Fishery-Based Ecotourism in Developing Countries Can Enhance the Social-Ecological Resilience of Coastal Fishers—A Case Study of Bangladesh

The importance of recreational fishing, in many coastal areas and less developed nations, is increasing rapidly. Connecting fisheries to tourism can create innovative tourism products and provide new income sources. The present study is the first to explore the concept of coastal fishery-based ecotourism (FbE) to enhance the social–ecological resilience of coastal fishing communities in a specific tourist spot in Bangladesh. A combination of primary (quantitative and qualitative) and secondary (literature databases) data sources were used in this study. It applied a social–ecological system (SES) and social–ecological resilience (SER) concept to collect quantitative and qualitative data (120 in-depth individual interviews, four focus group discussions, and strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats-SWOT analyses) and frame their interpretation. The study found that Bangladesh needs to adopt a firm policy to utilize tourism’s potential in national economic development and societal progress. The findings show the considerable potential of the concept that integrates business, education, and an environmental conservation perspective in Bangladesh, specifically for Saint Martin’s Island: 32% of interviewees expressed that increasing employment opportunities and the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) is the primary potential, whereas 31% said it would attract fishing tourists and 23% believed it would develop the local infrastructure and facilities for fishing and tourism. Similarly, most of the respondents (31%) thought that the lack of awareness and promotional activities is the main limitation preventing this initiative from being well accepted. Moreover, based on the findings, specific measures for strengthening the social–ecological resilience of the coastal fishers via FbE at the local level were suggested, including building communal links, developing community infrastructures, revising prevailing rules and regulations, offering alternative means of generating income for fishers during disaster periods, and more active sharing of responsibility between stakeholders and government for the management of FbE. Finally, with its focus on the prospects and challenges of coastal FbE development on Saint Martin’s Island, this article provides a useful reference point for future discourse on similar social and economic strategies. While this study focuses on Bangladesh’s coastal fishing villages, the results are possibly applicable more broadly in similar contexts and developing countries worldwide

Specific Growth Rate (SGR) in Different Stages of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Production Cycle in Cemented Tank Based Semi-Intensive Aquaculture System

Traditional assessment of specific growth rate (SGR) using the data of the beginning and the end of aquaculture production cycle, avoiding intermediary data, is criticized as misleading way by the scholars. However, by knowing SGR in different stages of fish growth, the utilization of feed by fish can be well known. The study was conducted with aim to assess SGR of Tilapia in six concrete tanks for 90 days from 8th May to 10th August, 2017. Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fry was released at the rate of 4 fry per tank equivalent to the stocking density of 160 fishes/decimal as of the semi-intensive aquaculture system. Sinking and floating feeds were used for feeding the fish in T1 and T2, respectively with three replications for each treatment. During the experimental period, feed was given at the rate of 20%, 15% and 10% of the body weight in 1st, 2nd and 3rd month, respectively. Moreover, aeration facilities were installed for 24 hours using air stone aerator. The weight of fish was recorded using digital balance in 3 days interval to measure SGR. The water quality parameters i.e., temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) were recorded twice daily. The weight gains of fish were 49.90±2.40 g and 63.12±4.97g for T1 and T2, respectively. The mean percent weight gain of Tilapia was higher in T2 (747±0.00 g) than T1 (253.51±0.00 g). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) in T1 and T2 were 1.70±0.07 and 1.90±0.20, respectively. Considering the data at the beginning and the end of the production cycle, the SGR (% per day) of Tilapia in T1 and T2 were 6.27±3.27 and 6.26±3.83, respectively. The SGR for floating feed was higher at the initial stage of production cycle and lower in the later stages. For sinking feed, SGR was almost static from the beginning to the end. The higher FCR in T2 correlated with the lower SGR in the later stage of the culture period. Higher total production was obtained in T2 (830.96 g) than T1 (610 g) with 100% survival in both treatments. Therefore, determining SGR in a specific interval, at least 15 days interval, might be the efficient feeding practice of Tilapia farmers.&nbsp

Fishery-Based Ecotourism in Developing Countries Can Enhance the Social-Ecological Resilience of Coastal Fishers—A Case Study of Bangladesh

The importance of recreational fishing, in many coastal areas and less developed nations, is increasing rapidly. Connecting fisheries to tourism can create innovative tourism products and provide new income sources. The present study is the first to explore the concept of coastal fishery-based ecotourism (FbE) to enhance the social–ecological resilience of coastal fishing communities in a specific tourist spot in Bangladesh. A combination of primary (quantitative and qualitative) and secondary (literature databases) data sources were used in this study. It applied a social–ecological system (SES) and social–ecological resilience (SER) concept to collect quantitative and qualitative data (120 in-depth individual interviews, four focus group discussions, and strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats-SWOT analyses) and frame their interpretation. The study found that Bangladesh needs to adopt a firm policy to utilize tourism’s potential in national economic development and societal progress. The findings show the considerable potential of the concept that integrates business, education, and an environmental conservation perspective in Bangladesh, specifically for Saint Martin’s Island: 32% of interviewees expressed that increasing employment opportunities and the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) is the primary potential, whereas 31% said it would attract fishing tourists and 23% believed it would develop the local infrastructure and facilities for fishing and tourism. Similarly, most of the respondents (31%) thought that the lack of awareness and promotional activities is the main limitation preventing this initiative from being well accepted. Moreover, based on the findings, specific measures for strengthening the social–ecological resilience of the coastal fishers via FbE at the local level were suggested, including building communal links, developing community infrastructures, revising prevailing rules and regulations, offering alternative means of generating income for fishers during disaster periods, and more active sharing of responsibility between stakeholders and government for the management of FbE. Finally, with its focus on the prospects and challenges of coastal FbE development on Saint Martin’s Island, this article provides a useful reference point for future discourse on similar social and economic strategies. While this study focuses on Bangladesh’s coastal fishing villages, the results are possibly applicable more broadly in similar contexts and developing countries worldwide

Design and performance test of a compressed air operated reciprocating machine

Renewable energy is an environmental friendly source of energy around the world and fossil fuel sources are the main polluting factor for global climate change. The fossil fuel reserves decreased day by day which creates environmental hazardous pollutants. Fossil fuel reserved crisis leads the researchers to find out alternative sources of energy which should be alternative solution of fossil fuel energy. In this research air compressed engine which is run by compressed air by modifying a 4-stroke petrol engine (IC engine) into two stroke air compressed piston engine where air compressor acts as a fuel source. The experimental results shows a promising maximum efficiency percentages of 53.42, 35.6, 30.4, 26.67 and 23.60 under 2 to 4.5 bar pressure with maximum load condition

2,9-Bis(5-sulfanylidene-4,5-dihydro-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline dimethyl sulfoxide disolvate

In the title compound, C16H8N6O2S2·2C2H6OS, the phenanthroline molecule resides on a twofold axis, and the asymmetric unit also contains a slightly disordered [occupancy ratio for S atom of 0.95 (3):0.047 (3)] molecule of dimethyl sulfoxide. The O atoms of the solvent molecule accept hydrogen bonds from the N—H groups of the five-membered 2,3-dihydro-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione ring. This ring is nearly coplanar with the phenanthroline ring, with a dihedral angle between their least-squares planes of 8.86 (6)°. In the crystal, the molecules are linked by C—H...O interactions

Thalassemias in South Asia:clinical lessons learnt from Bangladesh

Abstract Thalassemias are emerging as a global public health concern. Due to remarkable success in the reduction of childhood mortality by controlling infectious diseases in developing countries, thalassemias are likely to be a major public health concern in the coming decades in South Asia. Despite the fact that Bangladesh lies in the world’s thalassemia belt, the information on different aspects (epidemiology, clinical course, mortality, complications and treatment outcomes) of thalassemias is lacking. In this comprehensive review, the aim is to to depict the epidemiological aspects of thalassemias, mutation profile and current treatment and management practices in the country by sharing the experience of dealing with 1178 cases over 2009–2014 time periods in a specialized thalassemia treatment centre. We have also discussed the preventative strategies of thalassemias from the context of Bangladesh which could be effective for other developing countries

Individuals with Le(a+b−) Blood Group Have Increased Susceptibility to Symptomatic Vibrio cholerae O1 Infection

Cholera remains a severe diarrheal disease, capable of causing extensive outbreaks and high mortality. Blood group is one of the genetic factors determining predisposition to disease, including infectious diseases. Expression of different Lewis or ABO blood group types has been shown to be associated with risk of different enteric infections. For example, individuals of blood group O have a higher risk of severe illness due to V. cholerae compared to those with non-blood group O antigens. In this study, we have determined the relationship of the Lewis blood group antigen phenotypes with the risk of symptomatic cholera as well as the severity of disease and immune responses following infection. We show that individuals expressing the Le(a+b−) phenotype were more susceptible to symptomatic cholera, while Le(a–b+) expressing individuals were less susceptible. Individuals with the Le(a–b−) blood group had a longer duration of diarrhea when infected, required more intravenous fluid replacement, and had lower plasma IgA antibody responses to V. cholerae LPS on day 7 following infection. We conclude that there is an association between the Lewis blood group and the risk of cholera, and that this risk may affect the outcome of infection as well as possibly the efficacy of vaccination

Interferon-γ and Proliferation Responses to Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhi Proteins in Patients with S. Typhi Bacteremia in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi infection is a significant global public health problem and the cause of typhoid fever. Salmonella are intracellular pathogens, and cellular immune responses are required to control and clear Salmonella infections. Despite this, there are limited data on cellular immune responses during wild type S. Typhi infection in humans. Here we report the assessment of cellular immune responses in humans with S. Typhi bacteremia through a screening approach that permitted us to evaluate interferon-γ and proliferation responses to a number of S. Typhi antigens. We detected significant interferon-γ CD4 and CD8 responses, as well as proliferative responses, to a number of recombinantly purified S. Typhi proteins as well as membrane preparation in infected patients. Antigen-specific interferon-γ responses were present at the time of clinical presentation in patients and absent in healthy controls. These observations could assist in the development of interferon-γ-based diagnostic assays for typhoid fever