Shekar Bose

Stakeholders’ views on the status of the fish quality and safety regulatory schemes the case of the sultanate of Oman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of the primary and the secondary stakeholders on the current functioning of the fish quality and safety regulatory system in Oman. Design/methodology/approach – The views on the fish quality and safety regulatory governance mechanism were elicited using a questionnaire survey. Findings – Although specific benefits derived from the quality control (QC) regulations were recognized by both groups a number of key factors were highlighted for improvement such as funding, being more proactive, literacy, quality of fish received. Originality/value – The paper has identified some weaknesses and constraints that hinder the effective and efficient functioning of the quality and safety regulatory systems and provided appropriate policy recommendations to make the governance of the QC regulatory system in the seafood sector efficient and effective and to mitigate public health risk.

Examining the relationship between stock return volatility and trading volume: new evidence from an emerging economy

Using daily stock return data for individual stocks from an emerging economy, this article examines the relationship between return volatility and trading volume under the theoretical postulate of the mixture of distributions hypothesis. The results suggest that the contemporaneous trading volume as a proxy for latent information arrival to the market did not contribute to the removal of significant ARCH or Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity effects that are found in stocks at the first stage of the investigation. The same holds for the lagged volume except for one case. This, perhaps, suggests that the trading volume (contemporaneous or lagged) is not adequately conveying information to induce traders’ views of the desirability of trade and, therefore, points to the need for searching for other micro and macro variables to be used as potential proxy for information arrival to the stock market of the emerging economy.

Accounting the Unaccounted: A Case of Women’s Participation in Shellfish Harvesting in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract This exploratory study is aimed at documenting some basic socioeconomic attributes of fisherwomen engaged in shellfish gathering in the southern part of the Sultanate of Oman. The primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews with participants. The survey results were evaluated from a gender and development perspective, and plausible policy measures are advocated. It is hoped that the findings of this exploratory research will generate new insights into the design of testable hypothesis for future research, with a well-defined focus on the enhancement of the well-being and livelihoods of Omani fisherwomen.

Sea turtles tourism in Oman: Current status and future prospects:

This paper provides an overview of the current status and future potentials of nature-based tourism in the Sultanate of Oman with particular focus on sea turtles at Ras Al Hadd. The paper uses objective yardsticks such as inbound tourist arrivals, nationality and spending patterns, seasonality, employment, as well as gross domestic product contribution derived from secondary data from national and international sources to appraise the current situation. Additionally, based on the review of relevant literature, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis is used to summarize relevant socioeconomic, political, environmental, and regulatory issues. While there is strong evidence of government commitment to develop nature-based tourism in the country, a number of key issues related to tourist facilities, human activities, environmental conditions, economic research, and capacity development are highlighted for further attention. Most importantly, the analysis suggests a potential to increase the contribution of sustainable sea turtle tourism to Oman’s gross domestic product. To realize this potential the sector needs to (1) consider the seasonal variation of tourists, (2) develop its accommodation capabilities especially at sites with ecological uniqueness while ensuring minimum negative impacts on biodiversity, (3) increase the number of Omani nationals employed in the tourism industry and improve their skills through training, (4) develop marketing tools to attract the dominant inbound ecotourism groups to the country, (5) enhance sustainable planning implementation in the Omani tourism sector, and (6) most importantly ensure an effective implementation of legislation protecting sea turtles and their habitats. It is hoped that policymakers can use these findings to set a direction on sustainable sea turtle tourism in Oman, while promoting the effective conservation of these species.

Preferences and Intentions of Seafood Consumers in Oman: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract This study examines the influence of product attributes and socio-economic, demographic, cultural, psychological, and market-related factors on “preferences” and “intention” of seafood consumers in Oman using the classical economic choice theory, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and their hybrid form. Primary data were collected using questionnaires administered through online and face-to-face survey. A total of 906 responses were received from the online (N = 778), hypermarkets (N = 93), and fish market (N = 35) sources. Descriptive and empirical analyses were performed to the survey data. Findings from the preference model suggest that nationality, habit, freshness (perceived as quality), taste, household size, income, and education are significantly influencing the purchasing frequency of seafood. While consumer attitudes and control beliefs (i.e., facilitating conditions) are significant in the intention model, the hybrid model identifies additional significant variables such as past and current consumption behavior that influence consumers’ intention of seafood purchase. The findings will enable seafood firms and the concerned authorities to formulate appropriate management and marketing strategies.

Peer-judgment risk minimization using DEA cross-evaluation with an application in fishery

AbstractOne of the shortcomings in the standard data envelopment analysis (DEA) self-evaluation models is the flexibility of choosing favorable DEA weights on inputs and outputs. This study uses the potential of DEA cross-efficiency evaluation and proposes a new mean–variance goal programming model for minimizing the risk of changing DEA weights for identification of high performed decision making units. The applicability of the proposed method in this paper is demonstrated through an application in Oman fishery, to address peer-judgment risk in fisheries. The suggested model also provides a list of fishers with maximum cross-efficiency scores.