Estimating the spawning season of black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii in Hiroshima Bay,Japan, from temporal variation in egg density

Fisheries Science - We aimed to determine the spawning period of black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii in Hiroshima Bay, Japan, based on the distribution of its eggs, to assist in the resource...     

Stock enhancement of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.): assessment of season, fish size and place of release in SW Spanish coast

Gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata L., is a highly level protein species in Mediterranean countries and can easily be produced in hatcheries. Despite the commercial interest in the species, alternatives to aquaculture such as ranching and stock enhancement, which have proven to be profitable for other species, have not been attempted for the gilthead sea bream. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of these alternatives for the Atlantic coast of the southern Iberian Peninsula, where this species is highly valuable for professional and amateur fishermen. A total of 30 323 individuals marked with average weights of 15, 100, 316 and 854 g were released between 1993 and 1997 at six different locations. For each of these locations, the displacements, growths, the oldest recapture and the percentage of recapture were determined. The Bay of Cádiz turned out to be the most suitable location since the highest recapture (2.41%, S.E. 0.53) and specific growth rates (0.86, S.E. 0.09), as well as small displacements (8.16 km, S.E. 0.95), were found in this location. One hundred grams was the best size for enhancement as fish of 15 g showed very low recapture rates (0.12%, S.E. 0.08), while fish larger than 316 g made significant displacements (42.87 km, S.E. 4.73). Growth and displacement also point to summer versus spring, winter or fall as the best releasing period for stock enhancement of this species in the analysed area. These elements point to the feasibility of implementing a stocking program for gilthead sea bream. This must have the bay of Cádiz as the core place of interest, releasing 100-g fish in late summer.     

日本鹿儿岛湾真鲷的资源评估和增殖策略

通过世代分析对1990年至2002年鹿儿岛湾真鲷（Pagrus major）自然种群和放流种群的种群大小进行了评估,评估模型考虑了渔业资源管理和增殖放流措施。结果表明放流种群的规模有所减少,而自然种群的规模维持不变。真鲷自然种群的捕获量日趋减少,而放流种群的捕获量已超过50吨。研究结果表明增殖700000—800000尾真鲷种苗与其50吨的捕捞量相协调。在各种捕获量和放流量情况下,采用种群动力学模型预测了2017年真鲷的捕获量,其结果表明提高放流真鲷的数量能增加其捕获量。     

Genetic diversity of red sea bream Pagrus major in western Japan in relation to stock enhancement

SUMMARY: Stock enhancement is used in Japan as a tool to help the replenishment of wild populations of red sea bream Pagrus major . In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity and composition of wild red sea bream at seven locations around Shikoku Island, South-west Japan, using three microsatellite loci. This analysis was done to test the hypothesis that: (i) red sea bream comprises a single Mendelian population along Japan; and (ii) stock enhancement programs around Shikoku Island are causing genetic differentiation among wild stocks. The results indicated that some locations from the Shikoku area were not significantly different from the rest of Japan, supporting the hypothesis of a single Mendelian population. Significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and significant pairwise F_ST among locations indicated genetic instability within this region. We suggest that the stock enhancement programs made in the region are the possible cause of this genetic instability. A management scheme for the hatcheries involved in the stock enhancement of red sea bream is presented.     

Spatial movement of black sea bream <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acanthopagrus schlegelii</Emphasis> around the oyster farming area in Hiroshima Bay,Japan

In order to obtain information for preventing oyster spats predation, we investigated the horizontal and vertical movement patterns of black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii inhabiting an oyster farming area in Hiroshima Bay by active tracking. Seven adult fish equipped with depth transmitters were tracked for 65 days around the oyster farming area. Six of the seven fish were found in the oyster rafts for a cumulative duration of 55 days. The daily movement distance and minimum convex polygon home range of these fish were 0.13–0.78 km/day and 0.11–1.14 km², respectively. The swimming depth of these fish were mainly between 1 and 15 m, which coincided with the depths of the submerged oyster wires. Our observations suggest that black sea bream inhabiting the oyster farming area in Hiroshima Bay are highly dependent on the spatial arrangement of the oyster rafts.     

象山港黄姑鱼增殖放流效果评估及增殖群体利用方式优化

以回捕渔获重量和对繁殖群体的补充能力为评价指标,借助标志放流-回捕实验,利用模型模拟分析方法,定量评估浙江象山港黄姑鱼(Nibea albiflora)的增殖放流效果;同时,结合其增殖目标定位,探索构建生态高效的增殖群体利用方式。研究结果表明,象山港黄姑鱼增殖群体的捕捞死亡系数为1.31,在该捕捞强度下,11055尾增殖放流鱼苗可产生737 kg回捕渔获收益,同时还向增殖水域补充了554尾初次性成熟个体,增殖放流活动在一定程度上起到了修复象山港黄姑鱼资源、促进渔民增产增收的效果。结果表明,捕捞强度过大是制约象山港黄姑鱼增殖放流功效发挥的重要因素,捕捞死亡系数应降至0.46,同批次黄姑鱼增殖放流所能提供的回捕渔获重量和性成熟个体尾数可分别较现行捕捞强度提升41.49%和326.90%。综上述,象山港黄姑鱼增殖放流的生态和经济功效较为显著,合理降低对增殖群体的捕捞强度是进一步提升其增殖放流效果的必要措施。     

Correlation of changes in seasonal distribution and catch of red sea bream Pagrus major with winter temperature in the eastern Seto Inland Sea,Japan (1972–2010)

Red sea bream Pagrus major is a commercially important fish in Japan. In eastern Seto Inland Sea (SIS), the catch has increased from 297 tons in 1972 to 2,039 tons in 2010. We examined the relationship, 1972–2010, between increase in catch and winter temperature, based on the catch in February and March and the lowest water temperature at 10 m depth. In 1972–1986, the lowest water temperatures in the inner SIS areas (Osaka Bay, Harima‐nada, and Bisan‐seto) were <8°C, which is physiologically unfavorable for red sea bream. However, in 1987–2010 temperatures were generally ≥8°C. In the inner areas, the catch during winter had been minimal until the early 1980s, presumably because most red sea breams moved to the Kuroshio‐influenced (warmer) Kii Channel area. However, the winter catch in the inner areas of SIS increased from the late 1980s with warm winters. In addition, the catch between April and June, the spawning season, increased in the inner areas from the 1990s, and the catch rate of the inner areas was more than twice higher in the 2000s than in the 1980s. The results suggest that expansion of the distribution area during winter due to warm winter and increase in egg production in the inner areas greatly contributes to the increasing in catch in the eastern SIS.     

Stock enhancement in a commercial mullet,Mugil cephalus L., fishery in Hawaii

Abstract This study showed that cultured striped mullet, Mugil cephalus L., released as juveniles can make a significant contribution to landings in an island commercial fishery. Following pilot hatchery releases from 1990 to 1993, striped mullet fisheries in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, USA, were sampled to recover cultured fish from the bay-wide catch. Direct sampling of 181 fishing trips resulted in recovery of 211 cultured striped mullet. By autumn 1994, cultured fish comprised 13.0% (2.8%) of the commercial mullet catch in Kaneohe Bay, and the percentage was increasing logarithmically. This study corroborated predictions from previous studies of juveniles about effects of release strategies on survival of cultured mullet. Following summer releases, recapture rates were strongly affected by fish size-at-release, with a critical release size of 60 mm total length (the smallest size released that was subsequently detected in the fishery). Over 30 000 juveniles stocked in 1990 (but not in a nursery habitat preferred by striped mullet) apparently suffered complete mortality.     

The enhancement of abalone stocks: lessons from Japanese case studies

The dramatic declines in abalone Haliotis spp. fishery production have been documented all over the world. Release of hatchery‐reared juveniles into natural habitats has been considered as one measure to sustain and/or augment the current fishery production of abalone, as well as to restore collapsed abalone stocks. However, attempts at abalone release programmes have only been undertaken at experimental scales, except for Japan, where large‐scale stock enhancement programmes for abalone have been undertaken since late 1960s. To evaluate the potential of stock enhancement for abalone, we analysed the release surveys of 13 case studies in Japan in terms of the overall recapture rate (number of recaptures through a lifetime/number of juveniles released), yield per release (YPR, yields from released individuals), the economic efficiency of releases (ratio of income from recaptured abalone to release cost) for each release year, and the contribution of hatchery releases to total catches for each fishing year. The average estimates for overall recapture rates (0.014–0.238) and YPR (3.1–60.3 g/individual) varied between locations and release years. The economic efficiency was estimated at 0.4–6.2. The released abalone contributed 6.9–83.5% to total catches. Hatchery releases could augment total production at some locations, but the success of release programmes would be limited by the carrying capacity at release areas, because density‐dependent mortality occurred following releases in some cases. Throughout Japan, the annual catch of abalone has continuously declined from ～6500 t in 1970 to ～2000 t in the mid‐1990s, despite the increase in the number of hatchery releases. Based on the estimates for YPR, the magnitude of the abalone releases on a national scale has not been sufficiently large to sustain the total production of Japanese abalone, which has primarily fluctuated according to the abundances of wild populations. Our results suggest that releases should be targeted at local populations in regions where stock enhancement is predicted to have the greatest chance of success, and the magnitude of releases should be considered carefully and determined for each region by taking the local carrying capacity into account. We also address the future prospects of abalone stock enhancement.     

基于资源-经济模型的莱州湾中国对虾增殖放流管理

利用2011年莱州湾中国对虾放流回捕生产调查统计和生物学测定数据,构建了包括资源模块、经济模块、决策模块的资源-经济模型,模拟了不同管理决策对放流经济效果的影响.结果表明,放流规模和捕捞强度不变时延迟开捕,总成本降低,渔民捕捞收益和社会经济效益先增加后减少,存在一个使放流经济效益达到最大值的最佳开捕日期：例如,当放流规模为738亿尾、捕捞死亡系数为0.03时,10月8日开捕可以获得最大的社会经济效益19.30万元;放流规模和开捕日期不变时扩大捕捞力量,总成本增加,同样存在一个最优捕捞规模使放流经济效益达到最大,但并非捕捞规模越大获得的经济收益越大;开捕日期和捕捞规模不变时,社会经济效益与放流规模成正比.在放流实践中,管理者应合理设置放流数量、捕捞规模和开捕日期,通过科学管控争取达到最佳的放流效果.