Diversity of selective and non-selective fishing gear and their impact on inland fisheries in Bangladesh

The paper describes the wide range of traditional fishing gear used by subsistence and professional fishers in the inland waters in Bangladesh as well as their impact on the fisheries and the environment. The negative impacts indicate the need for regulation of specific types of fishing gear at particular times of the year. An awareness/training program should be extended to the fishermen to create awareness of the long-term effects of their fishing practices and to impart knowledge of fishing laws

Returning International Labor Migrants from Bangladesh: The Experience and Effects of Deportation

This paper reports on the findings of a study of former or returned international migrant workers from Bangladesh. The analysis focuses on the economic situation and return experiences of those who had been deported or officially repatriated back to Bangladesh by the destination state. Data collection took place in 2003, in the Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet regions of Bangladesh. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with eighty-one returned workers, twenty-five of whom had been deported. Studyparticipants were recruited with the cooperation and assistance of the community-based organization WARBE—the Welfare Association of Repatriated Bangladeshi Employees. The data did not reveal a clear and statistically significant difference in the economic outcomes of the migration episode for the deported in comparison to the other returnees. Also of note was the high incidence, as reported by the informants, of returning to Bangladesh under conditions of duress; coercion and constraint guided not just the return experiences of the deported but were present throughout the sample. The findings point to the need for policies that target the reduction of such returns of duress for international migrant workers from developing countries

Effect of W, LR, and LM Tests on the Performance of Preliminary Test Ridge Regression Estimators

This paper combines the idea of preliminary test and ridge regression methodology, when it is suspected that the regression coefficients may be restricted to a subspace. The preliminary test ridge regression estimators (PTRRE) based on the Wald (W), Likelihood Ratio (LR) and Lagrangian Multiplier (LM) tests are considered. The bias and the mean square errors (MSE) of the proposed estimators are derived under both null and alternative hypotheses. By studying the MSE criterion, the regions of optimality of the estimators are determined. Under the null hypothesis, the PTRRE based on LM test has the smallest risk followed by the estimators based on LR and W tests. However, the PTRRE based on W test performs the best followed by the LR and LM based estimators when the parameter moves away from the subspace of the restrictions. The conditions of superiority of the proposed estimator for both ridge parameter k and departure parameter (triangle symbol) are provided. Some graphical representations have been presented which support the findings of the paper. Some tables for maximum and minimum guaranteed relative efficiency of the proposed estimators have been provided. These tables allow us to determine the optimum level of significance corresponding to the optimum estimators among proposed estimators. Finally, we concluded that the optimum choice of the level of significance becomes the traditional choice by using the W test for all non-negative ridge parameter, k.Dominance; Lagrangian Multiplier; Likelihood Ratio Test; MSE; Non-central Chisquare and F; Ridge Regression; Superiority; Wald Test.

Valuing the Benefits of Preserving Agricultural Landscapes: A Meta-Analysis of Stated Preference studies

Agricultural landscapes provide us with multiple ecosystem services, including provisioning services like crops; regulatory services like pest control, nutrient cycling, water quality management and pollination as well as cultural services like recreation, aesthetic beauty and habitats for wildlife. Many of these include non-market goods and services which are not traded in the market and lack market prices. Thus, environmental valuation studies using Revealed (RP) and Stated Preference (SP) methods are needed to value them, which can then provide the right incentives for optimal economic management of these landscapes. This thesis reviews and analyzes published SP studies worldwide in the last 15 years (2007-2022) that have used either Choice Experiment (CE) or Contingent Valuation (CV) methods to value agricultural landscapes. A meta-analysis of 17 primary SP studies with 189 estimates of willingness to pay (WTP) for agricultural landscapes across Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America was performed to see what characteristics of the landscape, the valuation method used and the affected population determine people's (WTP) for preserving agricultural landscapes. It was also compared to an existing meta-analysis of older studies (1982 – 2008) to see whether the drivers of WTP had changed in the last 15 years. Results indicate that society’s willingness to pay (WTP) for agricultural landscapes is influenced by the size of the valued changes in landscapes, recreational services, the choice experiment (CE) valuation method, current condition of the landscape and other relevant variables. Landscape attributes such as the scarcity of agricultural lands, the direction (i.e., avoiding degradation or getting improvements) and their ecosystem services strongly influence people's preferences and WTP. Contrary to the existing meta-analysis, no significant results indicated that GDP per capita influences people's willingness to pay for agricultural landscapes. The findings provide valuable insights into the complex factors shaping people's preferences for agricultural landscapes