Largest Seaport Research Articles

Spatial Econometric Analysis of Foreign Direct Investment Determinants in Russian Regions

AbstractUsing a spatial autoregressive model of cross‐sectional and panel data, we study the determinants and dominant strategies of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Russia before and after the 1998 financial crisis. The important determinants of FDI inflows into Russian regions since the start of transition appear to be market size, the presence of large cities and sea ports, oil and gas availability, proximity to European market, and political and legislative risks. Since 1998, it appears the importance of big cities, the Sakhalin region, oil and gas resources, proximity to European markets, and legislation and political risks has increased. Our results also reveal a shift from horizontal FDI strategy to vertical FDI strategy in the post‐crisis period. Using a multiple spatial lags approach, we show that neighbouring port‐endowed regions tend to have emerged in the post‐crisis era as competitors for FDI.

Marine midge Telmatogeton japonicus Tokunaga (Diptera: Chironomidae) exploiting brackish water in Finland

Pupal exuviae of marine intertidal midge Telmatogeton japonicus Tokunaga (Diptera: Chironomidae) were found in September 2008 from the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea. Previous records of the species in the Baltic Sea were from Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Poland. Telmatogeton japonicus is an alien species introduced to Europe from the Pacific Ocean. It probably uses shipping as the vector, since in north-western Europe it has first been detected near large seaports. This was also the case in the Gulf of Finland. Our findings suggests that the species' distribution extends further northeast in the Baltic Sea than understood before, and that the species is able to establish viable populations into fresh-brackish (salinity < 4 ‰) coastal habitats.

Climate change and coastal cities: the case of Mombasa, Kenya

This paper discusses the risks that the city of Mombasa faces from the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. Mombasa is Kenya's second largest city and has more than 700,000 inhabitants. It is the largest seaport in East Africa, serving not only Kenya but also many landlocked countries and the north of Tanzania. The city has a history of disasters related to climate extremes including floods, which cause serious damage nearly every year and, often, loss of life. The floods in October 2006 were particularly serious, affecting some 60,000 people in the city and the wider province. In addition, around 17 per cent of Mombasa's area could be submerged by a sea-level rise of 0.3 metres, with a larger area rendered uninhabitable or unusable for agriculture because of water logging and salt stress. Tourism is an important part of the city's economy. Thus, sandy beaches, historic and cultural monuments and several hotels, industries and port facilities would be negatively affected. This paper also discusses the measures needed to reduce the vulnerability of Mombasa's population and economic base to climate change.

Spatial Econometric Analysis of Determinants and Strategies of FDI in Russian Regions in Pre- and Post-1998 Financial Crisis Periods

Using a spatial autoregressive model of cross-sectional and panel data, we study the determinants and dominant strategies of FDI inflows into Russia before and after the 1998 financial crisis. The important determinants of FDI inflows into Russian regions since transition began appear to be market size, the presence of large cities and sea ports, oil and gas availability, and political and legislative risks. Since 1998, it appears the importance of big cities, the Sakhalin region, oil and gas resources and legislation risk has increased, while the importance of political risk and port availability has decreased. Our results also reveal a shift from horizontal FDI strategy to a regional trade-platform FDI strategy. While theory anticipates combined vertical and horizontal motives for regional trade-platform strategies, the lack of evidence of a vertical motive in the Russian case suggests import substitution presently plays a significant role in regional trade-platform FDI. Using a multiple spatial lags approach, we show that neighbouring regions with ports have emerged post-crisis as competitors for FDI and identify agglomeration effects in FDI between adjacent regions with and without ports during the period 1999-2002.

Working with a Community in Crisis: Sustaining and Strengthening the Portland, Maine Seafood Industry

A crisis in the commercial fishing industry jeopardized long term survival of the Port of Portland, the second largest seaport in New England and a significant contributor to Maine’s economic health. The State of Maine Department of Marine Resources and the City of Portland wanted to find a solution such that industry stakeholders would self-organize, define the industry’s future, and create and implement a viable strategy. The consultant conceptualized the project using complexity theory because this theory reflected the deep, complex, community inter-relationships and also provided the opportunity to integrate activities and outcomes across all phases of the project.

Taiwan's Future National Identity: Attitudes and Geopolitical Constraints

ROBERT M. MARSH [*] ABSTRACT People in Taiwan who favor the establishment of an independent Republic of Taiwan face the reality constraint that mainland (the PRC) threatens to use force to prevent this. Those who hold the opposite view and favor the reunification of Taiwan with mainland face a different reality constraint: the non-democratic, economically underdeveloped and, therefore, unappealing character of the PRC. These reality constraints were included in the way questions were phrased in several Taiwan surveys during the 1990s. Respondents were asked: (1) after Taiwan announces its independence it could maintain peaceful relations with Communist China, should Taiwan become an independent country? (2) mainland and Taiwan were to become similar in economic, political, and social conditions, should the two sides of the Strait be unified into one country? Depending on how a person answered both of these questions, s/he was categorized as having one of the following four types of national identification: Taiwan nationalist, nationalist, Pragmatist, and Conservative. This paper first analyzes the distribution of these four types of respondents in surveys conducted before and after the 1996 PRC firing of missiles into the waters near Taiwan's two largest seaports. Next, I show the effect of objective ethnicity (pen-sheng jen vs. wai-sheng jen) and subjective ethnicity (self-identification as Taiwanese or or both) on national identification preferences. These survey findings are then examined within a geopolitical context. From Beijing's point of view, the Taiwan independence movement is a secessionist movement. A comparative analysis of the outcomes of secessionist movements around the world shows that attempts at secession are almost always unsuccessful, for the basic reason that states do not willingly give up what they consider their sovereign territory. And since even modem democratic states are unwilling to accept a loss of territory, even a future democratic PRC would be unlikely to accept Taiwan's independence. AMONG THE POPULATION of Taiwan, those who favor the establishment of an independent Republic of Taiwan face the reality constraint that mainland (the PRC) has not renounced the use of military force if Taiwan declares its independence. Supporters of the opposite type of national identity -- reunification of Taiwan with mainland -- also face a reality constraint: the non-democratic, economically less developed character of the PRC. Surveys of attitudes in Taiwan toward future national identity made a significant advance in 1992 when they began annually to use Wu Naiteh's new formulation (Wu 1993) and to ask respondents: (1) If after Taiwan announced its independence it could maintain peacful relations with the Chinese communist government, then Taiwan should become an independent country. Do you agree? (2) If mainland and Taiwan were to become similar in economic, social and political conditions, then the two sides of the Strait should be united into one country. Do you agree? The second view is basically the position of President Lee Teng-hui, who stated in an address to the National Unification Council on July 22, 1998, China must be reunified. However, this reunification must be under a system of democracy, freedom and equitable prosperity... The nation should by no means be unified under the proven failure of comunism or the so-called 'one country, two systems' formula (Taiwan Research Institute 1998b:5). Even the PRC regime is aware that China's present political institutions and economy are more alienating than appealing to Taiwan residents. From answers to these two questions, Wu (1993, 1997) and Shen and Wu (1998) classified respondents into four types of national identification preferences: Taiwan nationalists, nationalists, Pragmatists, and Conservatives (see Table 1). …

Constraints and challenges in planning small and medium size ports / Contraintes et défis dans l’aménagement des ports de petite et moyenne taille

In an age of increasing globalisation of the economy, embedded in which are strong forces favouring the concentration of trade at the largest seaports, the viability of many smaller ports appears threatened. This paper briefly examines the bases of these threats, and discusses how smaller ports might respond. Establishing niche functions, providing flexible and low cost alternatives are some of the opportunities evaluated. A strong argument is presented for smaller ports to be integrated in local and regional planning.

On the Varieties of Mus rattus in Egypt; with General Notes on the Species having reference to Variation and Heredity.

Summary.The main points that have been brought out in this paper are as follows:— Two varieties (and intermediates) of M. rattus are found in Egypt. The hind foot is taken as a standard measurement and curves of this measurement drawn. These curves show three apices, the first being very small. These three apices correspond with the length of the hind foot typical of the three subgroups of M. rattus in the Oriental Region described by myself some years ago. Hence it is argued that these three apices probably represent mutations, and that the first and smallest apex represents the Jalorensis subgroup found in the Oriental Region, but which from some cause or other is practically non‐existent in Egypt. Since, however, a mutation. cannot be destroyed, we still find it in a small percentage of individuals ready under favourable circumstances to increase. It is pointed out that this may account for the very quick way in which some species accommodate themselves to altered surroundings, since if a favourable mutation is present in the species very few generations would suffice to make it the dominant form. In M. rattus we found that the length of the hind foot was also correlated with external differences, and that the white‐bellied M. tectorum had a longer hind foot than the darker M. alexandrinus. Although in the Oriental Region the pure white underparts is characteristic of one of the subgroups, yet in that region it is correlated with a different sized hind foot to that with which it is associated in Egypt. Therefore the length of the hind foot and the colour of tlie underparts, although both pure mutations, can probably be inherited independently. An examination of the hind‐foot curve in M. norvegicus shows also three apices, but in this case there is no colour‐character by which the mutations may be distinguished externally. The length of the hind foot as a mutation is therefore a character common to two or more species. It is suggested that this enables us to understand how several very nearly allied forms of the same species (e. g. in Mus jerdoni and some of the Sciuridæ) may exist in the same locality without losing their characteristic differences, however small those differences may be. Further investigation on these lines is required by means of experiments in heredity, and so far as the author has carried these out the pure varieties of M. tectorum and M. alexandrinus were found to breed perfectly true. Lastly, this paper claims to show that Mus rattus is a species containing many slight but definite mutations which, as far as the evidence goes, breed true when paired together, and that the apparent innumerable and indefinite variations are merely due to these animals being carried all over the world and mixing together in the large seaport towns. In short:—The varieties in Mus rattus appear to run on definite lines and to have arisen as mutations, they are therefore inherited on Mendelian lines. Of the three main varieties found in the Oriental Region only two occur in Egypt, but this paper shows the presence of the third, though in very small numbers. One of the characters of these varieties is shown to be present in another species, M. norvegicus, although it cannot be distinguished in any particular individual. It is further hinted that many of these so‐called species which are very closely allied have probably arisen as mutations, and that it is due to this fact that they are able to exist side by side under precisely the same conditions and yet preserve their characters intact. It may also be noticed that the colour‐character of the hairs on the underparts is also found in another species, namely, the house‐mouse, Mus musculus. M. m. gentilis has the hairs white to their bases, while M. m. orientalis has slate‐coloured bases. Both these forms occur in Egypt.

ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SOME COMMON SCALE INSECTS

Owing to the extensive commerce in nursery stock and fruits, which has been carried on all over the world for many years, it has become a matter of very considerable difficulty to form any adequate idea of the original Coccid fauna of any given part of the globe. Restriction of the imporations of diseased nursery stock and fruit is new, and for years plants and fruit, carrying thousands of scal insects, have been landed almost daily at most large seaports.