Hunter opinions on the management of migratory geese: a case of stakeholder involvement in adaptive harvest management

Knowledge of hunter attitudes toward goose management is essential for the involvement of hunters in adaptive harvest management. Our study provides insight into processes of stakeholder involvement in adaptive harvest management, as demonstrated by the case of implementing the International Species Management Plan for the Svalbard-breeding pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). We conducted an online survey among goose hunters in Norway in the main autumn staging area of this species, Nord-Trøndelag, which is also the area in which most geese are harvested nationally. Our results demonstrated that a majority of these hunters see themselves as active participants in management. These hunters expressed a willingness to support management objectives through the delivery of daily harvest reports and by complying with regulations, as defined by national wildlife authorities and the international management plan.     

Challenges for Multilevel Stakeholder Engagement in Public Trust Resource Governance

The trend in wildlife management over the last two decades has been to develop locally based approaches for responsiveness to local conditions, but some state wildlife agencies are finding the amount of staff time required to service this approach prohibitive. Although local engagement strategies have been lauded as assuring that public trust obligations of state government to citizens are met, we can expect that states with a local focus as their operational level of stakeholder engagement may opt to change their approach to reflect their resource limitations. We argue for comprehensive regional level effort to understand stakeholders augmented with local engagement processes where needed to deal with special circumstances in smaller areas within a region. Such an approach can be anticipated to have implications for stakeholder engagement and human dimensions research needs, which we discuss in the context of public trust resource administration and good governance of wildlife resources.     

Reinventing rural development in Vietnam: Discursive constructions of grassroots democracy during the renovation reform

Over the past decades Vietnam has seen striking efforts to reinvent the exercise of democratic rural development. Promotion of grassroots democracy, notably under the Grassroots Democracy Decree (GDD), has been an acute response by Communist Party and government to large scale unrest among the rural populace owing to dissatisfactions with a felt mismatch between espoused commitments to ‘good governance’ and its actual practice. Through evidence from field work, this paper assesses the implications of the GDD in the central and northern highlands, analyzing how the promotion of grassroots democracy is discursively constructed by rural development professionals. The results outline three dominant discourses, which center on their respective interests in liberalist democratization, improved efficiency in state renovation, and enhanced accountability in governing local policy ambiguities. It argues that ‘grassroots democracy’ is serving as a conceptual mediator, supporting learning between diverging interests associated with rural development and different ideological positions shrouding the notion of democracy itself. Yet, given the extent that discourses are reflective of how professionals relate to grassroots aspirations, grassroots movements, which originally ushered the Party and central government to pass the GDD, have a significant struggle ahead of them to affect concrete changes in professionals' practices.     

Developing co-management in an artisanal gill net fishery of a deep hydro-electric reservoir in Sri Lanka

Abstract Victoria, is a recently (1984) impounded, deep, hydro-electric reservoir in Sri Lanka with an established commercial fishery. Participatory appraisal of the fishing community revealed decreasing reliance on fishing income with many fishermen moving away to supplementary occupations because of declining fish catches. Illegal fishing and theft of fishing gear resulting from open access, difficulties encountered in enforcing fisheries regulations and the need for fishermen to find alternative sources of income during low water levels are the major management problems. The top–down centralized management approach previously practised was ineffective in addressing any of these issues. Therefore, the possibilities and limitations for introducing co-management as an alternative management strategy were discussed. Financial hardship coupled with perceived benefits through state sponsored welfare schemes caused a positive attitude change among fishermen, making them respond favourably to fishery management. Establishing a licensing system for controlled access, ensuring greater user-group participation through equitable distribution of state sponsored benefits among members, attempting to enforce penalties for illegal fishing linked with surprise checks to enforce management regulations, and obtaining stakeholder perceptions regarding management issues are some of the recent steps taken by the Fishermen's Co-operative Society which would positively contribute towards developing effective co-management in this reservoir.     

A social learning video method: Identifying and sharing successful transformation knowledge for sustainable soil management in Switzerland

To enhance sustainable land use, a From Farmer to Farmer project was conducted in Switzerland (2001–2010). A multi‐stakeholder discussion group co‐produced nine videos with experienced farmers and wine producers showing sustainable soil management practices. We analysed the video audio‐visual content and drew on reflections of the co‐production process, referring to concepts of system, target and transformation knowledge, as well as on social learning. The analysis showed a broad range of means (or actions) for sustainable soil management in arable land management, fodder production and wine growing that are aligned to transformation knowledge. The research showed that farmers refer to three phases of social learning, light‐bulb moments, coping with challenges and gaining successful expertise. These are not just linear processes of individuals. Four types of social learning were found in the video analysis: (a) learning from observing actions of others, (b) sharing experiences with storytelling, (c) informal social interactions and (d) being a role model with a large social network. Videos enable transformation knowledge to be shared with peers using storytelling; this powerful narrative communication style provides credibility and respects the ‘thought style’ of the target audience group. We conclude that for successful implementation of sustainable actions, it is important to address a specific target group and share their transformation knowledge built upon system and target knowledge. The social learning video method is a viable way to enable social learning between science, administration and practice and has potential for fostering change in sustainable soil management.     

Who benefits from international tourism in small Pacific islands? Value capture in the hotel industry in Hawaii

There is a consensus among small Pacific islands that the extent to which they benefit from international tourism largely depends on how much of the value created by tourism remains in the local economy. This study examines how the value created in the hotel industry is distributed among the key stakeholders in a small Pacific island context. We used aggregated income statements of full-service and limited-service hotels from the STR Inc., a hotel industry data company, to calculate the value distribution among the key stakeholders in the hotel industry of a small Pacific island. We found that labour and owners captured most of the value created, whereas hotel management companies and franchisors captured a small share of the value. Our results suggest that tourism workers' ability to take united action and hence to negotiate higher wages will result in higher value capture by local labour and less value leaking out of the local economy. Our results also reveal that foreign ownership in the hotel industry is the single largest cause of economic leakages. The study has several implications for the tourism-based growth policies in small Pacific islands.     

Characteristics of the Light Response in Seedlings and Saplings of Two Mid-Successional Species,Ash and Kalopanax,During the Early Stage of Regeneration in a Mature Forest

Abstract

Growth characteristics of ash (Fraxinus mandshuricavar. japonicd)and kalopanax (Kalopanax pictus), two mid-succcs-sional species, were monitored in relation to seasonal light in a deciduous broadleaf forest. During the growing, relative light intensity of the gap was 4 to 6 times higher than that under the closed canopy. Seedlings could be found on the mixed hardwood forest floor where relative light intensity was around greater than 7% of full sunlight. When saplings gap openings which had relative light intensities above 20%, they quickly developed lateral branches and increased their foliage volume. The light-photosynthesis curve of seedlings of both species showed a curve typical of the “shade leaf” type even though they grew under sunlight. In contrast, saplings of both species showed the “sun leaf” type of light-photosynthesis curve. This seedling to sapling shift from shade to sun adaptation was also found in other foliage characteristics. This study shows that species can efficiently adjust their leaf and branch characteristics to changing light environments from shade to openings in a forest.     

论我国林地保护利用规划的法律控制

科学的林地保护利用规划可以促进林地资源的合理利用与有效保护,达到森林生态建设与社会经济发展的相容共赢。然而,目前我国林地保护利用规划法律体系不完整,利益相关者参与林地规划的程序不明确,林地规划法律责任追究制度不完善等制度缺陷,致使林地保护利用规划不能很好地保障林业科学发展。需要通过完善土地规划法律体系,详定林地保护利用规划,完善利益相关者参与制度,保障规划决策的科学性,明确相关主体的法律责任,健全规划责任追究制度等措施来加强林地保护利用规划的法律控制。     

三江源国家公园利益相关者利益协调机制构建

三江源国家公园作为我国首个国家公园体制试点,在管理体制、经营模式和生态保护方面进行了较多的探索与实践并取得了一定的成效,但因其涉及的利益相关者数量较多且关系复杂,难免会出现利益矛盾和冲突,而协调好各利益方的关系将成为其发展是否成功的关键。因此,文章在分析三江源国家公园利益相关者构成和其利益诉求共性与差异点的基础上,总结了其在利益相关者协调方面的现状和问题,提出增强各利益方之间沟通和协调的利益表达与协商、分配与补偿、监督与反馈、保障与激励4个方面的具体建议,这必将有助于实现三江源国家公园利益相关者的关系协调并最终实现多方利益的共赢。     

论深化我国集体林地产权制度的配套改革

我国集体林权制度改革即将全面完成,深化配套制度改革成为当前面临的重要任务。在集体林地产权制度的配套改革方面,应当重构集体林地产权的权利体系,完善行政征用补偿机制和林区社会保障制度,并建立和强化林地利益相关者管理机制。通过配套制度的同步推进,巩固主体改革成果,促进我国林业的可持续发展。