A fresh look at inland fisheries and their role in food security and livelihoods

The role of inland fisheries in livelihoods, food security and sustainable development is often overshadowed by the higher profile interest in ocean issues. Whilst inland fisheries' catch and contribution to global nutrition, food security and the economy, are less than that of marine fisheries, global‐level comparisons of fish production obscure considerable livelihood impacts in certain countries and sub‐national areas. To highlight these contributions, this paper synthesizes recent data and innovative approaches for assessing such livelihood contributions and their importance in countries with limited access to ocean resources and aquaculture. Inland fisheries are crucial for many socially, economically and nutritionally vulnerable groups of people around the world, but the challenges in monitoring inland fisheries preclude a complete understanding of the magnitude of their contributions. This situation is rapidly improving with increasing recognition of inland fisheries in development discourses, which has also encouraged research to enhance knowledge on the importance of inland fisheries. We review this work, including collated information published in a recent Food and Agriculture Organization report, to provide an up to date characterization of the state of knowledge on the role of inland fisheries.     

Historical changes in bivalve growth rates indicate ecological consequences of human occupation in estuaries

1. Only 800 years ago, New Zealand became the last major land mass to be settled by humans, leading to environmental degradation and precipitating a decline in indigenous fauna. Such ecological downgrading can alter ecosystem processes and drive down the capacity for remnant ecosystems to withstand the anthropogenic pressures of today.
2. In New Zealand, these impacts are chronicled in a concise and remarkably complete archaeological record and are distinguishable from natural changes due to changing climate.
3. Estuaries are subject to strong environmental gradients that drive productivity and contain critical habitats for key life‐history phases for marine and terrestrial species. Linking land to sea, they host abundant, accessible human resources and are sensitive to anthropogenic environmental modification.
4. Austrovenus stutchburyi is a common filter feeding bivalve in New Zealand estuaries. An important food source for Māori, their shells are abundant in middens. Growth rates of A. stutchburyi are affected by multiple environmental factors, including temperature, salinity, nutrients, and sediment, and are recorded through time as easily measurable annual shell bands. Measuring spatial and temporal variation in growth rate of A. stutchburyi can be used to identify the timing of changes in estuarine conditions.
5. Growth bands were measured in archaeological and modern (AD 1300–present) A. stutchburyi shells from six sites around New Zealand with varying occupational histories. There were no increases in growth rate, and rates declined measurably over time at three sites (up to a 50% reduction in growth per year). This decline was greater at estuaries that had experienced greater catchment modification, indicating that sediment loading due to land clearance was a likely driver of this change.
6. New Zealand's coastline and marine resources are often perceived as wild and pristine. We propose that fundamental changes have occurred in the functioning of coastal marine ecosystems, which constrain its future.

     

Fishing for conservation of freshwater tropical fishes in the Anthropocene

1. The ecosystem services provided by freshwater biodiversity are threatened by development and environmental and climate change in the Anthropocene.
2. Here, case studies are described to show that a focus on the shared dependence on freshwater ecosystem functioning can mutually benefit fisheries and conservation agendas in the Anthropocene.
3. Meeting the threat to fish biodiversity and fisher livelihood is pertinent in developing regions where there is often a convergence between high biodiversity, high dependency on aquatic biota and rapid economic development (see Kafue River, Logone floodplain, Tonle Sap, and Rio Negro case studies).
4. These case studies serve as evidence that biodiversity conservation goals can be achieved by emphasizing a sustainable fisheries agenda with partnerships, shared knowledge and innovation in fisheries management (see Kafue River and Kenai River case studies).
5. In all case studies, aquatic biodiversity conservation and fisheries agendas are better served if efforts focused on creating synergies between fishing activities with ecosystem functioning yield long‐term livelihood and food security narratives.
6. A unified voice from conservation and fisheries communities has more socio‐economic and political capital to advocate for biodiversity and social interests in freshwater governance decisions.

     

Using webinars to extend the reach of soil learning in New South Wales: A first look

Increasingly knowledge is shared using new web‐based channels. The use of these channels is relatively new in the realm of soil science. However, they may prove to be very useful for connecting time‐poor, geographically dispersed audiences in an efficient and cost‐effective way. There has been limited study of this form of knowledge sharing for natural science (let alone soil science). In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) has coordinated the Soil Network of Knowledge (SNoK) monthly webinar over 3 years, with over 40 webinars targeting an audience of next users of soil information. Aggregated data collected from these webinars indicated that the majority of information is used for professional development by participants. Whether this will eventually lead to on‐ground practice change because of the improved professional and technical knowledge of participants is still a moot point and will require further investigation over time. The information collected on attendance and participation showed that webinars are a good way to connect with some target audiences such as other government bodies that have a historical relationship with NSW DPI. However, other target audiences that NSW DPI has always found difficulty in engaging, such as private advisers, require more active overtures to drive participation. The growing subscriber base is encouraging.     

Genotype × environment interaction in carbon isotope discrimination and seed yield in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.)

Summary Twenty locally-adapted but genetically diverse cowpea genotypes were grown in 17 replicated trials in a range of sites and seasons in the drylands of eastern Kenya, and the discrimination against the heavy isotope of carbon (with a mass of 13) () was determined in grain and straw samples. Most genotypes gave similar, low grain yields in the environments which subjected the plants to drought stress, but high yielding and low yielding genotypes were clearly distinct in the less stressful environments. The converse pattern was found for : the genotypes were all very similar in the non-stressful (high-) environments, but in the stressful environments, low- (drought susceptible) and high- (drought avoiding) genotypes were clearly distinct. This pattern was clearest for straw , but was also apparent for grain . The early-maturing genotypes, which escaped terminal drought, were generally those with the most stable and highest , but in the case of straw there were statistically significant deviations from this relationship. It is concluded that provides a reliable measure of the specific response of cowpea genotypes to drought, which may be of value in breeding programs provided that carbon isotope discrimination can be measured reasonably economically.     

Dry matter production and allocation in Eucalyptus cloeziana and Eucalyptus argophloia seedlings in response to soil water deficits

Effects of soil water availability on seedling growth, dry matter production and allocation were determined for Gympie (humid coastal) and Hungry Hills (dry inland) provenances of Eucalyptus cloeziana F. Muell. and for E. argophloia Blakely (dry inland) species. Seven-month-old seedlings were subjected to well-watered (100% field capacity, FC), moderate (70% FC) and severe (50% FC) soil water regimes in a glasshouse environment for 14 wk. There were significant differences in seedling growth, biomass production and allocation patterns between species. E. argophloia produced twice as much biomass at 100% FC, and more than three times as much at 70% and 50% FC than did either E. cloeziana provenance. Although the humid provenance of E. cloeziana had a greater leaf area at 100% FC conditions than did the dry provenance, total biomass production did not differ significantly. Both E. cloeziana provenances were highly sensitive to water deficits. E. argophloia allocated 10% more biomass to roots than did E. cloeziana. Allometric analyses indicated that relative biomass allocation patterns were significantly affected by genotype but not by soil water availability. These results have implications for taxon selection for cultivation in humid and subhumid regions.     

Analysis of the use of credit facilities by small-scale fish farmers in Kenya

The government of Kenya encourages aquaculture development by offering credit facilities through the government agricultural finance institution, Agriculture Finance Corporation. Nevertheless, the level of credit use in fish farming is very low. Access to credit is among several factors that affect farmers’ decision of whether to use particular technology or services. The study examined factors that affected the decision of fish farmers in Kenya to utilize credit facilities in fish production using a probit model. The analysis suggests that farmers in the Western province will have a 19% more probability of using credit facilities for their fish farming operations than farmers from the other provinces such as the Rift Valley, Central, and the Eastern province. The effect of tilapia sales on the probability of credit use by fish farmers is more than three times that of catfish sales. Total pond acreage owned by fish farmers had a positive effect on credit use but the effect was very small and negligible. The level of fish farmers’ use of credit facilities is very low, and there is probably the need to educate farmers on credit use and for the government agricultural lending agency and other commercial agricultural lenders to invest in this enterprise. Kenyan lending institutions have financed traditional agricultural enterprises, and with the growing production of farmed fish, more research is needed to document the aquaculture business model to assist in assessing the profitability potential in aquaculture.     

Micro-nutrient composition and end-user acceptable quality in potato in Ethiopia

Micronutrient deficiencies in diets, including iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), are an important public health problem across population in Ethiopia. Potato is a modest source of dietary nutrients. The purpose of this study was to assess the mineral (Fe & Zn) composition of potato germplasm in Ethiopia and grower's willingness to try new potato types. The Fe and Zn contents were assessed in peeled tubers of popular farmer varieties, and newly introduced Andean diploid group Phureja accessions and improved tetraploid clones grown in multi-location trials. Grower's preferences for the new potato types was assessed using a participatory approach. Significant variations in mineral and tuber yield traits exist among the germplasm assessed and broad-sense heritability appears to be high for most traits measured, suggesting that progress through breeding can be made among these materials. However, the slightly negative correlation of tuber yield with Fe and Zn content and user appreciation traits found in this study suggests that progress in improving crops for yield and enhanced Fe and Zn concentrations with end-user acceptable quality will be challenging. The results from this study provide baseline information on Fe and Zn composition of many popular farmer varieties in Ethiopia and end-user preference criteria for evaluating new potato varieties that would help to orient the biofortification breeding to the conditions and preference of farmers.     

Physical,Chemical and Biological Properties of an Accelerated Cassava Based Compost Prepared Using Different Ratios of Cassava Peels and Poultry Manure

Monitoring the physical, chemical and biological properties during accelerated composting enables concise determination of its stability and maturity. Determination of physical parameters such as pH, moisture and temperature, chemical parameters such as total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), organic matter and humic acid as well as biological parameters such as microbial count and carbon dioxide (CO₂) evolution was carried out during a four (4) week composting period, The trend observed for pH showed the mesophilic and thermophilic phases and a similar trend was observed for the compost temperature. Intermittent increase and decrease was observed for total N, P, K as well as for the fungal and bacterial population. A direct relationship was observed among the bacterial population, CO₂ evolution and humic acid. However, composting for four (4) weeks produced a stable compost, which was evident through the physical observation of the final product and the results obtained for the chemical and biological parameters.     

Cumulative Effect of Annual Additions of Uncomposted Oak and Maple Leaves on the Yield of Vegetables

For 22 years, plots were amended annually with oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) or sugar maple leaves (Acer saccharum Marsh.) in Mt. Carmel, CT on a loamy upland soil. Leaves were incorporated into the soil immediately after application in the fall. Yields of 12 different vegetable crops (lettuce, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, edamame, delicata squash, spaghetti squash, onions, leeks, rutabaga, carrots, and beans) from these plots were compared to yields from unamended controls. All plots received equal amounts of fertilizer. There were no significant differences in vegetable yields with any of the crops between any of the treatments indicating there are no deleterious effects of annual applications of uncomposted leaves. Some soil characteristics such as organic matter and pH improved on the leaf amended plots. Study shows that annual applications of leaves to cropland (sheet composting) is a viable alternative for the disposal of leaves.