Institutional and policy perspectives in the management of fisheries and coastal resources in Thailand

Fishery management, Thailand,

The coastal environmental profile of Ban Don Bay and Phangnga Bay, Thailand

Environmental profile, Coastal zone management, Coastal zone, Ban Don Bay, Phangnga Bay, Thailand, Environmental Economics and Policy,

PtProcess: An R Package for Modelling Marked Point Processes Indexed by Time

This paper describes the package PtProcess which uses the R statistical language. The package provides a unified approach to fitting and simulating a wide variety of temporal point process or temporal marked point process models. The models are specified by an intensity function which is conditional on the history of the process. The user needs to provide routines for calculating the conditional intensity function. Then the package enables one to carry out maximum likelihood fitting, goodness of fit testing, simulation and comparison of models. The package includes the routines for the conditional intensity functions for a variety of standard point process models. The package is intended to simplify the fitting of point process models indexed by time in much the same way as generalized linear model programs have simplified the fitting of various linear models. The primary examples used in this paper are earthquake sequences but the package is intended to have a much wider applicability.

A-Type KV Channels in Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons: Diversity, Function, and Dysfunction

A-type voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are major regulators of neuronal excitability that have been mainly characterized in the central nervous system. By contrast, there is a paucity of knowledge about the molecular physiology of these Kv channels in the peripheral nervous system, including highly specialized and heterogenous dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Although all A-type Kv channels display pore-forming subunits with similar structural properties and fast inactivation, their voltage-, and time-dependent properties and modulation are significantly different. These differences ultimately determine distinct physiological roles of diverse A-type Kv channels, and how their dysfunction might contribute to neurological disorders. The importance of A-type Kv channels in DRG neurons is highlighted by recent studies that have linked their dysfunction to persistent pain sensitization. Here, we review the molecular neurophysiology of A-type Kv channels with an emphasis on those that have been identified and investigated in DRG nociceptors (Kv1.4, Kv3.4, and Kv4s). Also, we discuss evidence implicating these Kv channels in neuropathic pain resulting from injury, and present a perspective of outstanding challenges that must be tackled in order to discover novel treatments for intractable pain disorders

Is This Asia’s Century? Boao Forum for Asia will actively explore Asia’s new global role at its annual conference

ECONOMIC ENGINE : Chinas continuous high-speed development is to further consolidate the status of Asia in the world. As a non-governmental, non-profit organization aimed at facilitating high-level dialogue between government and business leaders from across the region, Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will play host to state leaders and almost 1,000 senior government officials, business leaders and scholars from April 22 to 24. This years Annual Conference of Boao Forum, with Asia Searching for Win-Win : New Role of Asia as its central theme, is expected to hear a wide range of issues related to exploration of Asias new role in the world. Discussion on the state of Asias economy after the disastrous tsunami is also high on the agenda.Asia, Tsunami, New Century, Boao Forum, Asian Century

Strategic review of the fishery situation in Thailand

Fisheries are an important source of animal protein for most of ThailandÆs population, particularly in provinces on or near the coast. Between 1978 and 1997 the per capita consumption of fish averaged 24 kg╖capita-1 annually. In 1995, about 535 210 people were involved in the fisheries sector and 44% of these were engaged in small scale marine capture fisheries. Since 1982, Thailand has faced problems with the development of marine capture fisheries and their over-exploitation which has increased fishery conflicts and disputes with neighboring countries. The Gulf of Thailand is the major fishing area of Thailand and in 1996, it contributed approximately 70% of the total marine catch in the country. The catch in the Gulf consisted of pelagic fish (33%), trash fish (32%), demersal fish (12%), squid and cuttlefish (6%), shrimps (5%), crabs (2%) and other fish (10%). However, demersal fish and some pelagic fish in the Gulf of Thailand have been over-exploited. This is due to a combination of factors including; increasing human population, increased pressure from Thai trawlers which have lost access to foreign fishing grounds after neighboring countries declared EEZs, development in fish processing techniques and increasing demand from animal feed producers that utilize trash fish. This paper provides a broad view of the fisheries situation in Thailand, focused mainly on the Gulf of Thailand. It covers aspects of the environment, the status of resources available, the socioeconomic situation, the existing framework for management and development, and also makes recommendations for government action to develop sustainable fisheries management. The main objectives proposed for improving fishery management are: (1) promote fishersÆ and fisher organizationsÆ participation in fishery development; (2) optimize fishery resources and their environment so as to be sustainable and equitable; (3) increase fishery products and stabilize fishersÆ and processorsÆ incomes; (4) progressively develop deep sea fisheries; (5) improve export competitiveness.Fishery resources, Catch/effort, Population characteristics, Coastal fisheries, Marine fisheries, Ecosystems, Economic benefits, Fishery industry, Capture fishery economics, Fish consumption, Fishery policy, Legislation, Fishery management, Demersal fisheries, Pelagic fisheries, Cephalopod fisheries, Socioeconomic aspects, Surveys, Marketing, Fishery organizations, Fishing gear, Cephalopod fisheries, Trade, ISEW, Thailand,

The Barriers to Accessible Tourism in Phuket: Toward an Exploratory Framework with Implications for Tourism Planning

The concept of accessible tourism is centered on advocacy for the rights of individuals with disabilities to participate in tourism activities. The study aims to close a gap in the literature by identifying the barriers to achieving accessible tourism in Phuket and contributing to tourism development by establishing a framework for tourism stakeholders. An exploratory study design was applied, and empirical data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 16 professionals residing in Phuket, Thailand. The data were analyzed thematically to identify barriers and establish an exploratory framework for tourism stakeholders. A five-dimensional exploratory framework emerged in the process. The results revealed obstacles preventing Phuket from fully engaging in accessible tourism and increasing its global market share in this emerging market segment. Moreover, the findings contribute to the field of accessibility research. The article concludes by discussing implications for tourism stakeholders