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Aligning Ocean Plastic Pollution and Human Health a Co-benefits Approach
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The environmental literature has begun to consider the impact of environmental problems on human health. This realization serves both as a means to provide scientific evidence to consider the environment and public health jointly. This approach also increases recognition of the environment where stakeholders have not understood the links between environmental and human health. The oceans and seas play an important role in human health, through the provision and quality of the air that we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, while offering economic and recreational opportunities which enhance public health. However, the links between human health and ocean plastic pollution are unclear and research in this area is in its infancy. This paper argues that aligning human health and the impacts of ocean plastic pollution, focusing on the co-benefits of any planned intervention is important when figuring the costs associated with mitigation measures. Doing so will also raise awareness of the broader impacts of plastics in the ocean and seas. Within this context, this paper focuses on the need for economists and policymakers to look past the direct economic costs and benefits and focus on co-benefits of ocean plastic mitigation, particularly the impacts to human health
Aquatic Invasive Species Change Ecosystem Services from the World\u27s Largest Wild Sockeye Salmon Fisheries in Alaska
Full text linkThis study combines a multi-method approach to structured expert judgment with market valuation to forecast fisheries damages from introduced invasive species. The method is applied to a case study of Alaska’s first submersed aquatic invasive plant, Elodea spp., threatening Alaska’s salmon fisheries. Assuming that Elodea spp. remains unmanaged, estimated mean damages to commercial sockeye fisheries aggregated across Alaska amount to a potential 577 million annually (5.1 billion cumulatively over the next 100 years reaching $400 million after 10 years. Results from the expert elicitation indicate that there is a 35% chance of positive net benefits associated with the believed positive effects of Elodea spp. on sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Despite the potential for positive net gains, the magnitude of the most probable damage estimate may justify substantial investment in keeping productive freshwater systems free of aquatic invasive species. The damage estimate for Alaska is significantly larger than similar estimates in the Great Lakes where ecosystems are already impaired by multiple aquatic invasive species, underscoring the value of keeping functioning ecosystems with global market value productive. This study is the first to estimate ecosystem service loss associated with introduction of an aquatic invasive species to freshwater habitat that supports the world’s most valuable wild sockeye salmon fisheries. Important policy implications related to natural resource management and efficient allocation of scarce resources are discusse
Blue Biotechnology, Renewable Energy, Unconventional Resources and Products as Emerging Frontiers at Sea
Full text linkBlue biotechnology, renewable energy and unconventional marine living resources are considered as emerging frontiers for enhancing ocean-based blue economy in Bangladesh. Blue biotechnology can help both fisheries and aquaculture industry by producing fish varieties that can become quicker, more beneficial, and greater with tastier flesh, by developing gene transfer technology to be used to develop the growth of fish or by using of monoclonal antibodies and DNA probes to new diagnostic strategies for pathogens. Transformation of marine bioresources (main, co-product and by-products) into food, medicine, animal feed and related bio-based items i.e. cosmetics, nutritional supplements, enzymes, agrichemicals etc could help in meet the Bangladesh future challenges for the 21st century. Given that majority of conventional living resources is facing over-exploitation, non-conventional marine living resources, specifically mollusk (squids, oyster, mussel), seaweeds, marine echinoderms, marine micro algae and others can be utilized as a source of new fishery products that could straightforwardly consumed as nutritionally balanced marine food. In terms of non-living resource, renewable energy comes from hydro power, solar, biogas and wind, however, tide and wave energy have good potential. Towards sustainable utilization of these sector-specific resources there are several challenges, such as little knowledge about their current status, limited focus by policy makers. To escape this situation, marine policy relatives must have to include the marine fisheries, mariculture, marine food, health, natural resources and industrial application. Research activities can create information to advise the policy and strategy, which thus stimulates future development by informing how the marine environment can be monitored and managed reasonably and realize its role in giving ecological facilities to the country as well as the world
Future importance of healthy oceans: Ecosystem functions and biodiversity, marine pollution, carbon sequestration, ecosystem goods and services
Full text linkThe paper provides a review the current status of ecosystem and resource extraction to provide a series of thoughts related to the future challenges in maintaining the health of the Marine and coastal ecosystems at the Bay of Bengal. The chapter highlighted the challenges current efforts and future interventions necessary to keep the Bay of Bengal large marine ecosystem healthy. They are mainly linked to climate change, environmental pollution from different sources, biodiversity conservation, sediment movement. marine spatial planning and adoption of protected area concept to design marine reserve, fish sanctuary and ecological critical areas in the coastal zone were highlighted. The importance and means of monitoring of the marine and coastal ecosystem at the Bay of Bengal required local and international collaboration in order to ensure adoption and management of an objective monitoring syste
Putting the Blue in the Green New Deal
Full text linkThe Green New Deal (GND) is a U.S. resolution that aims to address economic inequality and global warming through a set of proposed economic stimulus projects. As nearly half of the U.S. populace lives in or near coastal areas, the GND needs to prioritize the sustainable use and preservation of the marine environment – called the “blue economy.” David Helvarg of Blue Frontier and Jason Scorse of the International Environmental Policy Program and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies suggest a series of policy and investment priorities for incorporation of the blue economy into the GND
Institutional Arrangements for the Blue Economy: Marine Spatial Planning a Way Forward
Full text linkBlue Economy is one of the important aspects of Sustainable Ocean Governance as it refers to sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth and improved livelihood by maintaining healthy marine ecosystem. In order to achieve sustainable ocean governance, it is important to implement the contemporary and newly developed principles and concepts including Blue Economy and Ecosystem based management (EBM). As an implementation toll for sustainable ocean governance, Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) can play an important role to achieve the objectives of Blue Economy. Due to various reasons, the current institutional arrangements for sustainable ocean govern as well as exploring the concept of Blue Economy is at a very rudimentary stage in Bangladesh. The objective of this section is to analyze the significance of Blue Economy in achieving sustainable ocean governance through institutional framework. In this respect, relationship between MSP and Blue Economy is examined in the paper. This section is concluded with some recommendations to improve the institutional framework to achieve the objectives of Blue Economy in Bangladesh
Coastal and Marine Tourism in the Future
Full text linkHaving the world\u27s largest unbroken sea-beach and vast coastline, Bangladesh has an immense potentiality to develop sustainable coastal and marine tourism. In Bangladesh, coastal and marine tourism is already in operation, though on a limited scale. But the growth of tourism in this country is lagging behind compared to the world as a whole. The contribution of this sector in the economy of Bangladesh is still below the mark. Therefore, the economy can be benefited by harnessing opportunities pertinent to the country’s coastal and marine tourism. To attract the local and foreign tourists, the country can improve the existing tourist sites. It can also develop new tourist spots in the coastal and marine areas. Introduction of new tourism products such as cruise to Swatch of no ground from Chittagong and Khulna, exclusive tourist zones for foreigners, surfing zones, community-based ecotourism, underwater tourism, and sports tourism in the coastal and marine areas can be thought of. In the process of developing tourism, proper planning, budgetary allocation, community participation, awareness building, coordination between agencies and proper marketing strategies are among the important factors. By developing the proposed tourism in marine and coastal areas, Bangladesh can increase GDP, generate more jobs, reduce poverty, earn foreign currencies, gain socio-cultural benefits, conserve environment, and protect coastal areas. In addition, development of coastal and marine tourism can create the opportunity to promote local culture and heritage by integrating local communities into the development process. Finally, government can play a vital role in promoting coastal and marine tourism by providing some special services including on arrival visa and one stop service to the foreign tourists
Initial Measures of the Economic Activity Linked to Bangladesh’s Ocean Space, and Implications for the Country’s Blue Economy Policy Objectives
Full text linkThe Government of Bangladesh resolved its maritime boundaries in 2014, resulting in jurisdiction over ocean space equivalent to 80 percent of the country’s terrestrial area. To encourage the development of this area and the resources it contains, the Government embraced the concept of a “blue economy” in its most recent development plan, as a broad label for all ocean-linked economic activities that are environmentally and socially sustainable. To support the Government’s effort to translate its blue economy aspirations into operational policies, an accounting exercise was conducted to provide initial measures of Bangladesh’s ocean-linked economic activity, as a baseline by which to set targets.
The results suggest the contribution of ocean-linked economic activity in Bangladesh in 2014-2015 was just over 3% of national gross value added, derived relatively evenly from tourism and recreation, capture fisheries and aquaculture, transport and energy. The Government’s intention to design blue economy policies will need to be supported by extending the analysis in this study to a full ocean economy satellite account, eventually adding measures of the economic value of marine ecosystem services and the costs of environmental degradation, as well as the status of the underlying stocks of natural capital
Ship Breaking and its Future in Bangladesh
Full text linkShip breaking is comparatively a sustainable business, particularly in the developing world, but the conditions where it is practiced is non-sustainable. Ship breaking is the process of dismantling ships and selling their parts - primarily the steel - for scrap. The main impetus for breaking a ship down is that maintenance costs go up as a ship ages. Shipping companies also have to pay port charges, crew salaries and oil fees for their ships, so when they are no longer economically viable they are sold to ship recyclers who strip the old ships down, salvaging anything of value. Bangladesh is one of the top ship recycling countries in the world. Ship breaking is becoming increasingly important economically in the country. In the developing world, ship breaking not only employs thousands of people in breaking down a ship, but the materials produced are also important to other industries, such as re-rolling steel plants. However, it is deadly too. Despite having huge employment opportunities and material supplies, it costs high in terms of environmental degradation and human health. It is reported that most of the ship recyclers avoid ‘polluters pay’ and other principles. Ship breaking activities are being practiced in the coastal areas of Bangladesh and have gained importance in the macro and micro-economy of poverty stricken Bangladesh. If this sector take some eco-friendly steps in compliance with the principles of blue economy and overcome challenges it will be a big and sustainable industry in future. This chapter explored the background of this migrant industry along with existing realities, practices, legal regulations, problems and prospects, and suggests some voluntary guidelines connecting ‘blue economy’ concept associated with this industry in Bangladesh
Coming Stakes in the Ocean: Food Production, Shipping and Trade, Tourism, Ecosystem-biodiversity, New Technologies and Climate Change Challenges in Bangladesh
Full text linkBlue economy is an emerging concept in all over the world where Bangladesh is not in exception. The blue economy of Bangladesh is subject to multiple interlinked activities. Among the major activities, food production, shipping and trade, tourism, ecosystem-biodiversity, new technologies and climate change challenges are the most promising sectors which are discussed in this chapter to project the present and future potential, constrains, ways to overcome in the context of the blue economy of Bangladesh following various published literatures. The review has revealed that Bangladesh has enormous resources which have great potential to uplift the existing economy, improving livelihoods, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. However, there are lot of constrains which hinder to get the ultimate fruit from these potentialities. The major constrains include lack of policy, institutional or organizational structure and coordination, data or information, knowledge in innovating and diversifying marine products and services, marketing strategies, continuous scientific research, skilled manpower with motivation and dedication, public awareness, maritime security and concern in marine and coastal environment. Initiations to overcome these constrains with long and short term strategic plans and properly implementing the strategic decisions will bring the state more productive and could be a model country with blue economy approach