60 research outputs found
The alignment of agricultural and nature conservation policies in the European Union.
Europe is a region of relatively high population density and productive agriculture subject to substantial government intervention under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Many habitats and species of high conservation interest have been created by the maintenance of agricultural practices over long periods. These practices are often no longer profitable, and nature conservation initiatives require government support to cover the cost for them to be continued. The CAP has been reformed both to reduce production of agricultural commodities at costs in excess of world prices and to establish incentives for landholders to adopt voluntary conservation measures. A separate nature conservation policy has established an extensive series of protected sites (Natura 2000) that has, as yet, failed to halt the loss of biodiversity. Additional broader scale approaches have been advocated for conservation in the wider landscape matrix, including the alignment of agricultural and nature conservation policies, which remains a challenge. Possibilities for alignment include further shifting of funds from general support for farmers toward targeted payments for biodiversity goals at larger scales and adoption of an ecosystem approach. The European response to the competing demands for land resources may offer lessons globally as demands on rural land increase.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available fromWiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cobi.1253
Who is dominant? Occupational Health and Safety management in Chinese shipping
This paper investigates the implementation of the International Safety Management
(ISM) Code in the Chinese chemical shipping industry. In particular, it examines the
tension between management focus on speedy production and seafarersâ participation
in safety related decision making and analyses how this tension is managed. It shows
that while on paper companies have policies stating safety commitment in compliance
with the ISM Code, in practice shore management tends to prioritise efficient
production. When Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and shipâs sailing schedules
are in conflict, managers implicitly request shipmasters to prioritise the âcore interestâ
of the company. Although the ISM Code endows shipmasters with overriding
authorities in relation to shipboard safety management, they tend to read between the
lines and tacitly follow managersâ intentions. The study suggests that if the ISM
implementation makes a difference, it is the practice that managers become more
subtle in giving orders to exert their dominance. The study further reveals that the
managementâs practice is not only irresponsive to seafarersâ safety concerns but also
makes rather limited contributions to promote OHS Management
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