How do payday loans affect borrowers?: evidence from the UK market

Payday loans are controversial high cost, short-term lending products, banned in many US states. But debates surrounding their benefits to consumers continue. We analyse the effects of payday loans on consumers using a unique dataset including 99% of loans approved in the UK over a two-year period matched to credit files. Using a Regression Discontinuity research design, our results show payday loans provide short-lived liquidity gains and encourage consumers to take on additional credit. However, in the following months, payday loans cause persistent increases in defaults and cause consumers to exceed their bank overdraft limits

Children of Prisoners: Their Situation and Role in Long-Term Crime Prevention

Studies suggest that maintaining family ties can help reduce the likelihood of reoffending, and that while parental imprisonment can increase a child’s likelihood to offend, positive responses to the situation can aid the children’s well-being, attitude and attainment. Drawing on findings from the recently completed EU-funded COPING Project on the mental health of children of prisoners, this chapter explores the factors that aid a child’s ability to cope with parental imprisonment and the actions that different stakeholders can take to support them. It identifies some of the mental health impacts at different stages of parental imprisonment, the roles played by non-imprisoned parents/carers and by schools, and suggests options for further clarifying the factors that help and hinder children of prisoners in the short and long term

Electronic Monitoring Benefits Every Link in Seafood Supply Chain

In 2018, 67 million metric tons of fish, valued at over $164 billon, were traded internationally.1 And as a global demand for responsibly sourced fish products grows, so does the. Call for more sustainability and transparency within the seafood supply chain. Regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs), which oversee some of the most valuable marine species around the globe, have long relied on human observer programs to collect data to inform management decisions. Although these programs are a critical tool for effective fisheries management, 100% coverage of fishing activities is often difficult—and sometimes impossible—to attain using just human observers. Comprehensive monitoring (EM) programs (those that include clear objectives and standards for data collection and review2) will enable RFMOs to build upon existing observer programs, expand monitoring coverage, and support sustainable management solutions. Producers, distributors, and retailers along the supply chain that are involved in catching, sourcing, and selling seafood have a direct interest and an important role to play in encouraging the implementation of EM at RFMOs. En 2018, en todo el mundo, se comercializaron 67 millones de toneladas métricas de pescado, con un valor superior a los USD 164.000 millones.1 A medida que crece la demanda global de productos del mar obtenidos responsablemente, también crece la exigencia de una mayor sostenibilidad y transparencia en la cadena de suministro de pescados y mariscos. Las organizaciones regionales de pesca (ORP), que regulan algunas de las especies marinas más valiosas del mundo, se han valido tradicionalmente de los programas de observadores humanos para recolectar datos sobre los cuales fundar sus decisiones de ordenación. Si bien estos programas son una herramienta fundamental para la gestión efectiva de las pesquerías, suele ser difícil, y a veces imposible, cubrir el 100 % de las actividades pesqueras únicamente por medio de observadores humanos. Los programas de monitoreo electrónico (ME) integrales (es decir, los que incluyen objetivos y estándares claros para la recolección y revisión de datos2) permitirán a las ORP ampliar los programas existentes de observadores, expandir la cobertura de monitoreo y respaldar soluciones orientadas a la ordenación sostenible. Los productores, distribuidores y minoristas de la cadena de suministro que participan en la pesca, obtención y venta de productos del mar tienen un interés directo en fomentar la implementación del ME en las ORP y desempeñan un papel importante para lograrlo

How Illegal Fishing Threatens the Safety of Crews

“The financial drivers behind illegal fishing can lead to poor safety and labor conditions for vessel crews. When stocks are overfished, fishers’ catch and income are reduced. Los impulsores económicos que hay detrás de la pesca ilegal pueden provocar una seguridad y unas condiciones laborales precarias para las tripulaciones de los buques. Cuando se produce una sobreexplotación pesquera, se reducen la captura y los ingresos de los pescadores

How Interpol\u27s Project Scale Is Changing the Game in Illegal Fishing

With over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface covered by water, only a small fraction of which is regulated by governments, it is no surprise that the high seas are growing more lawless each year. One of the most widespread threats is illegal fishing and its associated crimes. Each year, up to $23.5 billion worth of seafood is stolen from the seas through illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. That translates into 26 million tons, or 1 in every 5 wild-caught fish sold on the market.1 Without proper law enforcement of the seas, illegal fishers will continue to maximize their profits through whatever means possible, robbing law-abiding fishermen, damaging marine ecosystems, and threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities that rely on fish for sustenance or income. Vessels that conduct this activity may often engage in other crimes, such as piracy and human trafficking, posing not just an environmental and economic risk, but a security risk as well