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A Survey of Seafood Traceability and Sustainability in the United States— Processes, Regulations, and Current Initiatives
Get PDFThe global seafood industry currently lacks a standardized, widespread method to easily trace the chain of custody of products that they purchase. With global overfishing leading to declining fish stocks around the world, it is vital for seafood providers to have the ability to identify and buy products from sustainable fisheries that are well managed, target abundant species, and fish in environmentally responsible ways. This paper analyzes public and private initiatives that seek to provide product traceability. In summarizing the current status of seafood traceability, stakeholders agree that are a number of challenges with trying to piece together so many records from so many different supply chain members between international trade partners and the United States. Currently, investigators can follow the paths of seafood products until they (hopefully) find the point where these paths cross. While the process might seem straightforward, it is not. Regarding traceability implementation, there is also great concern in the market about a level playing field - why should one supplier make an investment for the sake of traceability or sustainability when it means that a competitor can sell the same product at a lower price
Lapis Sand Dollars: An Economic Analysis of Non-Market Impacts of Lapis Sand Mine in Southern Monterey Bay
Get PDFThe unique dunes and beaches of southern Monterey Bay, California are threatened by an intensified rate of coastal erosion caused by the Lapis Lustre sand mine in the city of Marina. This mine excavates high quality sand sold by the largest international cement and aggregate corporation, Cemex. Like many extractive industries, Lapis’ sand production results in negative externalities for the environment. This study quantifies some of these externalities by examining non-market costs including seawall construction and lost recreational value of beach due to Lapis.
The annual cost of maintaining the existing seawalls at Ocean Harbor House and Monterey Beach Resort is 256,562 annually. In addition, the cost of the recreational value of the beach area lost due to sand mining is currently 1,122,970 annually in the future. These findings suggest that the non-market costs of the mine are significant, and would be even greater if a more diverse range of non-market costs were considered. This analysis fills a gap in information that should be considered in current and future decision-making regarding coastal resource use in Monterey County.
Extractive industries generally fail to recognize the full array of negative externalities for which they are responsible. Instead, the public bears the burden. This case study typifies just such a situation, as the high rate of coastal erosion will continue to threaten the economic and ecological well-being along the southern coast of Monterey Bay, and will most likely be further exacerbated by increasingly unpredictable effects of climate change and sea level rise. Without taking action to minimize the causes of coastal erosion in southern Monterey Bay, the future economic implications for Monterey County could be great, as the beach from Moss Landing to Monterey could be gone or highly fragmented within 50 years.3
According to a study by PWA, the main factor exacerbating shoreline erosion in southern Monterey Bay is hydraulic sand mining from the beach at the Lapis mine in Marina. The study indicates that the mining operations account for a reduction of approximately 200,000 yd3 of sand per year from the littoral cell, which would otherwise replenish the beaches up and down the coast. This volume of sand loss accounts for 2 ft of beach loss each year, which is approximately 50-75% of the ongoing erosion that occurs in southern Monterey Bay (PWA, 2008). The economic cost of the additional beach erosion that results from sand mining has not been accounted for in previous studies
Valuing improvements to coastal waters using choice experiments: an application to revisions of the EU Bathing Waters Directive
Get PDFPlanned changes to the European Union’s Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7 EC) will force member states to produce improvements in a number of parameters of coastal water quality. This study uses the choice experiment method to estimate the economic benefits attached to such improvements, based on a sample of recreationalists on beaches in Ireland. The analysis indicates that improvements in all of the bathing water related attributes studied result in positive willingness to pay, and also show evidence of scope effects. Using random parameters and latent class modelling techniques, potential heterogeneity in preferences is then investigated and shown to be present to a significant degree. One observable determinant of this preference heterogeneity is the degree of exposure of individuals to health risks relating to water quality, as proxied by the type of recreational activity they undertake
State of the U.S. Ocean and Coastal Economies 2009
Get PDFThis nation’s coasts and oceans contribute much to the United States economy. For the past ten years, the National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP) has compiled time-series data that track economic activities,demographics, natural resource production, non-market values, and federal expenditures in the U.S. coastal zone both on land and in the water. On the website www.oceaneconomics.org, the public—government officials,academics, industry, and advocacy groups—have had interactive access to this information and used it widely for many different purposes. This report features highlights from this collection to heighten appreciation for the value of the ocean and this nation’s coasts among an even broader audience. Two economies were measured:
the ocean economy, which includes all ocean-dependent activities in coastal states, and the coastal economy, which includes all economic activity in coastal states, with geographies such as zip codes, counties, and watersheds.
Non-market values for goods and services not traded in the market place are also included for purposes of understanding the often underestimated values of America’s natural resources
California Ocean and Coastal Investment Study Final Report
Get PDFThe National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP), in cooperation with the California Coastal Conservancy and the Ocean Protection Council (OPC), completed this study to provide an inventory of state expenditures for the coast and ocean for fiscal years 2005-06 (FY 2006) and 2006-07 (FY 2007). The purpose of the study is to understand where current public investments are being made and whether further investments need to occur to be consistent with the OPC Strategic Plan as well as those of various state programs
Phase II Florida’s Ocean and Coastal Economies Report
Get PDFPhase II of Florida’s Ocean and Coastal Economics Report was prepared for the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council and funded under contract #RM077 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The Phase I report of Florida’s Ocean and Coastal Economies provided basic information that the NOEP compiles for all coastal states about employment, wages and output of those activities located geographically along Florida’s shoreline (Coastal Economy) as well as those activities directly dependent upon the oceans (Ocean Economy). That information not only described the status and trends of Florida’s Coastal and Ocean Economy but allowed comparison to economies in other states as well as comparisons among counties in Florida. It also provides basic data about fisheries productivity and estimates of the non-market value of coastal recreation.
The Phase II report is in three volumes: this report, Phase II, Florida’s Ocean and Coastal Economies, a smaller summary version, Phase II Facts and Figures, and Phase II Appendices. Phase II expands and provides more detailed information about additional economic activities that particularly define Florida’s Ocean Economy that were not included in Phase I. These include: the passenger cruise industry, the commercial and recreational fishing, coastal real estate – the value of coastal real estate, value of tourist real estate and data on seasonal housing; marine research and education institutions, coastal construction activities including beach nourishment and dredging, and finally marine transportation and port activities. In addition, an expanded marine recreation section provides detail about the location of Florida’s coastal recreational assets, the number provides information on the number of people using them, and estimates of the value of numerous recreational activities such as boating, surfing, etc. A major study on boating and marinas is currently underway for the state of Florida by other contractors1.
To provide context for the expanded descriptions of economic activities, the NOEP has also prepared an update of the Phase I report using a summary of the most recent numbers available for Florida’s Coastal and Ocean economic contributions, e.g. a summary update of the estimates from the Phase I report
The Economic Contribution of Marine Science and Education Institutions in the Monterey Bay Crescent
Get PDFOcean and coastal areas of the United States contribute significantly to our nation’s overall economy. The extent to which our economy benefits from the wide range of marine and coastal activities is not completely understood. The National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP) has attempted to track and value the ocean and coastal- related economic activities in the United States. To date six sectors are included in its information system (www.oceaneconomics.org). The economic contribution of marine research and education institutions is a sector of activity that lies outside of the normal federal government datasets, but one which seemed to have growing importance and yet was not considered part of the economy. Thus, the NOEP decided to add marine science and education institutions to its sector studies. The goal of this project was to create a prototype strategy at a local level, which could then be adapted for collecting national level data on a state by state basis. This economic sector of institutions and their activities would be comparable to other economic sectors for which the federal government already collects data. The purposes of this project were (1) to select the key indicators that could demonstrate the value of these institutions, and (2) to determine the economic contribution of these institutions to the local, state, and national economies. In order to achieve these purposes, we constructed a survey, tested it at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and then distributed it to the marine research and education institutions of Monterey Bay Crescent. The results of the survey are presented as aggregate information that detail important economic contributions to the region such as: annual budgets, employment figures, annual earned wages, number of students, sources of funding, and distribution of research spending. A summary of the results shows that the combined annual budgets of the marine research and education institutions in Monterey Bay Crescent for 2006 were over 78 million. The four institutions of higher education included in the survey served 861 students studying ocean sciences and ocean policy. Distribution of funding sources among all institutions surveyed, according to the survey was Federal Government funds at 46% and foundation funds at 35% of the overall research budgets that support these institutions. Research activities focused on coastal processes and on biodiversity had the largest amount of funding, while climate change and marine policy research had the least funding. These results are a window into a growing sector of activities with increasing importance, and begin to fill the void of economic data on the contribution of marine research and education institutions
Measurement of the Market Data for the Ocean and Coastal Economy
Get PDFThis paper supplements reports and data released on the Coastal and Ocean Economies of the United States by the NOEP. It provides a discussion of the relevant literature involved in the investigation of the Ocean and Coastal related Economies, the theoretical background of measures such as gross domestic product (GDP) and gross state product (GSP), and provides details on sources, methods, assumptions, and limitations of the data provided by NOEP.
Those concerned with the health of coastal and ocean resources increasingly need to understand the socio-economic context in which changes are occurring. The market data of the National Ocean Economics Program provides a comprehensive set of measures of changes in economic activity throughout the coastal regions of the United States. It is built on a number of standard government data sources, which have been specifically adapted to permit a better understanding of what is happening in coastal areas. It is designed to help answer questions such as: How large is the economic activity associated with ocean resources? How has the economic use of the ocean changed over time? How is economic activity distributed across coastal regions, from the areas nearest the shore to the interior?
The data is organized by coastal state, including the Great Lakes, and by coastal counties. It includes employment, total wages paid, establishments, and contributions to national economic output (measured as gross state product). Data is available from 1990 to the most recent year of the underlying data sources
The Value of Marine Institutions: An Economic Survey of Marine Research and Education Institutions in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties
Get PDFIt is recognized that ocean and coastal areas of the United States contribute significantly to our nation’s overall economy. What is not completely understood is the extent to and manner in which our economy benefits from the wide range of marine and coastal activities. One area of the ocean economy that has not been collectively measured or examined is the contribution of marine research and education institutions. The goal of the project was to create a prototype strategy at a local level for collecting data at a national level, in order to create an economic sector of these institutions and activities that would be equivalent to other economic sectors for which the federal government already collects data such as tourism and agriculture. The purposes of this project were
(1) to select the key indicators that could demonstrate the value of these institutions, and
(2) to determine the economic contribution of these institutions to the local, state and national economies. In order to achieve these purposes, I constructed a survey tested it at MBARI, and then distributed it to the marine research and education institutions of Monterey Bay Crescent as a beta test for the entire state and possibly the nation. The results of the survey are presented as aggregate information that detail important economic contributions to the region such as: employment figures, annual earned wages, annual budgets, sources of funding, and distribution of research spending. A summary of the results shows that the combined annual budgets of the marine research and education institutions in Monterey Bay Crescent is 77,703,833. There are also 861 students. I also discovered that the federal government funds 46% and foundations 35% of the overall monies that support these institutions. Furthermore the results of this project indicate that projects with a primary focus on coastal processes and on biodiversity research have the greatest amount of funding, while climate change and marine policy have the least. The implications of these results are of great importance in filling the void of economic data and contribution of marine research and education institutions to our economy. This project, conducted in Monterey Bay Crescent, serves as a beta-test in order to improve upon a survey that may be used throughout the U.S. In order to achieve this, broader application, I considered problems and limitations that lead to possible changes in the survey
Phase I Florida\u27s Ocean and Coastal Economies Report
Get PDFThis report was prepared for and funded by the Florida State Department of Environmental Protection with the encouragement of members from the Florida Ocean Alliance, Florida Oceans and Coastal Resources Council and other groups with deep interests in the future of Florida’s coast. It is a preliminary study of Florida’s Ocean and Coastal Economies based only on information currently found within the datasets of the National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP). It reflects only a portion of the value of Florida’s coastal-related economy and should not be considered comprehensive. A more customized study based on the unique coastal and ocean-dependent economic activities of the State of Florida should be carried out to complete the picture of Florida’s dependence upon its coasts.
The information in this Phase I is limited to the datasets compiled by the NOEP for all Coastal and Great Lakes states (www.OceanEconomics.org). The NOEP defines two separate but overlapping categories of economic activities to measure the value of Florida’s coast to the economy: the Ocean Economy and the Coastal Economy. For example, industries for the Tourism & Recreation sector of the Ocean Economy will also be found in the supersector for leisure industries, used in the Coastal Economy. The NOEP currently uses six sectors of economic activities derived from broader categories of the National Income and Product Accounts as the foundation for the Ocean Economy: Coastal Construction, Marine Living Resources, Marine Transportation, Offshore Minerals, Ship & Boat Building and Repair, and Coastal Tourism & Recreation. All of these depend on the oceans in a direct way. The Coastal Economy represents the full range of all economic activities that occur in coastal geographies, reported as the aggregate of twelve Super-sector categories developed and reported by the Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis and the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics