Diversity of global fisheries governance: Types and contexts

Fisheries governance systems designed to regulate fishing are often described as being highly diverse across countries. However, there is little systematic work that directly examines and describes the (dis)similarities across such systems, and how socio-political and economic contexts drive such variation at a global scale. In this paper, we use 68 indicators from a novel dataset to examine the fisheries governance systems in place to constrain overfishing in national waters across 142 countries. We found that countries cluster in just two distinct governance groups which display different traits to constrain overfishing. Where one group takes a tougher stance on aspects regarding access to its fisheries resources, the other is more focused on gathering fisheries information and publicizing the data. The 10 greatest differences between groups relate to the gathering of information and monitoring of their fisheries, the effectiveness of compliance systems and the existence of policies around sustainability. On these key differences, one group consistently displays more far-reaching governance traits. The overall governance capacity of a country and the national socio-economic importance of fisheries are identified as potential drivers of this variation. Despite their differences, the two groups show substantial overlap for many indicators, particularly those that are inexpensive, but also for certain costly policies. These patterns prompt hypotheses of policy transfer or convergence across fisheries governance systems, most notably regarding ‘low-hanging fruit’ policies.     

Ontogeny of hepatic bovine growth hormone receptors in cattle

A series of studies examined the binding characteristics and ontogeny of hepatic growth hormone binding sites in dairy bulls on d 2, 30, 180, and 365 of age. Binding of iodinated recombinant bovine growth hormone ([125I]rbGH) to liver membrane receptors was membrane protein-dependent. Receptors were considered growth hormone-specific, because physiological concentrations of bovine prolactin (bPRL) failed to displace [125I]rbGH from bovine hepatocyte membranes. Only 50% of [125I]rbGH was bound reversibly to hepatic microsomes. Addition of dithiothreitol (DTT) to the receptor-assay buffer increased the binding of [125I]rbGH to hepatic membranes in a time-dependent manner. Moderate concentrations of Ca++ and Mg++ in the receptor-assay buffer had no detectable effects on binding of [125I]rbGH to hepatic microsomes. In growing dairy bulls, specific binding of [125I]rbGH per milligram of membrane protein increased from 1.9 +/- 1.8% at d 2 to 14.1 +/- 1.8% at d 180 and then declined to 5.2 +/- 1.6% at d 365. Likewise, concentration of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I in serum was low during the 1st mo of age (d 2, 13.3 +/- 8.8 ng/ml; d 30, 9.7 +/- 8.8 ng/ml), but it became maximal at d 180 (151.0 +/- 8.8 ng/ml). Circulating concentrations of IGF-II increased linearly during the 1st yr of growth. Serum concentrations of GH, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine declined from 39.9 +/- 6.5, 2.7 +/- .2, and 75.4 +/- 4.6 ng/ml at d 2 to 16.5 +/- 6.5, 1.3 +/- .2, and 53.4 +/- 4.6 ng/ml at d 30, respectively, and remained low through 1 yr of age. Insulin concentration in serum did not change significantly with development. Results indicated that increasing concentrations of specific bGH receptors in the bovine liver may play a key role in regulating postnatal growth in cattle.     

Effects of thyroxine and growth hormone treatment of dairy cows on mammary uptake of glucose, oxygen and other milk fat precursors

Four cows received thyroxine injections (T4; 20 mg/d) and three cows received growth hormone injections (GH, 44 mg/d) for 4 d during successive 16-d experimental periods. Milk fat, lactose output, mammary uptake of glucose, oxygen and milk fat precursors were determined with each treatment. Injection of T4 increased lactose yield by 25% and fat yield 42%. The injection of GH increased fat and lactose yields by 24%. Both GH and T4 increased mammary glucose uptake by 35% and 45%, respectively, while T4 administration was associated with an increase in plasma glucose concentration from 67 to 84%. Thyroxine, but not GH, increased the ratio of mammary glucose uptake to lactose output from 1.24 to 1.58. Blood plasma acetate concentration declined following GH and T4 treatment by 17%. Mammary acetate uptake increased in response to GH injection in two of three cows but did not change with T4 injection. The injection of GH had no effect on plasma propionate concentration or mammary uptake. Thyroxine reduced plasma propionate content and mammary uptake. Neither T4 nor GH changed plasma free fatty acid concentration or mammary uptake. Thyroxine had no effect on plasma triglyceride concentration or mammary uptake, whereas GH increased mammary triglyceride uptake to the end of the experimental period. Mammary oxygen uptake was increased by GH as milk production increased. Increased mammary oxygen uptake following T4 treatment was transient. Change in mammary metabolism with T4 treatment permitted increased milk output without change in mammary oxygen consumption. Such a change may involve increased mammary utilization of pre-formed long-chain fatty acid and increased metabolism of glucose via glycolysis.     

Extent and site of mineral release from six forage species incubated in mobile dacron bags

A study was conducted to measure the extent of DM disappearance and mineral release from six forage species within the rumen, abomasum and intestines of the adult bovine using the mobile bag technique. Three nonlactating Holstein cows, fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas, were given ad libitum access to alfalfa hay. One gram (DM) of alfalfa, rhizoma peanut, dwarf elephantgrass, bahiagrass, bermudagrass, and limpograss was individually weighed into 8-cm x 3-cm dacron bags. After ruminal incubation for 24 h, bags were incubated in an acid-pepsin solution (a simulated abomasal environment) for 1 h, inserted into the duodenum via cannula, and collected in the feces upon excretion. Ruminal incubation accounted for 86% to 100% of total DM disappearance. Release of Ca from all forages was at least 65%, with the majority having extents of release of over 70%. Most Ca was released in the rumen, but acid-pepsin incubation and washing increased Ca release an additional 17 to 272%. Forages with the highest NDF concentration (bermuda, bahia, and limpograss) sequestered Ca in the intestines. Total tract P release ranged from 84 to 98%, with an average of 7.5 percentage units occurring postabomasally. Grasses released more P in the intestines than legumes. Eighty-eight to 98% of total Mg was released in the rumen. Acid-pepsin incubation increased Mg release only slightly, with some Mg being sequestered in the intestines. Potassium release was complete in the rumen. Ranking of minerals based on maximal extent of release was K greater than Mg greater than P greater than Ca. With the exception of K, legumes released more of their minerals than grasses.     

The relationship between recumbent rest and masturbation in stallions

The night time behavior (1900-0700) of 12 stallions was observed using videorecording. All of the stallions masturbated sometime during the night for an average of 3.3 bouts lasting 3.0 + 0.4 min. Ten of the 12 stallions lay down during the night for bouts lasting 14.5 + 2.1 min. Both lying and masturbation occurred most frequently in the early morning hours. Forty percent of the bouts of lying were followed within 5 min by bouts of masturbation indicating that there may be association between REM sleep, which occurs only during recumbent rest in horses, and masturbation. These results suggest that nocturnal bouts of masturbation may be used to distinguish psychogenic from physical causes of impotence in horses.     

Periparturient endocrine changes of conceptus and maternal units in Holstein heifers bearing genetically different conceptuses

Holstein heifers (n = 21) were balanced across sires and assigned to three service-sire-breed groups in which heifers were inseminated artificially to either purebred Angus (n = 7), Holstein (n = 7) or Brahman (n = 7) bulls. Semen from four bulls was used for each service sire-breed group. Blood samples were collected from a jugular vein thrice weekly from d 160 to 265 of pregnancy, daily thereafter until 15 d postpartum, and then thrice weekly until d 60 postpartum. Concentrations of progesterone, estrone, estradiol, and estrone sulfate from 23 d prepartum to parturition, and of 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM) from 2 d prepartum to d 15 postpartum were measured by radioimmunoassay. Heifers within the Brahman-service-sire group had longer gestations (P less than .05) than those of Holstein- or Angus-service-sire groups (285.0 vs 278.7), 279.0 d). Calf birth weight was lower (P less than .05) in Angus- than Holstein- and Brahman-service-sire groups (30.6 vs 36.1, 43.4 kg). Daily trends of prepartum maternal progesterone concentrations were approximately 1 ng/ml lower (P less than .01) in Angus- than Holstein- or Brahman-service-sire groups until luteolysis occurred. Heifers bearing crossbred Angus conceptuses had lower daily trends of prepartum estrogens concentrations (P less than .01), whereas heifers of the Holstein- and, even more dramatically, of the Brahman-service-sire groups had a higher magnitude and greater rise of plasma estrogens concentrations between d -10 and -1 prepartum (less than .01). Postpartum mean concentrations (P less than .05) and response curves of PGFM were lower (P less than .01) in the Angus- than in the Holstein- or Brahman-service-sire groups. Calf birth weights were correlated with least-squares means for maternal concentrations of prepartum estrone (r = .57), estradiol (r = .59) and estrone sulfate (r = .64) and postpartum maternal concentrations of PGFM (r = .56). Functional responses of the conceptus (e.g., estrogens) and maternal units (e.g., progesterone and PGFM) were influenced by conceptus genotype during the periparturient period.     

Long-acting selenium treatments for sheep

An intraruminal selenium (Se) pellet and a subcutaneous depot of barium selenate, equivalent to 1.6 mg Se/kg body weight, were each effective in maintaining increased blood Se concentrations for at least 200 weeks in ewes at pasture. These treatments given to the ewes 23 to 26 weeks before lambing increased the Se status of their lambs for 4 to 6 months.     

Passive protection of segmented swine colonic loops against swine dysentery

Swine-ligated loops were used to demonstrate passive protection against swine dysentery. Loops inoculated with immune sera containing complement and with homologous Treponema hyodysenteriae were normal at necropsy. Loops inoculated with heat-inactivated immune sera and heterologous T hyodysenteriae were not protected. Loops inoculated with heat-inactivated immune sera and homologous T hyodysenteriae were partially protected. Positive control loops inoculated with isolate B204 (88%) or B234 (44%) T hyodysenteriae and normal sera developed lesions typical of swine dysentery, whereas negative control loops inoculated with nonexposed sera only were normal.