International Resource Management Research Articles

Mobilising international resource management certification schemes: Re‐configuration of the global shark fin supply network by producers

AbstractAs one approach to publicising sustainability efforts at the local level for a wider audience, international resource management certification schemes and their eco‐label programmes have been widely used as a verification tool. The case of Japanese shark fishery based in Kesennuma, Miyagi shows the full picture of the current global context behind a highly controversial commodity: shark fins. Campaigns against shark finning directed by environmental NGOs have led to shark fin being taken off the menu at some Chinese high‐class hotels. The shark fishery in Kesennuma is currently working toward obtaining Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification to prove that their shark products are not the result of finning, with the expectation that the certification will provide a clear distinction between human moral issues and sustainable resource management issues. Drawing on this case, this paper analyses the network of cooperative stakeholders in order to re‐configure a global sustainable commodity network for shark fins. It has been almost a quarter century since MSC was officially launched as an independent organisation in 1997. Initially, MSC certification was a major strength of differentiation, allowing producers of certified seafood to sell at a higher price, but the acquisition of certification by multiple fisheries targeting the same or similar species has reduced the economic benefits for individual fisheries. By analysing the shark fishery, which require resource management on the high seas, this paper provides new insights into how MSC certification can be mobilised by producers.

Method to analyse welfare effect of transferable quotas in an open economy with rent-seeking for quotas

Governments have introduced local individual transferable quotas (ITQs) to maintain fishery resource sustainability. However, quota rent-seeking activities by fishermen may weaken ITQ's resource conservation effect in countries with immature private property systems. This method is developed to analyse how opening-up trade impacts resource management and welfare under quota rent-seeking activities by applying rent-seeking for emission permits to rent-seeking for ITQ in a two-country model to investigate the policy effect of opening-up trade on renewable resources. The method helps analyse ITQ's welfare effect in an open economy with quota rent-seeking activities and the welfare effect of opening-up trade via quota lobbying, comparing an autarky with an open economy. Quota changes in the foreign country specialising in fishery production influence quota prices in both the foreign country and the home country, diversifying away from fishery to manufacturing production, thereby affecting fishery and manufacturing goods production in the home country. Thus, fishery policy indirectly affects welfare in the home country. The method can be applied to investigate fisheries disputes under international resource management. In sum, this method facilitates:•Analysing the welfare effect of quotas with quota lobbying in a two-country model;•Examining the policy effect of opening-up trade on quota rent-seeking and fisheries production, comparing an autarky with an open economy; and•Investigating fisheries disputes under the international management of fishery resources.

Collapse of cooperation? The North-Atlantic mackerel dispute and lessons for international cooperation on transboundary fish stocks

A changing climate will challenge the effectiveness and functioning of existing international resource management structures or international regimes. This is already evident in regimes that manage transboundary fish stocks, where rapid changes in the abundance and distribution of fishery resources threaten international cooperation. This article examines the breakdown in resource cooperation for the northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery where, for over a decade, Coastal States have failed to reach an agreement on the management of the stock after a climate-induced shift in the stock’s distribution. Why did the management regime fail? And what are lessons learnt for such regimes more generally? This article sheds light on the interplay between a relatively weak international regime, domestic interests related to the importance of the national fishing industry and a breakdown in the common principles – fisheries science – that international cooperation is based on. The limited flexibility in the negotiating position of the various states – and thus, the regime at large – can be ascribed to a combination of strong domestic industry influence on negotiating positions, and a disagreement over the appropriate methods to measure stock biomass in tandem with unclear allocation principles. Strengthening existing mechanisms to cooperatively manage shared stocks between Coastal States will be important to avoid such disputes in the future. However, states are weary of relinquishing decision-making powers. Therefore, starting with an agreement on the fundamentals, namely the science that underpins diverging claims, could be a first step towards a long-term solution for the northeast Atlantic mackerel.

Quantifying interregional flows of multiple ecosystem services – A case study for Germany

Despite a growing number of national-scale ecosystem service (ES) assessments, few studies consider the impacts of ES use and consumption beyond national or regional boundaries. Interregional ES flows – ecosystem services “imported” from and “exported” to other countries – are rarely analyzed and their importance for global sustainability is little known. Here, we provide a first multi-ES quantification of a nation's use of ES from abroad. We focus on ES flows that benefit the population in Germany but are supplied outside German territory. We employ a conceptual framework recently developed to systematically quantify interregional ES flows. We address four types of interregional ES flows with: (i) biophysical flows of traded goods: cocoa import for consumption; (ii) flows mediated by migratory species: migration of birds providing pest control; (iii) passive biophysical flows: flood control along transboundary watersheds; and (iv) information flows: China's giant panda loan to the Berlin Zoo. We determined that: (i) Ivory Coast and Ghana alone supply around 53% of Germany's cocoa while major negative consequences for biodiversity occurred in Cameroon and Ecuador; (ii) Africa´s humid and sub-humid climate zones are important habitats for the majority of migratory bird species that provide natural pest control services in agricultural areas in Germany; (iii) Upstream watersheds outside the country add an additional 64% flood regulation services nationally, while Germany exports 40% of flood regulation services in neighboring, downstream countries; (iv) Information flows transported by the pandas were mainly related to political aspects and - contrary to our expectations - considerably less on biological and natural aspects. We discuss the implications of these results for international resource management policy and governance.

1. 国際資源管理認証制度の基礎的要件—国際的に認知されるエコラベルの共通点—

1. 国際資源管理認証制度の基礎的要件—国際的に認知されるエコラベルの共通点—

Game Analysis of International Marine Petroleum Cooperation’s Environmental Governance: The Bohai Gulf Oil Spill

In this paper, we discuss the economic reasons for overexploitation that led to the Bohai Gulf oil spill, using game theory. Based on the Bohai Gulf incident, we present the causes of ocean international petroleum cooperation, reveal the connection between the interests of Chinese local oil companies and that of a foreign oil company, analyze both sides of the benefit equilibrium between ConocoPhillips China Inc. and the government, and examine the three sides of the dynamic asymmetric game equilibrium among ConocoPhillips China Inc., the government, and societal opinion. The study makes the following conclusions. First, Chinese offshore international petroleum cooperation is inevitable due to China’s limited development level in science and technology. Second, Chinese local oil companies and foreign oil companies have formed a community of interests. Third, the two-side dynamic game analysis shows that the punishment for offshore environment pollution is rather low in China. Fourth, the asymmetric evolutionary game model shows that public opinions enhance government supervision, improve punishment for offshore pollution, and significantly increase the cost of excessive development. In addition, our analytical framework can be applied beneficially to the development of other resources, which will provide strategic support for government legislation and international resource management.

Identifying transboundary aquifers in need of international resource management in the Southern African Development Community region

Transboundary aquifer (TBA) management, in part, seeks to mitigate degradation of groundwater resources caused either by an imbalance of abstraction between countries or by cross-border pollution. Fourteen potential TBAs were identified within a hydrogeological mapping programme based on simple hydrogeological selection criteria for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. These have been reassessed against a set of data associated with five categories: (1) groundwater flow and vulnerability (which is perceived as the over-arching influence on the activity level of each TBA), (2) knowledge and understanding, (3) governance capability, (4) socio-economic/water-demand factors, and (5) environmental issues. These assessments enable the TBAs to be classified according to their need for cross-border co-operation and management. The study shows that only two of the 14 TBAs have potential to be the cause of tension between neighbouring states, while nine are potentially troublesome and three are unlikely to become problematic even in the future. The classification highlights the need to focus on data gathering to enable improved understanding of the TBAs that could potentially become troublesome in the future due to, for example, change in demographics and climate.

Neue Governance-Mechanismen für ein global nachhaltiges Ressourcenmanagement

The global commodities markets have serious shortcomings with considerable conflict potential. The management of environmental degradation, resource conflicts, illegal trade, and price fluctuations requires better regulation. A sustainable resource management at a global scale calls for improved and new governance mechanisms that involve both private and state actors. Possible forms of cooperation could be found in the establishment of an International Resource Management Agency, an international metal covenant and an international agreement on sustainable resource management.

Trade measures and the combat of IUU fishing: Institutional interplay and effective governance in the Northeast Atlantic

The use of trade measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Northeast Atlantic has evolved from unilateral denial of the landing of fish taken outside international quota arrangements to a multilateral Scheme of Control and Enforcement under the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). International trade rules have not constrained this development, mostly due to successful management of the interplay between international resource management and trade regimes. States protect resource management objectives from such constraint by inserting clauses that establish a normative hierarchy, or they employ various means for adapting IUU measures to the ‘environmental window’ of the global trade regime. The fact that regional states have introduced trade restrictions only when non-restrictive or less restrictive measures have failed enhances such compatibility, as do the gradual shift from unilateral to multilateral measures and the rise in transparency, openness and target-state involvement. None of those features reduces the effectiveness of regional trade measures; they minimize tension with trade commitments and largely strengthen their clout in the struggle to combat IUU fishing in the Northeast Atlantic.

Evolving principles of international fisheries law and the north pacific anadromous fish commission

International fisheries law, now shaped by the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, has been subject to a philosophical evolution in the latter half of the twentieth century, from protecting freedoms of high seas fishing nations to supporting proprietary rights of coastal nations. This shift is illustrated by events in North Pacific international anadromous stocks management, which have recently culminated in the restrictive Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean, the founding instrument of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC). Organizations like NPAFC will shape future international fisheries management for a world with growing human populations and growing potential for international conflicts over natural resources. The place of the NPAFC Convention in the law of the sea regime, the relationship between NPAFC and other international resource management bodies, and the flexibility that the organization maintains through its future management challenges will cycle into future international legal philosophy on cooperative marine resource management.

Institutional Structure and the Effectiveness of Integrated Conservation and Development Projects: Case Study from Madagascar

The success of conservation efforts does not depend just on having a good project design. The national and international resource management infrastructure plays an important role in enabling projects to meet their goals or in presenting barriers to effective implementation. A study of the institutional infrastructure for resource management in Madagascar has revealed that certain factors — with regards to communication between institutional levels, the integration of national-level players at all phases of project design, and appropriate institutional development, for example — may encourage positive institutional interactions and as a consequence, effective integrated conservation and development projects (ICDP). This article considers the interlinked levels of political analysis, examining the relationship between institutional structure and effectiveness in meeting conservation objectives. It advocates the full participation of nationals in conservation initiatives and that individual projects be give...

The Scientific Underpinning of Policy

I recently came across an article written by a Norwegian scientist during the 1970s, when I was Norway's Minister of the Environment. In the article he argued that there was no such problem as acid rain and that “facts” and “science” did not belong in the arena of politics and policy. This assertion was counter to my own beliefs and made me react strongly. Politics that disregard science and knowledge will not stand the test of time. Indeed, there is no other basis for sound political decisions than the best available scientific evidence. This is especially true in the fields of resource management and environmental protection. A large part of the Earth's biodiversity is localized in its tropical forests. There are compelling reasons to protect rainforests from deforestation and further human encroachment, something that developing and developed countries alike are increasingly realizing. Resource management and environmental protection are global issues that require global responses. The efforts that need to be made in our common cause must be negotiated on an equity basis. We in the industrialized countries must take our own negative effects on the global environment seriously. We must deal with our wastes and our emissions into the air, sea, and land. We must do this rather than raise a scolding finger toward other, poorer countries. If developing countries feel that industrialized countries are trying to divert attention from their problems by focusing on the problems of poorer countries, then we risk wrestling endlessly over these issues rather than solving our common problems. In addition to scientific facts and equity, we must pursue intergenerational solidarity. This need is enshrined in the concept of sustainable development, which means that we must, for the benefit of coming generations, leave enough environmental space so that these generations will be able to address their needs and fulfill their aspirations. While we should not try to refrain from utilizing resources, we should do so only on a scale that leaves room for future generations. We must consider our planet to be on loan from our children, rather than being a gift from our ancestors. The issues covered in the special section of this week's Science illustrate the complexity of national and international resource management in the light of new knowledge. Within the past couple of decades we have learned about the Earth's protective ozone layer and greenhouse effects. Today we speak with confidence about global warming and rising sea levels, and we know the causes and effects of acid rain. The challenges are great, but so are the opportunities. Never before have we had so much knowledge on which to base vital policy decisions. Never before have we had a greater capacity to act. A fitting illustration is the management of fisheries and marine ecosystems. Recent history is replete with examples of how overfishing has led to a collapse of important fisheries. These problems have resulted from a combination of inadequate scientific information on stock abundance and recommended catches, insufficient government regulation of the conduct of fisheries and of allowable quotas, and international competition for access to resources, often acted out in open defiance of international law. The global long-term sustainable yield of commercial fishing is estimated to be some 100 million tons. But there are indications that it might be higher if overfishing is curbed to allow stocks to recover, if renegades are curtailed, and if scientifically sound practices of policing and inspection are supported. As the knowledge base widens and common interests become more clearly perceived, there is really no reason why we should not be able to optimize the long-term yield through sensible management systems. In ocean management, as in most other areas of human endeavor, close cooperation between scientists and politicians is the only way to move forward. Science must underpin our policies. If we compromise on scientific facts and evidence, repairing nature will be enormously costly—if possible at all. As caretakers of our common future, we have the responsibility to seek scientifically sound policies, nationally as well as internationally. If the long-term viability of humanity is to be ensured, we have no other choice.

International Transfer and Assignment of Australian and European Business Executives

Despite its everyday occurrence in contemporary business, the international transfer of managers has not been subject to much empirical research. This study builds primarily on two previous studies, extending the scope of research from a single national sample to a multinational sample. Expatriate business managers who were employed by Australian, German, Dutch and Italian firms, and who were currently assigned to Hong Kong, responded to a mail questionnaire. The main issues explored in this article are the pattern of international transfers, the regional connections in that pattern, the duration of assignments and the degree of specialization during successive assignments. These features are related to the parent corporation characteristics of nationality, size and type of operations. The strategic implications of the findings for international resource management are discussed.

Working towards one world

International Resource Management . Edited By S. Anderson W. Ostreng Belhaven: 1989. Pp. 301. £30, $40. Environmental Data Report, 2nd edn. By United Nations Environment Programme Blackwell: 1989. Pp. 547. £45, $39.95. Global Issues in the United Nations' Framework. By Paul Taylor A. J. R. Groom Macmillan: 1989. Pp. 371. £29.50, $45. In Fairness to Future Generations: International Law, Common Patrimony, and Inter-generational Equity. By Edith Brown Weiss Transnational Publishers: 1988. Pp. 385. $59.50

Conceptual model for the management of international resources: The case of seabed minerals

Abstract Currently, minerals are obtained mainly from the land‐based reserves, but as a result of political and economic developments in the mining industries, an alternative source could be the seabed beyond national jurisdiction. Although both developing and developed countries agree with the notion that manganese nodules are a part of the “common heritage of mankind,”; they disagree on the type of regulatory regime that should be established. The efficiency oriented Free‐Access Regimes (FAR) of the developed countries attempts to maximize the economic rent before dealing with the distributional problems through fiscal policy. On the other hand, the regime set out in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is premised on the New International Economic Order and seeks a preferred or discriminating distribution of the economic rent. In this article, a conceptual model is developed to evaluate the alternative management systems of FAR and UNCLOS.

Politics, Fish, and International Resource Management: The British-Icelandic Cod War

Politics, Fish, and International Resource Management: The British-Icelandic Cod War