A typology of fisheries management tools: using experience to catalyse greater success

Fisheries provide nutrition and livelihoods for coastal populations, but many fisheries are fully or over‐exploited and we lack an approach for analysing which factors affect management tool performance. We conducted a literature review of 390 studies to assess how fisheries characteristics affected management tool performance across both small‐scale and large‐scale fisheries. We defined success as increased or maintained abundance or biomass, reductions in fishing mortality or improvements in population status. Because the literature only covered a narrow set of biological factors, we also conducted an expert elicitation to create a typology of broader fishery characteristics, enabling conditions and design considerations that affect performance. The literature suggested that the most commonly used management tool in a region was often the most successful, although the scale of success varied. Management tools were more often deemed successful when used in combination, particularly pairings of tools that controlled fishing mortality or effort with spatial management. Examples of successful combinations were the use of catch limits with quotas and limited entry, and marine protected areas with effort restrictions. The most common factors associated with inadequate biological performance were ‘structural’ issues, including poor design or implementation. The expert‐derived typologies revealed strong local leadership, high community involvement and governance capacity as common factors of success across management tool categories (i.e. input, output and technical measures), but the degree of importance varied. Our results are designed to inform selection of appropriate management tools based on empirical data and experience to increase the likelihood of successful fisheries management.     

Effects of yield-related QTLs SPIKE and GPS in two indica rice genetic backgrounds

Recent progress in rice genomics has promoted the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with yield and its related traits. SPIKE, a QTL controlling spikelet number per panicle, and GPS, a QTL controlling leaf photosynthesis rate, were identical to NAL1. To assess the effect of SPIKE/GPS on yield potential, we compared DNA sequences of these alleles and conducted yield experiments in the field of Japan using the near-isogenic lines NIL-SPIKE (allele from Daringan in IR 64 genetic background), NIL-GPS (allele from Koshihikari in Takanari genetic background), and a chromosome segment substitution line, SL2115 (allele from Koshihikari in IR 64 genetic background). Despite the two SNPs in the promoter regions between Koshihikari and Daringan, both alleles were effective to increase the number of spikelets per panicle both in Takanari and IR 64 backgrounds. However, the extent of the increase was smaller and unstable in Takanari background than that in IR 64 background. In addition, SPIKE/GPS improved percentage of filled spikelets only in the IR 64 background. These results suggest that the effects of SPIKE/GPS alleles are similar but are affected by the difference of the genetic backgrounds. Because the increasing effect of spikelets number per panicle was canceled by the decrease of the number of panicles, which seems to be affected by environmental factors, none of NIL-SPIKE, SL2115, or NIL-GPS significantly out-yielded their parental cultivars. These results indicate the importance to consider genetic backgrounds and QTL-environment interaction toward the future use of SPIKE/GPS.     

Purification and characterization of lipovitellin from Pacific saury Cololabis saira

ABSTRACT:   Lipovitellin (Lv), the major yolk protein derived from vitellogenin (Vg), was purified from vitellogenic ovaries of Pacific saury Cololabis saira using hydroxylapatite column chromatography followed by gel filtration. The apparent native mass of purified Lv was approximately 420 kDa, while the tertiary structure of Lv revealed by sodium dodecylsulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was typical of teleost Lvs, consisting of a heavy chain (∼99 kDa) and a light chain (∼34 kDa). Western blot analysis using rabbit antiserum raised against Pacific saury Lv revealed a specific reaction with a polypeptide (∼194 kDa) that is present in serum from female Pacific saury but not in male serum, suggesting the approximately 194-kDa polypeptide to be the Vg monomer. This study describes the first step toward the development of specific immunoassays for Pacific saury Vg, which will be an effective tool for monitoring the reproductive development of this species.