59 research outputs found
Socio-economic aspects of freshwater prawn culture development in Bangladesh
This thesis is concerned with social and economic aspects of freshwater prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii) culture development in converted paddy field gher
systems in SW Bangladesh, based on economic features of prawn production and social
impacts within and around prawn farming communities.
Based on a sample of 400 farmers from the four different zones in Bagerhat district in
SW Bangladesh, 345 (86.25%) cultured prawn with fish and rice in their gher. The
culture period is typically nine months, wild fry are stocked when available in May-June and harvested from November to January. A variety of feeds are used but the preferred material is the freshwater snail, Pila globosa. Productivity is variable, averaging 432 kg ha-!. The freshwater prawn is a highly valued product for international markets and is
therefore almost all exported.
All farmers in all zones and different gher size categories made a profit, with seed and
feed dominating variable costs. Considerable variation in production costs and profitability was observed. The culture of prawn in gher systems is technically possible in a variety of conditions though expanding small scale of farming mainly depends on reducing production costs. Future targets could be to integrate with other agricultural activities especially dike cropping and rice production in the monsoon. The livelihoods of a large number of people are associated with prawn farming. Four different fry, snail and prawn markets were surveyed, including a sample of 60 fry catchers, 40 fry traders, 75 snail collectors, 40 snail traders and 40 prawn traders. A sample of 200 women, associated with gher farms was also surveyed. In spite of socio-economic constraints, most of the households of farmers (81 %) have improved their status through prawn farming where prawn have brought out clearly positive changes of economic activities and generated new employment. All appeared to have gained from their activities, women have enhanced their position in families and societies.
However, concerns arise about the long-term sustainability of prawn farming due to high
production costs, low supply of wild fry and snail meat, poor natural resources, poor
institutional support and inadequate extension services, all of which have affected sustainable livelihoods of farmers and associated groups. It may necessary to establish local ingredients feed industries, prawn hatcheries and to provide low-interest credit with institutional and policy support for sustainable gher farming
Recommended from our members
A Study on Commercially Important Marine Fish Marketing Systems in Southern Bangladesh
A study was conducted to understand current practices of commercially important marine fish marketing
systems in the Patuakhali area of southern Bangladesh. A total of ten commercially important marine fish
were identified such as: 1) hilsa, 2) pomfret, 3) marine catfish, 4) tuna, 5) coral fish, 6) marine eel, 7)
jawfish, 8) ribbonfish, 9) bombay duck and 10) shark. About 88% of marine fish is marketed internally
for domestic consumption while the remaining (12%) is exported to the international market. A large
number of rural poor are involved in the domestic fish marketing chain as fishermen, processors, traders,
intermediaries, day laborers and transporters. The market chain from fishermen to consumers
encompasses mainly primary, secondary and retail markets, involving sales agents, suppliers, wholesalers
and retailers. Fish are traded whole, un-gutted, and fresh without processing apart from sorting and icing.
The price of fish depends on species, quality, size and weight, seasonality, market structure, supply and
demand, consumption behavior, etc. In general, facilities at fish markets are minimal with poor hygiene
and sanitation. There are currently no standard practices for handling, washing, sorting, grading, cleaning
and icing of fish. Concerns arise about the long-term sustainable fish marketing systems due to poor road
and transport facilities, lack of credit facilities, insufficient supply of ice, poor institutional support and
inadequate training facilities. It is therefore necessary to provide institutional and organizational support,
government support, extension service and training facilities to the market operators for sustainable fish
marketing systems
Utilization and impact of electronic and print media on the patients’ health status: physicians’ perspectives
Aims: Despite an increased popularity of print and electronic media applications,
there is a paucity of data reflecting doctors’ opinions regarding efficient utilization
of these resources for the betterment of public health. Hence, this study aimed to
investigate the perception of physicians toward the effect of electronic and print
media on the health status of patients. Setting and Design: The current research
is a cross-sectional study conducted from January 2015 to July 2015. The study
population comprised physicians rendering their services in different hospitals
of Karachi, Pakistan, selected by the nonprobability convenience sampling
technique. In this study, 500 questionnaires were distributed through email or
direct correspondence. Methods and Materials: Physicians’ perception toward the
impact of electronic and print media on the health status of patients was assessed
with a 20-item questionnaire. Different demographic characteristics, such as age,
gender, institution, position, and experience of respondents, were recorded.
Quantitative data were analyzed with the use of Statistical Package for Social
Sciences, version 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). The association of the demographic
characteristics of the responses of physicians was determined by one-way
ANOVA using 0.05 level of significance. Results: In this study, 254 physicians
provided consent to show their responses for research purposes. A response
rate of 50.8% was obtained. Nearly one-third of the respondents negated that
patients get health benefit using electronic and print media. The majority did
not consider electronic and print media as lifestyle-modifying factors. Physicians
thought that patients particularly do not rely on mass media for acquiring health
information and consider healthcare professionals as unswerving information
resource. Conclusions: Mass media can be productive resources to augment
awareness among patients, although physicians seem unconvinced about the
extended usage of print/electronic media
Can greening of aquaculture sequester blue carbon?
Globally, blue carbon (i.e., carbon in coastal and marine ecosystems) emissions have been seriously augmented due to the devastating effects of anthropogenic pressures on coastal ecosystems including mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows. The greening of aquaculture, however, including an ecosystem approach to Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture (IAA) and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) could play a significant role in reversing this trend, enhancing coastal ecosystems, and sequestering blue carbon. Ponds within IAA farming systems sequester more carbon per unit area than conventional fish ponds, natural lakes, and inland seas. The translocation of shrimp culture from mangrove swamps to offshore IMTA could reduce mangrove loss, reverse blue carbon emissions, and in turn increase storage of blue carbon through restoration of mangroves. Moreover, offshore IMTA may create a barrier to trawl fishing which in turn could help restore seagrasses and further enhance blue carbon sequestration. Seaweed and shellfish culture within IMTA could also help to sequester more blue carbon. The greening of aquaculture could face several challenges that need to be addressed in order to realize substantial benefits from enhanced blue carbon sequestration and eventually contribute to global climate change mitigation
Application of Artificial Intelligence in Detection and Mitigation of Human Factor Errors in Nuclear Power Plants: A Review
Human factors and ergonomics have played an essential role in increasing the safety and performance of operators in the nuclear energy industry. In this critical review, we examine how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can be leveraged to mitigate human errors, thereby improving the safety and performance of operators in nuclear power plants (NPPs). First, we discuss the various causes of human errors in NPPs. Next, we examine the ways in which AI has been introduced to and incorporated into different types of operator support systems to mitigate these human errors. We specifically examine (1) operator support systems, including decision support systems, (2) sensor fault detection systems, (3) operation validation systems, (4) operator monitoring systems, (5) autonomous control systems, (6) predictive maintenance systems, (7) automated text analysis systems, and (8) safety assessment systems. Finally, we provide some of the shortcomings of the existing AI technologies and discuss the challenges still ahead for their further adoption and implementation to provide future research directions
- …