations with high population density (Pop_Den) in the residential zone, whether urban trees induced a cooling effect depended on both the observation time and PER_Tree during daytime; however, a higher SVF tended to result in an increased LST during nighttime. In the public service zone, when Pop_Den exceeded 50, urban trees with high height contributed to nighttime LST cooling, whereas a warming effect occurred with trees with low height. The direct implications of this study suggest that 3D urban morphology and socio-economics are more efficient mitigation strategies for all UFZs at night, and the interactive effects between the dominant drivers of diurnal LSTs should be considered to cool the city most effectively. • Dominant factors of daytime LST vary with UFZs and observation times. • Nighttime LST is controlled by 3D urban morphology and socio-economics for all UFZs. • Threshold effects of dominant factors influencing diurnal LSTs across different UFZs. • LST primary drivers interact complexly across different UFZs in the diurnal cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmlands, positioned at the interface of mangrove forestlands and urban centers, serve as critical buffer zones. These areas play a pivotal role in determining the ecological fate of mangrove forests, acting as a cushion against mangrove deforestation. This study aims to study the spatiotemporal data from Landsat imagery whilst considering the geo-political and scocio-economic transformations of such a buffer region adjoining the Sunderban mangrove forest to understand the surreptitious reason for such expansive nature of the farmlands. Results indicate that these buffer farmlands are in a constant tug-of-war between the urban and forest ecosystems. The built up area adjoining the cities increases at a much higher pace than the areas adjoining the forest lands. Quite contrary to the popular belief, it is seen that the majority of cropland expansion in the mangrove adjoining regions arises from the use of fallow land rather than the clearing of vegetation. The study shows that the changes need to be addressed through the government's policies and a restructure of governance is required. In policymaking, the collaborative action of scientists, governments, and local people should be involved. The lack of sustainable development and targeted improvement can increase the threat and risk nearby the mangrove farmlands. [Display omitted] • Several regions globally have farmlands as buffer areas between mangrove forests and major cities. • Farmlands in between the largest mangrove forest – Sunderbans and Kolkata city of India have been considered for study. • Farmers in the buffer lands are in a constant tug-of-war between urban expansion and farmland reduction. • Multi-dimensional assessment depicts politics, society, finance and global geopolitics affect mangrove forests. • The study provides a framework on how to evaluate other similar regions globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recherches en Sciences de Gestion is the property of ISEOR and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Gulls belong to the seabird group, and are widely considered to be useful ecological indicators. Increasing urbanization throughout the Anthropocene has led to the rise of the urban landscape ('urbanscape') as a globally dominant habitat. Though historically less developed, similar urbanization patterns are emerging in the boreal forest, the world's largest forest ecoregion. Here we evaluate the ecological position of migratory Short-billed Gulls (Larus canus) in a subarctic urbanscape. We attempt to investigate a summer niche swap theory, in which gulls annually fill a vacant niche otherwise occupied by common ravens in winter. For that investigation we conducted seasonal plot surveys for Short-billed Gull presence from 2013 to 2016 in the Fairbanks, AK municipality. All data were made publicly available. We compiled them in a open source and ESRI geographic information system (GIS) platform and then added 68 open-access predictor layers, including socio-economic U.S. Census data. We trained, tested, and evaluated the performance of an ensemble of machine learning models, resulting in predictions of gull-abundance hotspots and coldspots, at 100-m resolution for inference. We find that Short-billed Gulls prefer the synergy of industrial areas near man-made water bodies, impervious surfaces, gravel pits, strip malls, transfer sites (garbage dumps) and some young forest vegetation. This study is a first-known attempt to utilize a blended 'Big Data' approach, in combination with traditional multi-year field-based data collection and alternative model assessments, in order to characterize an urban seabird niche. Our findings, and the digital infrastructure herein, provide an interdisciplinary baseline for potential applications in urban planning and monitoring the spread of disease reservoirs. • Use of readily available open access data for urban and habitat analysis. • Involves BIG DATA -public, federal, field and citizen science data - allowing for an interdisciplinary modern ecology application. • Follows the latest editorial and underlying concept by Huettmann & Arhonditsis(2023) re. sharable and repeatable science. • RUnique research design involviing 2 years extensive urban survey plots, a powerful design of model training and 1 year of alternative model testing data as well as a. 4th year of field abundance data for time series. • Banks on the seminal work by the late L. Breiman, J. Friedman and then R. O'Connor associating biodiversity data with sociology and human health data based on 'statistical trees'. • Data analysis done through Machine Learning (ML) using five strong algorithms combined and following L. Breiman (' Inference from Predictions ') and J. Friedman (' Many weak learner make for a strong learner ') for an ensemble model. • Presents a unique connection between presence/absence and abundance explicit in space and time. • Applies science for public policy on a municipal scale including disease reservoirs (gulls). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artisanal shrimp trawl fishery operating illegally in northern Peru has high levels of bycatch and three main commercial species. Here we provide the first characterisation of the socio-economic contribution of this fishery. Estimates have been generated for the capital values, operational and maintenance costs, as well as net profits at point of landing and across the value chain. This fleet sector in northern Peru is estimated at 105 vessels, generating an annual gross income of U$D 4.8 million with 315 direct jobs. Vessel owners could potentially have a net income of over ∼$12,000 per year, and crew are likely to be earning 45 % above the living wage for similar land-based rural employment, including other fishing activities operating in the same areas. With an appropriate multiplier for the seafood supply chain, the gross economic value of the fishery from landings up to the retail level is estimated at U$D 35 million with 915 jobs. Recommendations for improving the sustainability of the fishery and possible mitigations are discussed to address the gulf between policy and regulatory intent and reality, where enforcement is lacking or absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to describe the precollegiate experiences of new students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. New students to the college completed an on-line questionnaire about their home residence and personal and social experiences. Survey data were matched with university records to make comparisons based on demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, race, high school class rank, and college major). The results of this study indicate more students were from farms than from any other demographic variable. Students who chose a major related to production agriculture were no more likely to report a higher family income from farm or agri-business than those that chose majors not tied to production agriculture. The highest percentage of pre-collegiate involvement in extracurricular activities was athletics. This study was guided by the collegiate outcomes model, which was adapted from the collegiate leadership development model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cahiers de Sociologie Economique et Culturelle is the property of Institut de sociologie economique et culturelle (ISEC) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined the socio-economic characteristics of registered cocoa farmers in Edo State; Nigeria. Primary data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire administered to 180 registered cocoa farmers selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and budgetary technique. Results showed that 88.9% of cocoa farmers were male with a mean range of 46 years with 75% being married and 88.8% having formal education. The budgetary technique was used to determine the profitability of cocoa production, which was found to be profitable in the study area at a gross margin of ₦66, 350, Net Farm Income of ₦59, 200, and net return on investment of ₦ 1.11. The Benefit Cost Ratio and Expense Structure Ratio of 2.11 and 0.12 respectively indicated that cocoa production was economically profitable and viable since the BCR is greater than 1 and the Gross Ratio (GR) of cocoa production is 0.47. From these profitability ratios, it shows that cocoa production is a profitable business in the study area. Inadequate finance to operate on large scale was found to be the major constraint to the cocoa farmers in the study area. The study concludes that cocoa production is profitable and was recommended that production could be improved and sustained through provision of soft loans to the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply an integrated and interdisciplinary conceptual framework to assess the potential for uptake of bycatch reduction measures by small-scale fisheries along the Andaman coast and eastern Gulf of Thailand, and in Sabah, Malaysia. Specifically, we characterize the current governance, socio-economic, ecological, and scientific context for marine megafauna bycatch, and identify the enabling and limiting factors to bycatch reduction at each location. Enabling factors are those that motivate or facilitate conservation actions among resource users, managers, and other stakeholders, while limiting factors are those that act as barriers to conservation. We conduct a comparative analysis of the strength of enabling and limiting factors at the two study locations by using a qualitative scoring system. Overall, conditions in Thailand appear to be relatively more supportive of bycatch reduction than Sabah. Many enabling factors, such as community based marine management and positive attitudes towards conservation, occur at the local scale, suggesting potential marine megafauna bycatch reduction approaches can be implemented successfully from the bottom-up. We show that intervention points for reducing marine megafauna bycatch lie within a much broader realm than conventionally considered in bycatch reduction schemes. Effective policies for reducing marine megafauna bycatch thus have to address multifaceted drivers of small-scale fishing behaviour in addition to ecological considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. While some Lessepsian species provide economic benefits for Mediterranean fisheries, others cause economic losses. Lagocephalus sceleratus known as silver-cheeked toadfish poses a great risk to human health if consumed economic losses for fishers by damaging their fishing gears. This study aims to determine the socio-economic impact of silver-cheeked toadfish, with regards to its impact on biodiversity and socio-economic factors for small-scale fisheries. Materials and methods. Face-to-face interviews were completed with a total of 261 fishers from Izmir in the Middle Aegean region to Hatay in the Eastern Mediterranean region, to determine the problems arising from the presence of silver-cheeked toadfish species in the ecosystem and the resulting associated economic losses for a 1-year from 1 January to 30 December 2011. The elements, which should be taken into account in calculating silver-cheeked toadfish related economic losses, are related to fishing gear, labour and the associated losses in catches. However, losses associated with silver-cheeked toadfish predation were beyond the scope of this study. Results. Almost all fishers (91%) agree that silver-cheeked toadfish is a major problem, 82% believe that silver-cheeked toadfish negatively affects biodiversity, and 89% believe it lowers efficiency of their catches. Calculated silver-cheeked toadfish related losses were: 1300 TRY** (≈442 EUR) per year, per fisherman; 263 296 TRY (≈89 521 EUR) per year, in total, for the interviewed fishers (261), and 204 fishers suffered economic losses relating to this species; which caused total losses of 6 033 577 TRY (≈2 051 416 EUR) per year in total for the 4719 fishers, which were 78% of all fishers (6051) in the study area. Two-thirds of the study respondents think that the most effective way to battle this problem would be to try to eliminate this species from Turkish waters. Among them, 32% of the fishers believe the most suitable gear to eliminate L. sceleratus from the marine ecosystem is the purse seine and 61 % consent to fish L. sceleratus for 4 TRY each as a target species. Conclusion. To start a bounty system and a premium payment for each pufferfish caught will both help to reduce negative impact of the species on the ecosystem and provide an extra income for the fishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study related to socio economic status of farmers in Bachaur breeding in middle Gangetic plains of Bihar, India. Topics discussed include regression analysis was used in the study, dependency of the state on agriculture economy, and effect on investment on bullocks, cost of feeding and cost of health care management on total income of Bachaur farmers.

Highlights: [•] An overview of the challenges faced when implementing environmental policy. [•] Factors affecting the success of management interventions are considered. [•] Human barriers to management interventions are discussed. [•] A logical step-wise framework supporting policy decision-making is presented. [•] Conclusions are drawn based on previous experience and lessons learnt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Allocation schemes are one way to combat the tragedy of the commons, the situation whereby individual users of a shared resource put their own interests above the collective good. In the case of shared fisheries, developing equitable and transparent allocation schemes can help to ensure stable cooperative management agreements, which in turn will facilitate sustainable fisheries. Allocation schemes for shared fisheries resources, which have been in existence for decades, have recently been facilitated by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). These schemes vary in the scale of interested parties, from simple two-country systems sharing Pacific salmon, to multi-country systems sharing Atlantic bluefin tuna. Most RFMOs tend to base allocation schemes on historical catch records, spatial stock abundance estimates, or a combination of these. Socio-economic factors do not appear to influence allocation to any major extent. Unfortunately, previous attempts at creating and enforcing allocation programs have not, by and large, been able to curb the serial depletion of fish stocks, particularly when the number of fishing countries is large. Several RFMOs are currently in the process of initiating or reformulating allocation programs. In this paper, current allocation approaches are reviewed and discussed in the context of their possible transference to new or evolving programs. Specifically, lessons from game theory are drawn on, and the potential for better incorporation of socio-economic circumstances in allocation decisions, which can incentivize improved compliance, is explored. The relevance of conclusions from the literature analyzing international water agreements is also discussed, and a combined socio-economic-ecological construct whereby allocation programs can be based on the sharing of benefits other than catch is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The support, perceptions, values and aspiration of the local people, especially those who neighbour protected areas is increasingly recognised as critical for long-term biodiversity conservation in many countries. As such, conservation agencies are keen to understand the linkages and interactions between wildlife conservation and socio-economics of local communities. We assessed the socio-economic, demographic factors and livelihood status of the households of communities bordering Oldoinyo Sapuk National Park in central Kenya, and evaluated their willingness to support wildlife conservation. We randomly interviewed households that neighbour the Park on a wide range of socio-economic, livelihood and demographic factors. The majority of respondents were small-scale farmers practicing crop farming and livestock keeping. Most respondents considered the Park to have great potential for the future economic development of the area, especially through ecotourism as a potential avenue to support local livelihoods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Some nutritional parameters were investigated in 62 healthy Nigerian female subjects of low socio-economic status. The percentage body fat (% BF) and some biochemical parameters, High and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C), Total Plasma Cholesterol (TC), Triglyceride (TG), Uric Acid (UA), Urinary Creatinine (U-Cr), Creatinine in plasma (P-Cr) and Creatinine clearance (Cr-Cl), were evaluated. Also determined were the Body Mass Index (BMI), Packed Cell Volume, Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure (BP-1, BP-2), various skin-fold measurements and body circumferences. Reference values were then established for these various parameters and the correlation between the various variables determined. When the subjects were stratified into four groups (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) based on their BMI, significant differences (ANOVA, p < 0.05) were observed in LDL-C, Cr-Cl, BP-1, as well as 10 out of the 13 anthropometric parameters. These differences could possibly provide diagnostic/prognostic insight for the four groups and the many important diseases associated with them. The hip circumference, in particular, has such a high correlation with both BMI and % BF that it is being suggested as a substitute for these two important parameters in Nigerian women of low socio-economic background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on sericulturists or silkworm farmers regarding their training backgrounds and associated socioeconomic status. The study assessed knowledge and use of improved sericulture technologies between groups of trained and untrained sericulturists to evaluate the costs and economic returns associated with their sericulture and technological investment practices.

Abstract: North Korea has survived the breakdown of the communist bloc and has been immune to the democratization process of the 1990s. In spite of national famines and economic collapse, the totalitarian regime in Pyongyang maintains a firm grip on its power. Reliable information on the population''s biosocial welfare is scarce. Using height and weight data of 5991 North Korean pre-school children measured in 2002, we investigate determinants of height-for-age z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) and weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) as an indicator for child health. We find a statistically significant impact of the age of the child and of the mother, as well as the sex of the child on HAZ and WAZ. In contrast, social status and wealth proxies at the individual and household level are not statistically significant possibly because of errors in these variables. We do not find a consistent effect for geographic regions or for rural–urban residents either. Yet, urban provinces seem to be better-off. Most importantly, we find that children living in families who benefit from food aid of the United Nations are healthier in terms of HAZ, WAZ and WHZ than those depending on the government. Hence, further delivery of United Nations food aid is likely to mitigate the effects of the ongoing food crisis in North Korea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Autrepart is the property of Presses de Sciences Po and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Autrepart is the property of Presses de Sciences Po and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: RAMP embraces the integrated use of methods for the rapid measurement, assessment and access to information on the nature, sources and influences of coastal environmental change. It embraces approaches held in the literature, research and programs of RAMP (Rapid Assessment of Marine Pollution) and the emerging work described as RASE (Rapid Assessment of Socio-Economic Indicators). To protect coastal ecosystems and the health of communities effectively, management infrastructure requires the tools and resources necessary to detect damage to coastal ecosystems and their components, identify causative agents, impose remedial action, and demonstrate that measures have been effective. Pragmatic monitoring and prediction capabilities must also be built to provide further confidence that human impacts are being minimized and that threats to human health have been contained. For most of the world, however, the ability to build such capability is a technical challenge and often cost prohibitive. These constraints point to the need to develop and expand the integrated use of simple, robust, cost-effective environmental assessment procedures. This paper suggests that a system built around the Rapid Assessment of Marine Pollution (RAMP) and the Rapid Assessment of Socio-Economic Indicators (RASE) can, should and in some cases already has been effective in meeting such informational and management needs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The fishery development, conservation and management of floodplain wetlands require detailed knowledge of their physico-chemical, biological and fishery attributes and understanding of their production functions. Floodplain wetlands have been the source of livelihood for landless fishers. Most of these ecosystems have either been lost or are under different degree of environmental stress because of various anthropogenic activities over the decades. These activities have resulted in water quality deterioration, and loss of various direct or indirect benefits to society including the livelihood of fishers. In eastern India, floodplain wetlands comprise significant resource for fishery development. The scientific database generated on large number of such ecosystems and the application of different management interventions in several cases clearly indicate that knowledge-based sustainable fishery development is feasible in these ecosystems, and can provide additional income to the fishers who wholly or partly depend on wetland fisheries. The results achieved from different researches and proposed action points are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sharks and their cartilaginous relatives (Class Chondrichthyes, herein 'sharks') are one of the world's most threatened species groups. Their slow life history traits and vulnerability to capture make them particularly susceptible to overfishing, and they are widely caught in both target and by-catch fisheries. Fisheries management measures that can effectively reduce shark fishing mortality are urgently required to halt population declines and species extinctions. We provide an overview of typical measures for understanding and managing risks to sharks, and highlight critical gaps relating to incorporating socio-economic factors in to research and management. We argue that neglecting these factors hinders effective shark conservation, and has negative consequences for people. We emphasise the importance of a holistic approach, which explicitly considers socio-economic factors in decision-making. Based on this, we propose the first framework for assessing feasibility in a shark management context, which could be integrated with traditional fisheries risk assessments in order to bridge this gap. This framework considers key dimensions of the costs, benefits and overall enabling environment for shark management in a given fishery. Overall, managers and policy makers must consider socio-economic factors in shark conservation efforts to deliver better outcomes for sharks and people. Our simple feasibility framework can support this by enabling costs, benefits and context to be explicitly considered in planning and policy-making, alongside the typical biological and technical risks to sharks in fisheries. • An overview of typical measures for managing risks to sharks is given. • Gaps relating to socio-economic aspects of management are highlighted. • Socio-economic complexities of managing shark fisheries are described. • Priorities for including socio-economic factors in decision-making are discussed. • A framework to assess feasibility in shark management planning is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Einleitung: Ökonomik sollte die Lehre zum menschlichen Handeln im Alltag unter Berücksichtigung wirtschaftlicher Aspekte sein. Davon ist sie heute jedoch weit entfernt. Gründe dafür sind unzureichende Grundannahmen zum Menschen, ausgeblendete Aspekte des menschlichen Lebens und Kurzfristigkeit. Trotz dieser Einschränkungen hat die Ökonomik große Erfolge gefeiert und die Gesellschaft stark beeinflusst. Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise zeigen jedoch die Grenzen der ökonomischen Theorie und die Kritik wird lauter. Eine soziale Ökonomie erfordert andere Perspektiven und Modelle. Institutionalismus und Public Health können zu einer sozialen (Gesundheits-) Ökonomie beitragen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the merits and limitations of using an economics based approach to assess and implement initiatives for coastal habitat rehabilitation and creation. A review of the literature indicates that habitat rehabilitation/creation costs vary widely between and within ecosystems. For coral reefs, costs range from US$ 10,000 to 6.5 million/hectare (ha);1 for mangroves US$ 3000/510,000/ha; for seagrasses US$ 9000/680,000/ha and for saltmarshes US$ 2000/160,000/ha. A review of the economic benefits derived from various coastal habitats based on a `Total Economic Value' approach (i.e. accounting for direct and indirect uses, and `non-uses') reveals that many thousands of US$ per hectare could ultimatelyaccrue from their rehabilitation/creation. The paper concludes that despite its limitations, the `benefit-cost analysis' framework can play an important role both in assessing the justification of coastal habitat rehabilitation/creation initiatives, and by helping to improvethe overall effectiveness of such initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]