Pollution control options for Australian prawn farms

Abstract

The adverse environmental consequences of shrimp farming in Asia and South America have caused widespread public concern. One of the main environmental impacts is the high nutrient load that is discharged from ponds, as part of the management routine aimed at maintaining pond water quality. In Australia, where there is a high level of community awareness of the problems associated with eutrophication, the Environmental Protection Agencies are faced with the difficult task of determining effluent control policies for the emerging prawn industry.

According to the standard environmental economic arguments relating to the design of pollution control instruments, the choice of the best policy instrument depends upon the nature of the pollution problem, the costs of abatement and the transactions costs associated with administering the policy. Thus, in order to assess the appropriateness of alternative pollution control instruments it is necessary to examine the nature of the pollution problem, the technologies available for abatement, the accuracy and cost of monitoring and enforcement.

These practical aspects are examined from the perspective of the intensive prawn aquaculture industry. While there are insufficient data to conduct an empirical analysis of the relative effectiveness of alternative control measures, some of the key issues that need to be considered in designing such policies are highlighted. These issues are reviewed in the context of proposed changes to policy regulating prawn farms in Queensland.     

MODELING THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF RESERVOIR AQUACULTURE IN VIETNAM 1

This study was motivated by the need to estimate the quantitative impacts of current regulatory constraints on the economic performance of reservoir aquaculture in Vietnam. Using survey data and a specially adapted bioeconomic model, we show that performance of reservoir aquaculture varies widely. The three performance criteria were fish yields, net production revenue and income generated for the local population. Results suggest that current policies regarding extension effort on fingerling survival rates and on feeding strategies, as well as regulations involving taxation of cooperatives and authorities collecting leasing fees, do constrain the economic potential of reservoir aquaculture. The forgone production revenues limit the potential for aquaculture to alleviate local poverty. This study is a first step in identifying those government regulations that have a critical role in the development of reservoir aquaculture in Vietnam.     

Risk of establishment of non-indigenous diseases of citrus fruit and foliage in Spain: An approach using meteorological databases and tree canopy climate data

Based on macroclimate comparisons of monthly means of temperature and rainfall, the Mediterranean-type climate might be considered unfavorable for the establishment of the quarantine pathogens of fruit and foliage of citrus regulated by the EC Council Directive 2000/29. The presence of free water on the canopy during periods with temperatures favorable for disease development seems to be limited by the characteristic rainless summer. However, our field study showed that due to the formation of dew, rainfall and rain days were not positively correlated with canopy wetness. Dew periods were quite frequent during summer nights with temperatures over 15°C and even 20°C. Nevertheless, wetness periods were seldom continuous and they were usually interrupted by dry periods approximately 10–14 h long. In contrast to some endemic foliar pathogens such asAlternaria alternata, no data are currently available on the performance of these non-indigenous pathogens under interrupted wetness conditions. Due to the lack of rain during the summer in semi-arid areas, the natural spread of rain-disseminated citrus pathogens, such asElsinoë spp. andXanthomonas axonopodis pv.citri, might be rather limited. However, windborne pathogens, such asGuignardia citricarpa andPseudocercospora angolensis, would have considerable potential for dissemination under the Mediterranean climate. We consider that more information about the effect of microclimate on the epidemiology of these diseases is needed to estimate accurately their risk of establishment in Spain and in other citrus-growing countries of the Mediterranean Basin.     

农牧交错区禁牧前后畜牧业投入产出分析——以宁夏盐池县为例

农牧交错带典型的过渡性特征决定了畜牧业在农牧民生产和生活中的重要地位,禁牧政策的实施对农村畜牧业发展的影响是显著的。本文以地处农牧交错带、于2001年11月成为禁牧试点县的宁夏盐池县为案例,在对69户农牧户的调查问卷进行统计和处理的基础上,从劳动力用工、物质和资金投入三个方面对禁牧前后畜牧业成本进行了对比分析。通过计算羔羊出栏、成羊出栏、毛(绒)、当年羔羊增值等收益得出每只羊的年收益,对比发现,畜牧业经营方式由自由放牧向舍饲养殖的转变使畜牧养殖的投入产出结构随之发生改变,净收益短期内呈现下降趋势,成为实现农民增收及生态恢复成果保护的一大挑战。     

基于外资利用的产业结构优化升级研究

在分析我国利用外商直接投资现状和我国产业结构的一般情况基础上,实证研究了外商直接投资对我国产业结构优化的影响,指出外资在促进我国产业结构不断优化调整的同时也存在问题,并提出了利用外资促进产业结构升级的相关政策建议。     

基于灰色理论的产业结构调整与能源消费分析——以青海省为例

鉴于能源消费系统的复杂性及非线性的特征,针对青海省能源发展现状,运用灰色系统理论的灰色关联度定量地分析了能源消费与产业结构的关系,得出一、二、三产业及生活用能与能源消费的关联度,从而预测今后几年的能源消费趋势。结果表明,第二产业对能源消耗总和的关联度最大。最后,根据研究结果,对如何实现节约用能提出几点建议：在第二产业中大力提升高技术产业,限制高耗能、高污染工业的发展;倡导低碳经济生活方式,大力宣传节能,合理控制生活部门的能源消费量可有效降低能源消费量;在第三产业中积极推行清洁生产,大力发展循环经济。     

贵州省退耕还林问题跟踪研究

从后续产业、能源燃料、外出务工、耕地与粮食收入、家庭经济收入等角度对退耕户与非退耕户进行对比,揭示退耕农户存在的后续问题及成因,探讨巩固退耕还林成果途径,指出新时期必须将退耕还林与贵州省经济社会发展战略相结合,特别是与工业强省战略、城镇化带动战略、扶贫开发与生态文明建设相结合,才能促进退耕地区经济、社会与环境可持续发展,实现巩固退耕还林成果的目标。     

基于工业设计思维的新型智能鸭笼环境设计

依据产品设计的功能性、经济性以及审美性原则,在材料选择、鸭笼结构以及主要机构等方面进行了新型智能鸭笼环境的设计研究。基于工业设计思维的新型智能鸭笼设计体现了现代养殖笼具发展的方向,满足了现代养殖业规模化、市场化的发展需要。     

广东省恩平市产业转移园区土地利用问题研究

以广东省恩平市产业转移园区为例,通过重点分析该园区在规划和建设过程中在土地利用方面可能存在的问题,并结合恩平的实际情况,提出解决和避免这些问题的办法。     

基于偏离一份额分析法的聊城市产业结构分析

采用偏离一份额分析法,以山东省为参照系,对2000～2009年聊城市的产业结构及其经济增长进行了定量分析,并且将2000～2004年与2005～2009年2个时间段之间的3个分量进行比较,分析了聊城市产业结构与竞争力的变化趋势,结合聊城市近几年的产业结构现状分析其存在的问题,为聊城市产业结构调整和优化提出建议。