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The Use of Seal Bombs in California Fisheries: Unknown Impacts Point to an Urgent Need for More Research
Get PDFCommercial fishing in California is a significant source of jobs and incomes. The industry can also produce detrimental environmental impacts, including injuries to threatened and endangered marine mammals and damage to marine ecosystems. There are a host of state and federal legal and regulatory mechanisms in place to protect marine mammals and their habitat. Some of these are more effective than others, and all exist within a continually evolving political and economic landscape. Seal bombs are incendiary devices used by some fishers to deter sea lions, seals, and other mammals from fish nets and fishing grounds. Measures to allow the use of seal bombs were adopted in part to protect fishermen from mammal depredation, but there is increasing evidence that the devices are being used off the coast of California at higher levels than previously realized. The available evidence indicates that seal bombs may pose a significant risk to marine life, both due to risk of direct injury from the blasts and the large number of intense noise impulses being introduced into marine ecosystems filled with animals that depend on the natural soundscape to live and thrive. The current regulation of these devices is weak, informed by outdated and incomplete research. Further, the monitoring and enforcement of their use is minimal, and their direct consideration by seafood certification organizations is practically nonexistent. Therefore, the authors recommend that the state and federal agencies tasked with monitoring and enforcing the use of seal bombs in California immediately review their policies, and consider significant investments in seal bomb research and monitoring to ensure that they are being used according to the law and not producing significant harm to marine mammals
Regional Economic Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise in San Diego County
Get PDFOne of the consequences of climate change and sea level rise that has not been extensively examined is the possible damages that can be done to regional economies. Even under scenarios of relatively small sea level rise, areas historically at risk from flooding will find flooding increasing as storms increase in frequency and severity. The result will likely be temporary disruptions of business activity lasting days to weeks. Climate change and accompanying higher sea levels will mean increasing severity of flood risk that will well to areas that have been historically immune to flooding. The cumulative effect of these flood threats poses a significant risk to the San Diego County economy.
To investigate these vulnerabilities, the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative engaged the Center for the Blue Economy of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey to investigate the potential effects from climate change and projected sea level rise, and coastal storms on the economy of San Diego County. The importance of assessing these vulnerabilities arises because San Diego County is the 17th largest metropolitan area in the country and the 5th largest in California. San Diego County has a GDP that is larger than 25 other states.
Much of this economy is located near the ocean and bays. In 2014, the 30 zip codes in the county that are adjacent to the shore were the location of over 34,000 employment establishments, with over 543,000 employees accounting for nearly $30 billion in wages and salaries. These zip codes accounted for 42% of county employment establishments, 46% of employment, and 50% of county wages & salaries.
This report consists of a regional economic vulnerability assessment using flooding projections developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal Storm Modeling System and economic activity and asset data available for San Diego County. The economic vulnerability assessment seeks to identify whether important parts of the economic base of the region (the industries which sell outside the region) are vulnerable and where adaptation strategies may be needed to sustain commercial and industrial activity. This type of vulnerability assessment does not forecast specific impacts, but points to possible effects of the conditions that define the scenario. It is designed to alert about possible future issues and highlight aspects that require priority attention in planning. It does not consider planned adaptation strategies, which many jurisdictions in the region are currently working on but seeks to help inform those planning efforts.
Vulnerability was identified by spatially analyzing the relationship between potential flooding projected by the USGS Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) under assumptions of no sea level rise, 1 meter (39.7” or 3.3. feet) of sea level rise and 2 meters (78.7” or 6.6 feet). These assumptions are generally consistent with other sea level rise vulnerability assessments conducted by jurisdictions in the San Diego region that assume between 1.5 to 2 feet of sea level rise by 2050 and 3 to 6.6 feet by 2100
Climate Change Vulnerabilities in the Coastal Mid-Atlantic Region
Get PDFThe Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) has identified increased understanding of the possible effects of climate change on the socio-economic assets and systems of the region as a priority need. This is based both on recent experience studying climate change and concern for the economic values that have been placed at risk. Changes in ocean temperatures and chemistry are already affecting fisheries, while the critical marine transportation facilities of the region must now address concerns about sea level rise in addition to shifting global transportation markets. New research is showing that coastal and ocean ecosystems are already changing along with the services they provide to people, and millions of people in hundreds of thousands of homes are threatened by increases in the areas subject to flooding from oceans and estuaries as well as the depth and frequency of flooding. The region examined here stretches across 63 counties and independent cities from Montauk Point to Virginia Beach and encompasses the Chesapeake Bay and the lower Delaware River. The 2016 population of these counties is more than 28.6 million with a shore-adjacent population (defined by Census tracts) of more than 14.6 million. The region is of great size and significant socio-economic diversity, ranging in population size from 2.6 million in Brooklyn (Kings County), New York, to less than 9,000 in Matthews County, Virginia. The region includes Manhattan Island (New York County), the heavily developed Jersey Shore, but also the wild dunes of Assateague and Chincoteague islands and the rural counties of the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay.1 Vulnerability is the focus of this study, which seeks to integrate the current state of knowledge about the Mid-Atlantic region in order to identify the key pressure points on the socio-economic assets and activities of the region and to estimate the degree of vulnerability both in absolute terms and relative terms across the region. The results of this study should contribute to the already vigorous processes throughout the region that states and local communities are using to plan adaptation strategies. Vulnerability is a state of potential; effects may or may not actually occur. Identifying a vulnerable condition is not a forecast of a specific outcome but is an indicator of possible effects based on the assumptions used to generate the measurement of vulnerability. The possible extent of climate change and its impacts on the Mid-Atlantic region have been extensively studied over the past decade. The climate-related changes that are likely to occur have been identified with increasing levels of confidence, including sea level rise as well as changes in marine and coastal ecosystems. However, the breadth and depth of available information varies across the region. To assess socio-economic vulnerabilities for transportation, fisheries, and ecosystems, a range of studies of climate change in the region and relevant studies drawn from elsewhere are summarized. For sea level rise, a projection common to the whole Mid-Atlantic region is used: the NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer provides consistent spatial projections of the areal extent (but not depth) of flooding that can be used to compare possible rates of sea level rise with the distribution of socio-economic assets across the region. For this analysis, sea level rises of 3 feet and 6 feet (by 2100) are used. These two scenarios are roughly consistent with the planning assumptions used in the Mid-Atlantic region and were approved by project’s advisory committee. These projections allow consistent analysis across the region, but do not reflect the most recent research which incorporates depth of possible flooding effects and are based on altering the underlying perspective on sea level rise from “this could happen by [year]” to “this has X % probability of happening within Y time period” which indicates that the 3 and 6 foot levels could occur sooner than the 2100 horizon.
For the analysis, the effects of sea level rise are measured as the proportion of area flooded (temporarily covered by water) or inundated (permanently covered by water) in shoreline areas of the region as projected by the NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer. The area examined depends on the socio-economic data’s geographic level. These range from the county at the broadest scale to the Census tract at the finest scale. Socio-economic characteristics examined included: Population Housing Stock Total Employment Social Vulnerability The Summer Economy Fishing Communities Energy and Water Infrastructure Road and Rail Infrastructure
The data on these indicators was drawn from a variety of sources, some of which were actual measures of the indicator and others were composite indexes compiled by other researchers
Marine recreational ecosystem service value estimation: A meta-analysis with cultural considerations
No full textMarine and coastal ecosystems provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities that are highly valued by society. For the purposes of conducting a meta-analysis we build an extensive global dataset of marine recreational ecosystem service values from the literature. Using this database we developed a number of meta-regression specifications with the objective of evaluating the study specific effects of location, ecosystem, valuation methodology and statistical estimation methods on the reported value estimates. Furthermore, the paper investigates if cultural differences between studies are an important determinant that should be considered in international (meta-analytical) value transfer. This was achieved by including a number of cultural parameters from previous societal studies and surveys into our meta-regression models. We found that accounting for differences in cultural dimensions across recreation valuation studies had a significant influence on value estimates. While a multi-level modelling approach that controls for study effects, proved to be a better fit than a standard one level specification, we found that the absolute in-sample transfer errors associated with the standard OLS model were slightly less on average based on the differences between the actual and predicted values in our meta-database
Can a global fund help solve the global marine plastic debris problem?
Get PDFThe problem of marine plastic debris impacts all of the world’s oceans and requires all nations to respond. However, developing States require funds to improve waste management infrastructure and services in order to reduce marine debris at source. Plastics manufacturers and retailers globally must be incentivised to design products for the environment as well as for the collection and end-of-life treatment facilities available within the intended markets. Given the oceans are a global common, we investigate the option of developing a global fund mechanism to progress the necessary actions to reduce plastic waste entering the world’s oceans. This requires consideration of what form a conceptual global fund could take, how contributions will be made to the fund and what the fund would pay for. In the short-term, remediation may be prioritised, but long-term preventive measures must also be considered. Both require funding. A global fund could assist in closing the disparity in available national funds for such activities.
A conceptual model is proposed that would assess the discharge of solid waste into the global stock of marine plastic debris by each State to determine their contribution to the fund. Some nations will initially be large contributors to the fund, creating incentive to reduce waste entering the oceans in order to reduce these financial contributions. Such a model may be regarded as inherently unfair, presenting issues of capacity and equity. Many developing States would therefore be exempted from financial contributions and be assisted by the fund to address the mismanagement of plastic waste. Alternate methods of determining national contributions to the fund are provided from analogous mechanisms. It is suggested the model may still have merit for determining contributors to the global stock, stimulating policy development and measuring success of the proposed fund outputs
California\u27s Coast and Ocean Summary Report, part of California\u27s Fourth Climate Change Assessment
Get PDFThis report synthesizes current scientific understanding about the impacts of climate change on California’s coast and ocean and presents a forward-looking summary of challenges and opportunities for the future. It is one component of California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment (Fourth Assessment). To prepare this report, the state called upon the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and California Ocean Science Trust (OST) to convene an Ocean Protection Council Science Advisory Team (OPC-SAT) working group composed of science and policy leaders. Similar to other components of the Fourth Assessment, the 12-member working group was guided by an Advisory Group of end users and high-level decision-makers.
This report is intended to provide accessible scientific information that is relevant for policy and decision-makers, build a foundation for policy to address climate change impacts through adaptation and mitigation, highlight best practices and models for coastal adaptation to climate change along the coast, and inform interested members of the public on the impacts of climate change on California’s coast and ocean waters and potential approaches for adaptation and mitigation. It will also inform the next update of the Safeguarding California plan, a policy document serving as California’s climate adaptation strategy, by presenting a scientific grounding to help focus and prioritize future state adaptation efforts
Protecting Energy Infrastructure against the Uncertainty of Future Climate Change: A Real Options Approach
Get PDFThe coastal impacts of climate change, including flooding and erosion due to storms and sea-level rise, and the possible adaptation responses have been studied using very different approaches; from very detailed site-specific, process-based investigations and interventions to global macroeconomic assessments of coastal zone vulnerability. This paper presents a flood defense real option analysis methodology that values potential investment decisions made in the building and maintaining of flood defenses around electricity infrastructure at local spatial scales for a large region. Real option analysis embraces uncertainty in future climate conditions and flexibility in the management of investment projects to produce a more precise optimal outcome than attained with traditional discount cash flow analysis alone. The method uses high-level analysis from flood inundation models to assess the cost of flooding for energy infrastructure at the present-day up to the highest plausible sea-level rise for the UK in 2100 known as the H++ scenario, which projects a sea-level rise of 1.8 m. These costs feed into a real option valuation model able to identify which energy infrastructure will benefit from investment, and when. This northwest UK study identifies two infrastructure sites that, today, would benefit from flood defence investment over discount cash flow analysis, increasing to an additional 14 in 2050. Using this method has identified 46 sites that would benefit from deferring flood defence investment now, reducing to 35 sites in 2050. This method of project valuation can be applied to any feature within the floodplain, e.g. infrastructure or residential housing, making it an adaptable and useful tool in identifying vulnerable features that require investment to ensure they stay resilient to extreme flood events in the future. This work is the result of an inter-disciplinary collaboration between hydrodynamic modelling, flood risk assessment and economics. The outputs of which are ideal to be fed into a decision-support tool, allowing stakeholders to interrogate and disseminate information about the spatial locations they are interested in
Missing the Boat? Measuring and Evaluating Local Groundfish Purchases by New England Institutions
Get PDFThe development of local food markets has provided a critical economic opportunity for small farms in New England. The collapse of Gulf of Maine groundfish stocks has motivated an interest in developing similar marketing opportunities for wild-caught, locally abundant seafood. Institutions, particularly schools and colleges, have been identified as a strategic entry point in the supply chain for such products. However, there has been a dearth of research on this topic. We undertake a case study that evaluates purchases of local groundfish by schools and colleges in New England. First, we analyze recently developed secondary data to assess the propensity and frequency of local seafood purchases. We find that local seafood purchases by schools in New England are not widespread even among the subset of schools that are undertaking farm to school activities, and that schools that are purchasing local seafood are doing so infrequently. We also find that colleges have been more proactive in sourcing local seafood products. There is a high degree of state-level variation within New England, as institutions in states with relatively more prominent commercial fishing sectors are sourcing local seafood products to a relatively greater degree. Further, colleges explicitly expressed that technical assistance in sourcing sustainable seafood products would be most beneficial in regions where there was less available supply. Second, to draw further inferences about the sustainability of local seafood purchases, we report the results of seafood procurement procedures from New England colleges. We find that these colleges source a wide variety of local groundfish principally for on-campus dining and that they place high value on seafood certification schemes as guidance for making sustainable purchases. We conclude by reviewing how data collection methods for local agricultural markets could be modified with regard to seafood distribution systems
Ten years of economic analyses for the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Overview of experiences and lessons learned
Get PDFThe European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which came into force in 2008, requires from Member States inter alia to perform various (types of) economic analyses. In order to help Member States to implement this directive, the European working group on Economic and Social Analysis was initiated in 2009. This working group has developed various guidance documents which have been very useful in helping each other to understand the Directive and its requirements, to develop one language, to understand the pros and cons of various approaches, and to share experiences. However, up until now, outside of this working group this information is hardly known. Therefore, the authors of this article, considered the tenth anniversary of this working group a good opportunity to make the accumulated grey literature more accessible and to share information on experiences and lessons learnt from applying environmental economic theory and analyses in a policy context to a broader community, to increase the awareness of marine and social scientists on the progress made and remaining knowledge gaps, to enhance interdisciplinary science-policy dialogue, and to increase the value added of forthcoming research for policy making processes
Toward a Blue Economy : A Pathway for Sustainable Growth in Bangladesh
Get PDFThis report aims to synthesize the current theory and practice of the blue economy concept to govern economic activity linked to the ocean, and to provide a framework for the Government of Bangladesh to analyze its potential. With the peaceful resolution of maritime boundary disputes with its neighbors in 2012 and 2014, the Government has recently defined the ocean space under its jurisdiction and prioritized its use as a key source of future economic growth. The Government has prioritized the use of these spaces as a key source of future growth. However, a number of questions remain in embarking on a policy planning process to achieve Bangladesh’s blue economy aspirations, including measures of the current economic uses of the ocean space, the identification of clear targets for sustainable growth of the use of this space, and a policy pathway to get there. Described as an economic frontier, the term “ocean economy” applies collectively to ocean based industry activities and the assets, goods, and services of marine ecosystems. Ocean ecosystems provide the natural capital inputs that combine with produced and human capital to underpin the ocean economy.The concept of a “blue economy” emerged in 2012 as countries around the world have grappled with the twin trends of accelerating growth in the ocean economy and change in the underlying ecosystems. A “blue economy” aims for a balance between economic opportunities and the environmental limitations of using the ocean to generate wealth. Few documents exist to describe how countries can transition their ocean economies toward a blue economy, despite much discussion since 2012. This report fills that gap by offering a conceptual framework to guide policy-makers in Bangladesh in proposing specific reforms, by illustrating the economic activities of the ocean economy together with the underlying natural capital, as well as other types of capital. The framework suggests entry points for policy reforms to change the flow of inputs from ocean ecosystems to the ocean economy over time, or conversely to reduce outputs from economic activity (such as pollution) that may impact the functioning of ocean ecosystems. The report also synthesizes principles that may help guide such policy reforms. Most importantly, the report summarizes the information base needed for the Government of Bangladesh to set realistic targets for a blue economy development pathway and monitor progress