Effects of entrance design on catch efficiency of arabesque greenling traps: a field experiment in Matsumae, Hokkaido

ABSTRACT:   A field experiment was conducted in the Matsumae area of Hokkaido, Japan, during June and July 2002, to investigate the effects of different entrance designs on the catch efficiency of fish traps by fishing with commercial traps (entrance inclination angle [α] = 37°; funnel length of entrance [ L _f ] = 22 cm) and experimental traps. The experimental traps were of the same size and similar design as commercial traps, with different entrance inclination angles (trap E1: α = 46°; E2: α = 27°; E3: α = 0°; all L _f  = 22 cm) or funnel lengths (E4: α = 37°, L _f  = 8 cm). In total, 2200 fish during 200 trap hauls were captured. The catch was significantly higher using both traps E2 and the commercial trap than with trap E3 ( P  < 0.05), and the catch of trap E2 was higher than that of the commercial trap. There were no significant differences in mean fish body length or the frequency distributions of body length among trap types (E1, E2, E3 and commercial). The funnel length of the entrance also affected the catch of traps. Trap E4 had significantly higher catches than the commercial trap ( P  = 0.04) when traps were deployed for a 1-day soak time. Fish body length frequency distributions did not differ between trap E4 and the commercial trap. The results showed that catch can be greatly affected by trap entrance designs.     

Catch efficiency and retentive ability of commercial crawfish traps

The catch efficiency and retentive ability of 10 commercial crawfish traps were evaluated in commercial ponds. Trap designs with three entrance funnels caught significantly more crawfish than did trap designs with one or two funnels. Conversely, the retentive ability of the trap designs was inversely related to the number of entrance funnels.Traps constructed from PVC plastic-coated wire caught significantly more crawfish than identical trap designs made from galvanized wire; however, retentive ability of traps was not related to construction material. The posture (horizontal versus vertical) of identically designed traps when set in the pond did not affect the catch efficiency nor retentive ability of the traps. Traps with exposed bait caught 40–47% more crawfish than did traps with protected bait. An average of 84, 80 and 64% of marked crawfish were retained by traps after 12, 24 and 48 h, respectively.     

Fundamental study on the flow speed distribution around small traps

ABSTRACT:   This study measured the flow speed distribution using actual small traps to investigate the effects of their materials and shapes by analyzing the characteristics of the water flow patterns around them. Five types of trap (netted semi-cylinder shaped, wire semi-cylinder shaped, heart shaped, box shaped, and a cylinder shaped traps) constructed from different materials were used in the experiment. The flow speed distribution around each trap was measured in a flume tank. Flow speeds in the flume tank were 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 m/s. The webbing of the traps was different in shape and had various diameters of twine. The diameters of twine ranged from 0.55 to 1.00 mm. The relationship between the solidity ratio of the twine and flow distribution of the traps was also analyzed. For the netted semi-cylinder shaped and cylinder shaped traps, the area of reduced flow speed extended along the downstream area and its width slightly increased with distance from the trap's entrance. The heart shaped trap is shown to have the largest solidity ratio and this resulted in a high reduction of the flow speed downstream from the trap.     

The influence of warp length on trawl dimension and catch of walleye pollock <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theragra chalcogramma</Emphasis> in a bottom trawl survey

ABSTRACT:   Variations in trawl dimension, bottom contact, and catch with differing warp lengths during walleye pollock surveys conducted by the Fisheries Research Agency were examined. The ratio of warp length to fishing depth (scope ratio) was set at 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 at depths of 110 m. At a 2.5 scope ratio, the net mouth shape and footgear contact fluctuated, as the trawl door did not contact the bottom. Footgear contact was complete when the scope ratio was 3.0 or more. Walleye pollock, sculpins and flatfishes were the main catch in all tows, and the catch increased with scope ratio. There was no difference in the length frequency of walleye pollock ( n  = 300) captured at 2.5 and 3.0 scope ratio. However, the length frequency at 3.5 was significantly different from that of other scope ratios. These results suggest that at a scope ratio of 3.0 or more, the trawl door will not leave the bottom at any depths. To compliment echo surveys for walleye pollock, a 3.0 scope ratio would be optimal, since the catch data for a 3.5 scope ratio was dissimilar from that of scope ratios.     

Influence of episodic upwelling on capelin, Mallotusvillosus, and Atlantic cod, Gadusmorhua, catches in Newfoundland coastal waters

Wind-induced upwelling in the north-west Atlantic has been hypothesized to influence catch rates of fish by gear fishing at fixed locations. Passive movement to shallow depths during upwelling has been proposed to increase encounter rates of fish with net leaders set at the coast. However, supporting evidence is not conclusive, possibly because fish respond to strong events rather than all events. We investigated whether catch rates of capelin, Mallotusvillosus, and Atlantic cod, Gadusmorhua, were related to the strength of upwelling, as measured by the rates of water temperature change, or to stage of upwelling. Capelin trap catches were positively related to increases in water temperature, representing the relaxation phase. This result was due primarily to increases in catch after strong (> 4°C change) rather than after typical (< 4°C change) upwelling events. Cod trap catches were not related to upwelling strength but did increase 1–2 days after typical events. The data suggest that upwelling increases capelin movement, while the return of warmer surface water after an upwelling event increases cod movement.     

桁杆虾拖网圆形分隔装置的效果分析

在桁杆虾拖网中间一只网囊前部加装圆形分隔装置,并在装置上部开设逃逸口.装置的格栅倾角分别为30.、45.、60.,栅条间距分别为2.5 cm、3.5 cm和4.5 cm.在逃逸口上方装有网袋,用于收集逃鱼.对装配不同倾角和不同栅条间距的装置进行了试验,根据各个网次网囊和网袋的渔获组成和体长分布情况,分析装置的分隔效果....     

Mesh selectivity of encircling gill net for gizzard shad Konosirus punctatus in the coastal sea of Korea

ABSTRACT:   Fishing experiments were carried out in Yeongil Bay, Korea using an encircling gill net with four different mesh sizes and two different hanging ratios to measure the mesh selectivity for gizzard shad Konosirus punctatus . Twenty-six trials were conducted giving a total catch of 485 gizzard shad. The 'share each length's catch total' (SELECT) analysis with maximum likelihood method was used to fit the different functional models, the normal, lognormal, and bi-normal model, for a selectivity curve to the catch data. In addition, two cases in which the relative fishing intensity was either estimated or fixed were compared. The bi-normal model with the fixed relative fishing intensity was found to fit the data best. For the selectivity curve on the bi-normal model, the relative length (the ratio of fish length to mesh size) with the maximum efficiency was obtained as 3.70. From this, the focal fish lengths in the commercial encircling gill net, with mesh size ranging from 5.0 to 6.0 cm, were inferred to be 18.5–22.2 cm.     

Impact of the Leeuwin Current on the spatial distribution of the puerulus settlement of the western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) and implications for the fishery of Western Australia

Previous studies have shown that the strength of the Leeuwin Current is correlated with the level of the puerulus (post-larval stage) settlement in the western rock lobster ( Panulirus cygnus ). The level of puerulus settlement has also been shown to be a reliable predictor of catch in the rock lobster fishery in Western Australia, 3 and 4 yr later. This study examines the impact of the south-flowing Leeuwin Current on the spatial distribution of the puerulus settlement along the coast based on information from 10 settlement sites. In years of strong Leeuwin Current, the location of the peak settlement occurs further south by up to 2° latitude compared with years of weak Leeuwin Current. The key months of Leeuwin Current strength that affect the abundance of the puerulus settlement are generally February to April, during the early larval stages. However, the months that affect the spatial distribution are from June onwards, which is closer to the period of puerulus settlement that starts in about August each year. The mean latitude of puerulus settlement shows a very good relationship with Leeuwin Current strength in June to December ( r  = 0.86, P  < 0.001). The variation in spatial distribution in puerulus settlement can be used to predict the spatial distribution of fishing effort and catch, 3 and 4 yr later ( r  = 0.78 and 0.84, respectively, P  < 0.001).     

Otter guards in river fyke-net fisheries: effects on catches of eels and salmonids

The effects of otter guards on the fishing efficiency of eel fyke-nets were investigated in two Danish rivers. The otter guards were made of 75-mm mesh netting and were placed across the fyke entrance. The fishing efficiency was measured as catch-per-unit effort and hauling time. Guard nets were mounted in half the fyke-nets, while the other half served as controls. After every haul, the fyke-nets with guard nets were returned to controls and vice versa . For legal-sized eels and salmonids, the guard-net significantly ( P < 0.05) reduced the catches, causing a 30% reduction of the eel catch and a 53–55% reduction of the salmonid catch. The use of otter guards significantly increased the hauling time. The average time used for hauling a guarded fyke-net was increased by 15–25% for both upstream- and downstream-oriented fyke-nets, respectively. Blockages caused by water-borne debris appear to be the main cause of problems. Anguilla anguilla , by-catch, eel, fyke-net, otter guards, salmonid.     

Fundamental studies on the hydrodynamic resistance of small pot traps

ABSTRACT:   The hydrodynamic resistance of small pot traps has been conducted in order to establish some basic information. The specific objectives of the study was to measure the hydrodynamic force and estimate the critical setting condition for traps. Five types of traps with different materials were used in the experiment: a netted semi-cylinder shape, a wire semi-cylinder shape, a heart shape, a box shape, and a cylinder shape. The hydrodynamic force of each trap was measured in a flume tank. Flow speeds in the flume tank were 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 m/s. Attack angles for this study were 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 degrees. At an attack angle of 0 degrees the main axis of the trap was parallel to the water flow and at 90 degrees it was vertical. The values of the hydrodynamic drag coefficient varied with traps: netted semi-cylinder shape, 2.75–5.96; wire semi-cylinder shape, 2.81–4.49; heart shape, 2.77–3.66; box shape, 2.39–2.97; and for cylinder shape, 3.57–3.67. The flow speed (0.5 m/s) was effective to set the netted semi-cylinder, wire semi-cylinder, box, and cylinder shaped traps. The same flow speed applied to the heart-shaped trap was only effective to a maximum of 30 degrees attack angles and below.     

Effects of developmental stage, seawater concentration and rearing temperature on cryopreservation of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas larvae

ABSTRACT: For the development of a stepwise cryopreservation technique for larvae of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas , various conditions were examined. Larvae at 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 h after insemination were cooled at a rate of −1°C/min (seeding at −8°C for 15 min) and then plunged into liquid nitrogen at −35 or −40°C using 1.5 M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 250 mM trehalose as cryoprotectants. Among these larvae, 15 h after insemination (the trochophore stage before formation of the shell gland) showed the highest motility and the best external appearance after thawing. Trochophore larvae were cryopreserved in preservation media containing different dilutions (1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10 and 1/30) of seawater. Larvae preserved in the 1/4 seawater medium showed the highest appearance of shelled larvae 4 days after thawing. Trochophore larvae reared in seawater at 21, 25 or 29°C were cryopreserved for 8 months and then reared at 26°C after thawing. Larvae reared at 25°C showed the highest survival rate and normal larval ratio at day 6 after thawing, although larvae reared at 21°C showed the highest rates until day 4. One larva developed at 25°C succeeded to settle.     

Optimum temperature and salinity conditions for growth of green algae <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella ellipsoidea</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nannochloris oculata</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   The effects of temperature and salinity on growth of green algae Chlorella ellipsoidea and Nannochloris oculata were determined to compare the optimum culture conditions. A four-temperature (15, 20, 25, and 30°C) × three-salinity (10, 20, and 30) factorial design with triplicates was applied. Specific growth rate (SGR), maximum density, and duration to reach maximum density of C. ellipsoidea were significantly affected by both temperature and salinity. The highest SGR was observed in C. ellipsoidea at 25°C and salinity 10, but the maximum density was very low. The highest maximum density was achieved in C. ellipsoidea at 15°C and 10. The slope constant of the linear relationship between semilogarithmic growth of C. ellipsoidea and day of culture was highest at 15°C and 10. The SGR and duration to reach maximum density of N. oculata were significantly affected by both temperature and salinity. However, maximum density of N. oculata was significantly affected by temperature, but not salinity. The highest maximum density was achieved in N. oculata at 25°C and 30, but SGR was significantly lower than that of N. oculata at 25°C and 10. The slope constant of the linear relationship between semilogarithmic growth of N. oculata and day of culture was highest at 25°C and 30. Based on these results, the condition of 15°C and salinity 10 seemed to be optimal for maximum density of C. ellipsoidea , and the condition of 25°C and 10 and 30 for SGR and maximum density for N. oculata , respectively.     

Effect of towing speed and net mouth size on catch efficiency in framed midwater trawls

ABSTRACT:   To investigate fish density using rigid-mouth, towed net gear, such as a framed midwater trawl (FMT), it is necessary to know the catch efficiency. The catch efficiency with an FMT is described as the rate of fish entering the net (entering rate) versus the rate of fish retention, i.e. the mesh selectivity. This study investigated the change in the catch efficiency under several towing conditions using three types of FMT of different net mouth areas (4.0, 12.3, and 16.0 m²) with the same mesh size. The catch efficiency of the FMT was evaluated by comparing catch per unit effort obtained from each towing condition. The catch efficiency of FMT varied with towing speed and net mouth area. Particularly, the effect of net mouth area on the catch efficiency was greater than that of towing speed. Additionally, under the same towing condition, the catch efficiency for large length fish was lower than that for small length fish.     

Differences in self-feeding activity between thermally selected and normal strains of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss at high temperatures

ABSTRACT:   Feeding activity was examined at high temperatures by using a demand feeder for thermally selected and normal rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss strains. When the water temperature was raised in experiment 1 from 17.5 to 25.7°C at 0.3°C/day in 21 days, the average daily food consumption rate in the thermally selected strain rose to 7.1%, which was significantly higher than that of the normal strain (4.1%, P  < 0.05). The corresponding rate was also significantly higher in the thermally selected (0.8%) than in the normal strain (0.2%, P  < 0.05) of fish in experiment 2 where water temperature was raised to 24.1°C in 0.5°C/day increments. When water temperature was raised rapidly in experiment 3 from 16.7 to 21.7°C in one day and gradually to 24.4°C in 28 days at 0.1°C/day, the average daily food consumption rates were 1.0 and 0.1% for the thermally selected and normal strains, respectively, with significant difference ( P  < 0.01). These results suggest that the thermally selected strain has acquired thermal tolerance as a result of artificial selection.     

Effects of temperature, density and early weaning on the survival and growth of Atlantic ditch shrimp Palaemonetes varians larvae

This investigation examined the effects of temperature, density and early weaning on the survival and growth of Palaemonetes varians larvae. Survival of larvae raised at 17.5 °C was not significantly different (average + standard deviation) (94 ± 5%) from the survival of those raised at 19.5 °C (95 ± 5%) and at 21.5 °C (94 ± 4%). However, the duration of the larval stage was significantly longer for shrimp reared at 17.5 °C (17.3 ± 0.8 days) compared with shrimp reared at 19.5 °C (14.3 ± 0.7 days) and at 21.5 °C (11.3 ± 0.6 days). No significant differences ( P >0.05) were found in the survival rate, final weight and length of larvae reared at the densities of 5, 10, 20 and 50 larvae L⁻¹. The survival of P. varians larvae fed solely on Artemia was significantly higher ( P <0.05) than larvae weaned with an artificial practical diet from Zoea II stage (94 ± 4% and 82 ± 1%, respectively, for Artemia and artificial diet-fed larvae), but no significant differences ( P >0.05) were observed in the final larval weight or length between these two treatments. The survival and growth of the larvae fed with the practical diet tested is a promising step ahead in the development of the culture of this species as it eliminates both the need for Artemia throughout all larval stages, and the need for more expensive artificial diets.     

Effects of water temperature on early development of Japanese eel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anguilla japonica</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   To determine an optimal temperature range for efficient production of healthy eel larvae Anguilla japonica , the effect of water temperature on hatching, survival, and deformity rates was examined. The early ontogeny of morphological features in this species by incubating eggs at five different temperatures (19, 22, 25, 28 and 31°C) was examined. Hatching occurred at 24, 28, 46 and 58 h after fertilization when incubated at 28, 25, 22 and 19°C, respectively; no eggs hatched at 31°C. The growth rate of prefeeding larvae increased as water temperature was elevated and acquisition of feeding ability was also accelerated at higher temperature. Significantly high hatching rates (76–86%, P  < 0.05) and survival rates (61–86%, P  < 0.05) were observed at relatively high temperatures (22–28°C). The deformities were 'open lower jaw', 'pericardial edema', and 'notochordal bending', in which the mouth was deformed with a downward projecting lower jaw, the pericardial cavity was swollen, and the notochord was bent or twisted to various degrees, respectively. Open lower jaw and pericardial edema were especially predominant at 19°C, with rates of 68 and 92%, respectively, compared with 31 and 10% at 25 and 28°C, respectively. The occurrence of notochordal bending was not affected by temperature. The optimal temperature for incubation and rearing A. japonica eggs and prefeeding larvae is approximately 25–28°C.     

Comparison of ozone,hydrogen peroxide and removal of infected eggs for prevention of fungal infection in sturgeon hatchery

ABSTRACT:   The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ozone, hydrogen peroxide and removal of infected eggs (five times per day) on prevention of fungal infection on Iranian sturgeon Acipenser persicus . The effects of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 p.p.m. of ozone, and 500 and 1000 p.p.m. of hydrogen peroxide in two different egg disinfection procedures (with and without removal of infected eggs) were examined on hatching ratio. Egg disinfection by 1000 p.p.m. hydrogen peroxide (with removal of infected eggs) resulted in the greatest hatching ratio (78%) among all treatments. Among ozone treatments, 0.15 p.p.m. (with removal of infected eggs) showed the highest hatching ratio (76.4%). The hatching ratio of the control group (without disinfectant and removal of infected eggs) was 34.4%. Removal of infected eggs increased the hatching ratio by 16.1% compared to treatments without infected egg removal, and there was a significant difference ( P  < 0.01). Ozone is preferred to hydrogen peroxide because a lower concentration of ozone is required to disinfect the culture medium; consequently, environmental pollution will be decreased. A low correlation ( r  = −0.35) was observed between hatchery water temperature and fungal infection percentage in the control.     

Theoretical study of the effect of round straps on the selectivity in a diamond mesh cod-end

FEMNET, a numerical tool based on the finite element method, was applied to estimate the shapes of various diamond-mesh cod-end designs during fishing. The only design differences rest in the use of round straps of different lengths, positions and numbers. The cod-end shape estimates were then entered in the selectivity simulation tool PRESEMO to simulate the selectivity processes of the various cod-end designs under the same varying fishing conditions. This enabled us to demonstrate how one or two round straps along the cod-end axis may change the selectivity of the cod-end compared with a reference cod-end, without round straps. We predict that in cod-end designs, which comply with the EU legislation, the 50% retention length (L50) may be reduced by up to 1.5 cm (5%) for haddock.     

Evaluation of a by-catch reduction device for glass eel fishing traps

Abstract  The effectiveness of a new design of glass eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), fishing trap was tested in the Ebro River delta fishery (Eastern Mediterranean, Spain). The modified fishing trap incorporated a by-catch reduction device (BRD) to increase trap selectivity and minimise by-catch of non-targeted fish, without affecting glass eel captures. The BRD is inexpensive and easy to implement, consisting of a cylinder covered with a rigid square-mesh of 2.0–2.4 mm knot-to-knot, which is easily fitted to the fishing trap entrance. Testing of the BRD was made by paired comparisons between captures of targeted and non-targeted fish species from both conventional and BRD-modified traps. The use of a BRD in the glass eel traps resulted in a 68.9% reduction in the number of captured non-targeted fish specimens, while it did not reduce glass eel yields. The BRD implementation was fully effective for all species and individuals with sizes >40 mm total length, with the exception of the black-striped pipefish, Syngnathus abaster Risso. These results support the implementation of the BRD in glass eel fisheries along the Eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula where these fishing traps are used.