A capability approach to assess aquaculture sustainability standard compliance.

Sustainability standards are used to assure improved environmental performance in the aquaculture sector. But standard setters face limitations in including a broad range of producers with different capabilities, which in turn reduces their scope and impact. Drawing on Sen's capability approach, we introduce a novel way to assess the extent to which sustainability standards can support the capability of farmers to make prescribed improvements to their production practices. In doing so, we compare four shrimp aquaculture standards (Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Southeast Asian Shrimp Aquaculture Improvement Protocol and the Thai Agricultural Standard) based on an analysis of what we label the 'prescribed capitals' and 'bundle of capitals' that underpin the compliance capability of producers. The results show that standards narrowly prescribe standards requiring human capital, while there is potential for prescribing a wider bundle of social, financial and physical capitals that can allow more flexible standard compliance. The findings raise the prospect of redesigning sustainability standards to support a broader diversity of producer capabilities and, in turn, increase their overall impact.

Pathology and reproductive health of queen conch (Lobatus gigas) in St. Kitts.

Queen conch, Lobatus gigas, are one of the largest commercial fisheries in the Caribbean and are severely depleted due to overharvesting. Dwindling and fragmented populations are at high risk to stochastic events such as disease epidemics; however, there is a paucity of literature regarding queen conch disease. A histopathological survey was conducted to assess the disease status of St. Kitts' queen conch populations, and contribute to the little information known about L. gigas pathology. Using a standard dissection and sampling protocol, pathology status was assessed in 61 L. gigas sampled opportunistically from fishermen in St. Kitts from October 2015 to November 2016. Pathology was observed in 13.1% (8/61) of the study population, mostly comprising internal parasitism (n = 5), especially encysted metazoan parasites (likely digenean metacercaria), observed in the gill, mantle, digestive gland and large intestine. Parasitism appeared incidental, having little impact on the host's health and minimal host response to the infection. Additionally, aspects of L. gigas reproductive health were analyzed: reproductive season in St. Kitts was confirmed from May to September; lip thickness is suggested as a better regulation measure for protecting juvenile populations compared to shell length; and variation in gonad color is found to be an unreliable predictor of reproductive activity. We conclude that disease appears to be uncommon in fisherman-caught L. gigas from St. Kitts. Pathologies observed elsewhere, including imposex and apicomplexan infection of the digestive gland, could not be substantiated in the study population. The cryptic nature of sick gastropods, as well as high predation rate and selection pressure for diseased queen conch may yield underrepresentation of pathology in such surveys. Future disease surveys could benefit from targeting stunted individuals, those showing unusual behavior, or those grown in an aquaculture environment.

Aspirin does not preferentially potentiate IgE dependent basophil CD63 upregulation in patients with food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis

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Environmental regulation through trade: the case of shrimp.

The implications of a potential ban on shrimp imports by the US from countries that do not utilize the Turtle Excluder Device on commercial shrimp nets is explored in this paper. A Linear Expenditure System (LES) was used to determine the own-price elasticities of demand for shrimp imports. The system of estimated equations was then solved for quantity levels under assumptions made about the trade restrictions, resulting in a set of prices for those import levels. These estimated prices were then used to estimate the compensating variation impact of the trade restrictions. Findings suggest that the environmental regulation would have a negative impact on US consumers, but the magnitude of that effect depends on assumptions made regarding the distribution of US imports after the trade restriction is imposed.