Decision‐making processes by small‐scale fishermen on the southeast coast of Brazil

Abstract Brazilian shrimp trawlers and gillnetters were compared regarding their decisions concerning effort, processing of fish, time spent fishing and how they are affected by environmental, cultural and economic factors. Landings were recorded over 13 months (n = 424) and comprised mainly sea bob shrimp ‐Xyphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller) (95% of the trawler catch) and weakfish, Cynoscion jamaicensis (Vaillant & Bocourt) (30% of the gillnet catch). Catch per Unit of Effort varied across months, and the number of fishing trips per day was explained by wave height for both fisheries (trawlers: r² = 0.4; gillnetters: r² = 0.18). Trawlers spent more time fishing in the winter (H = 11.6; P < 0.05) and gillnetters in the summer (F = 4.1; P < 0.001), a decision that depended on the monetary profit they estimated beforehand or on the loss they had during the closed season. Cultural and economic variables (qualitatively addressed), such as how tedious they considered processing the catch or how much money they needed to make, affected their choice of processing it or not. Trawlers were subjected to taking risky actions, fishing on days when the return is highly variable (r_kg = 0.72; P < 0.001; r_$ = 0.65; P < 0.001). Understanding such processes underpinning fishermen’s actions is essential for management.     

Temporal and spatial availability of Atlantic Thread Herring,Opisthonema oglinum,in relation to oceanographic drivers and fishery landings on the Florida Panhandle

Since 1995, landings of Atlantic Thread Herring (Opisthonema oglinum) on the Florida Panhandle averaged 124 mt each spring (April–June) but declined to nearly zero in 1996–97 and 2006. To elucidate causes of recurring periods of low landings, we used generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to examine the relationship between Atlantic Thread Herring catch in a trawl survey on the west‐central coast of Florida and four environmental variables. Chlorophyll‐a was significant in the models, indicating a direct relationship between local abundance of baitfish and their planktonic food. Temperature and depth were also significant whereas salinity was not. During 2003 and 2012, synoptic satellite‐derived temperature and chlorophyll‐a maps were used with the GAMMs to predict monthly spatial availability on the Florida Panhandle fishing grounds (long. 85–88^o W and depth 12–25 m). The predicted monthly availability was significantly correlated with commercial catch rates (Pearson's r = 0.26, P = 0.004, d.f. = 118). We used multiple linear regression (MLR) with lags to describe the effect of river discharge and wind (as a transport mechanism) on surface chlorophyll‐a over the Panhandle fishing grounds. Discharge from local rivers was significant in all MLRs, and the Mississippi was only significant as an interaction with wind. We conclude that Atlantic Thread Herring are distributed over the Panhandle fishing grounds based on food availability that is driven by river discharge and eastward transport of Mississippi River plumes. This analysis improves our understating of baitfish dynamics, an important ecosystem component in the Gulf of Mexico.     

Effects of dietary medicinal herbs and Bacillus on survival, growth, body composition, and digestive enzyme activity of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

The basal diet (C), with 0.20% medicinal herbs (M) and 0.30% Bacillus (BM1), with 0.10% medicinal herbs and 0.15% Bacillus (BM2), and with 0.30% Bacillus (B), was used to feed white shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei) (1.91 ± 0.03 g) in order to assess survival, growth, body composition, and digestive enzyme activity. At the end of the feeding trial, survival ranged from 95.83 to 98.33% with no significant difference (P > 0.05) among all groups. Growth measured as weight gain was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in shrimp fed with BM2, BM1, and M compared to that of C. However, no significant differences were found among B, BM1, and M. In the case of specific growth rate, the shrimp fed with BM1 and BM2 exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) higher values than that of C. The contents of body moisture, crude protein, and ash seemed to be unaffected by the feed supplements, though lipid content was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) different among the treatments. The shrimp fed with BM1 and BM2 had the lowest and highest lipid contents, respectively. The digestive enzyme activity assessed using shrimp hepatopancreas revealed that the activities of amylase and protease in shrimp fed with BM2 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of C at the end of the 2nd and 6th weeks. However, better performance of the specific amylase activity was shown by the shrimp fed with B at the end of the 8th week.     

东海带鱼渔获量对捕捞压力和气候变动的响应

为了解捕捞压力和气候变动对东海带鱼渔业产量的共同影响,对1956-2006年东海带鱼渔获量进行了分析.东海带鱼渔获量时间序列可划分成变化趋势和年间变动.变化趋势主要归因于捕捞努力量的单调增长,Fox模型拟合结果,东海带鱼渔获量与捕捞努力量关系显著(P＜0.01).移除趋势后,其年间变动与陆地降水、季风风速、海表水温和热带气旋影响指数相关(P＜0.05).结果表明,气候变动影响到东海带鱼渔获量年间变动:陆地降雨和径流携带大量营养盐进入沿岸生态系统；而季风则驱动营养盐的扩散和循环,影响着营养盐的利用效率；水温的升高不仅有利于带鱼的性腺发育与成熟,还能增加带鱼的饵料供应；热带气旋所形成的水团流动、风生混合、上升流等能促进营养盐供应并增加水域的生物量.从捕捞努力量和气候变量拟合东海带鱼渔获量的结果来看,与实际渔获量显著相关(P＜0.01),并且能够很好地反映出实际带鱼渔获量的变化趋势和年间变动.这说明渔获量的变化受到捕捞效应和气候变动的双重影响,未来气候变化将有利于东海带鱼渔业产量的增加,且渔获量年间变动幅度将会比以往更大.     

Effect of dietary lipid level on growth,lipid metabolism and health status of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei at two salinities

Three isonitrogenous diets containing 60 g kg^–1, 90 g kg^–1 or 120 g kg^–1 lipid were formulated and fed to the Litopenaeus vannamei (2.00 ± 0.08 g) under two salinities (25 or 3 psu) in triplicate for 8 weeks. Shrimp fed 90 g kg^–1 lipid had higher weight gain and specific growth rate than shrimp fed the other two diets regardless of salinity, and the hepatosomatic index increased with increasing dietary lipid at both salinities. The shrimp at 3 psu had significantly lower survival and ash content, higher condition factor, weight gain and specific growth rate than the shrimp at 25 psu. Increasing dietary lipid level induced the accumulation of serum MDA regardless of salinity, and at 3 psu, it reduced the serum GOT and GPT activities and the mRNA expression of TNF‐α in intestine and gill of L. vannamei. The hepatopancreatic triacylglycerol lipase (TGL) and CPT‐1 mRNA expression showed the highest value in shrimp fed 90 g kg^–1 lipid diet at 3 psu. This study indicates that 120 g kg^–1 dietary lipid may negatively affect the growth and induce oxidative damage in shrimp, but can improve immune defence at low salinity; 60 g kg^–1 dietary lipid cannot afford the growth and either has no positive impact on the immunology for L. vannamei at 3 psu.     

Effects of low salinity exposure on immunological,physiological and growth performance in Litopenaeus vannamei

Growth, immunological and physiological parameters of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei reared at different salinity levels (1, 10, 15, 25 and 35 g/L) at stocking density of 214 shrimp/m³ were examined at 1, 30 and 63 days. Results showed that the total haemocyte count (THC) of shrimp decreased with time at all salinity levels, indicating a potential reduction in the resistance of shrimp against pathogens, since a low value of THC indicates a perturbation of the immune system. Glucose and protein values observed in the haemolymph throughout the study indicate that shrimp adapted well to low salinities (1, 10 and 15 g/L). Although of those shrimp reared at 10 g/L only 83.3% survived, at this salinity, shrimp depicted a higher glucose concentration in haemolymph at the beginning and end of the study.     

Effects of dietary astaxanthin on growth,antioxidant capacity and gene expression in Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (1050 individuals with initial weight of 1.01 ± 0.001 g) were fed either control diet or one of six dietary astaxanthin (AX) concentration (25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 mg kg⁻¹) diets for 56 days in 35 tanks (30 shrimp per tank). After 56 days of culture, shrimp‐fed AX125 and AX150 diets had higher (P < 0.05) weight gain, specific growth rate, total antioxidant status and lower (P < 0.05) superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) than shrimp fed control diet. After low dissolved oxygen stress for 1 h, survival rate of shrimp fed AX75, AX100, AX125 and AX150 diets was higher (P < 0.05) than that of shrimp fed control diet. Hypoxia inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α), cytosolic manganese superoxide dismutase (cMnSOD) and CAT mRNA expression levels of shrimp fed seven diets were significantly down‐regulated under hypoxia than under normoxia, but their expression levels were higher under hypoxia in shrimp fed AX‐supplemented diets than in shrimp fed control diet. About 70‐kDa heat‐shock protein (Hsp70) mRNA expression level of shrimp fed seven diets was significantly up‐regulated under hypoxia than under normoxia, but its expression level was lower under hypoxia in shrimp fed AX‐supplemented diets than in shrimp fed control diet.     

Effects of dietary Bacillus and medicinal herbs on the growth, digestive enzyme activity, and serum biochemical parameters of the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

White shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) was fed six different formulations of medicinal herbs (MH) and Bacillus in a feeding trial conducted for 56 days. The survival, growth, digestive enzyme activity, and serum biochemical parameters were assessed. A basal diet without MH and Bacillus was served as the control. At the end of feeding trial, survival ranged from 76.19% to 84.76% with no significant differences (P > 0.05) among all groups. Growth measured as final weight, specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein productive value (PPV), and feed efficiency ratio (FER) were improved with increased dietary MH and Bacillus. Shrimp fed 0.2% MH and 0.3% Bacillus (Diet 23) were found to have the best growth performance. For shrimp fed Diet 23 final weight and SGR were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than for controls. The digestive enzyme activity of protease and amylase in hepatopancreas and intestines were significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced by the feed supplements, however amylase of the hepatopancreas was not affected. Serum protein and glucose content were enhanced by the supplement of MH and Bacillus. Serum cholesterol in shrimp of high Bacillus level groups was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in the control group. However, no significant difference (P > 0.05) in serum Triacylglycerols between supplemented groups and control was found. Results revealed that the combined MH and Bacillus in diet could enhance growth because it can improve digestive enzyme activity and digestive metabolism.     

Pinger affects fish catch efficiency and damage to bottom gill nets related to bottlenose dolphins

There is some evidence that the presence of Tursiops truncatus in fishing areas represents a real economic threat to fishermen due the dolphin feeding on the entangled fish, damaging the nets and reducing the fish catch. We have carried out experiments to assess the efficiency of a pinger in decreasing the interaction between the dolphins and fishing nets, in a fishing area off the coast of southern Italy, where Tursiops truncatus is frequently observed to interact with bottom gill nets. Two identical monofilament bottom gill nets (900 m long), one equipped with pingers and the other without, were used to measure the effect of these pingers on the abundance of the catch and net damage. For each haul (58 in total), data on dolphin sightings near the nets, damage judged to have been done by dolphins, weight and species composition of the catch were collected. All damage to the nets were recorded at the end of each haul. Dolphins in the fishing area were sighted 11 times out of 29 fishing activities (38%). The net equipped with pingers contained 28% more fish (biomass) than the net without pingers (t test, P < 0.04) and was less damaged (−31%, t test, P < 0.01). To assess whether the efficacy of these pingers remain constant over long period, long-term experiments should be carried out.