Reputational damage and the Fukushima disaster: an analysis of seafood in Japan

As the levels of radioactivity in seafood have fallen back into the safe range, Fukushima fisheries are considering reopening. However, even if seafood from the Fukushima area were sufficiently safe to distribute to seafood markets, its value may be undermined because of the damage done to its reputation by the Fukushima disaster. We quantified consumers’ preferences for seafood from Fukushima and adjacent prefectures to examine the extent of the reputational damage to Fukushima seafood. We conducted a choice experiment to measure consumers’ willingness to pay for seafood from the Fukushima area. We also measured the impact of displaying ecolabels [Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Marine Eco-label Japan (MEL)] on Fukushima products. The results indicated that Fukushima products are considerably discounted compared with products displayed as domestic; even products from adjacent prefectures are substantially discounted. By contrast, consumers positively evaluated locally labeled products. We also found that demersal fish are discounted more than pelagic fish that inhabit the ocean surface off the shore of Fukushima.     

水产品中的孔雀石绿残留及其研究概况

孔雀石绿,作为重要的工业原料和治疗水产动物水霉病的有效药物,近年来随着国际社会对食品安全卫生的重视以及其高残留、高毒性、致癌、致畸、致突变等毒副作用的披露,引起社会的广泛关注。本文详细介绍了孔雀石绿的性质、毒性、代谢和检测等方面的研究情况,旨在为孔雀石绿的监控工作提供相关信息,为监控工作提供依据。     

Labeling farmed seafood: A review

Food labels help consumers choose products in line with their food attitudes and preferences. As the market for farmed seafood grows, it is important for producers to meet consumer demand for credence characteristics like safety, nutrition, origin, and sustainability. Consumer preferences for credence characteristics are heterogeneous, and stakeholders in the farmed seafood industry can look to both agriculture and marine labels when they seek ways of positioning their products. In this article, we conduct a review of consumer studies related to mandatory and voluntary labels used for farmed seafood. In most developed countries, mandatory seafood labels include information about species, farmed or wild, and area of origin. Voluntary labels include information regarding sustainability, organic production, animal welfare, traceability, and safety. We point to emerging research topics and possibilities. Challenges related to the labeling of farmed seafood are also discussed.     

Knock‐on effects of national risk assessments on the conservation of global biodiversity

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赤潮与海洋劳动者收入关系探析

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Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on the oyster market: a difference-in-differences estimation

This paper uses prefecture-level data during 1970–2015 to examine the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on the oyster market in Japan. Using a difference-in-differences estimation, we find that the disaster decreased the oyster production by 65%. This negative effect peaked in 2012, but did not completely disappear 4 years after the disaster. In contrast, we find that oyster prices only increased by 26%, and the parameter estimate is only marginally significant. Moreover, this impact is relatively constant over time. The apparent lack of price changes corresponding to large production changes can be caused by three factors: elastic demand, market integration, and demand shocks. We examine each possibility and conclude that the demand shocks due to the concern for radioactive contamination is the most likely cause of the small impact on oyster prices.     

Human Food Safety and Environmental Assessment of the Use of 17α-Methyltestosterone to Produce Male Tilapia in the United States

Sex reversal of early life stage tilapia (approximately 7–12 d post-hatch, total length averaging 9–11 mm, and total weight averaging 10–15 mg) is used commonly to produce populations of fish comprised of > 5% phenotypic females. The synthetic androgen, 17α-methyl testosterone (MT), is used to effect sex reversal in tilapia. This paper evaluates environmental impact and human food safety aspects of MT use for tilapia sex reversal based on a review of the scientific literature and on dilution models of farm discharge.
Effect of MT treatment on human food safety was evaluated by regression analysis of radioactivity depletion data and by dilution through growth analysis. Results show that the proposed use of MT for sex reversal of early life stage tilapia presents no negative effects on human food safety. Regression analysis of available depletion data from tilapia shows that whole-body concentrations of MT and metabolites in tilapia attain levels of <100 pg/g after 8 to 40 d of withdrawal, and that achievement of <10 pg/g of MT and metabolites in carcass tissue occurs after 6 to 50 d of withdrawal. These concentrations are attained well before completion of the FDA-required 120-d withdrawal period following MT treatment.
Standardized calculations were made to estimate MT concentration in effluents based on stocking rate and water exchange. Guidelines are provided for management of farms to ensure that effluent MT concentration remains < 1 μg/L. Given the expected concentration of MT in any farm effluents, the rapid dilution of effluent MT to very low levels in receiving waters, the sensitivity of MT to photo-oxidation, the expected rapid bacterial degradation of MT, and the limited total use of MT in the United States, we concluded that the use of MT-treated feed according to the proposed protocol will not cause significant adverse environmental effects.     

Effects of various wavelengths of light on physiological stress and non-specific immune responses in black rockfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastes schlegelii</Emphasis> subjected to water temperature change

We investigated the effects of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on physiological stress and immunity in black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii subjected to water temperature change [20 (normal temperature) → 14 → 20 °C] using progressive stepwise decline [experiment (Exp.) I; 2 °C/day] and direct decline (Exp. II; immediate exposure) in water temperature. We measured stress-related parameters such as cortisol, glucose, heat shock protein 70 and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, and immune parameters such as immunoglobulin M and lysozyme. We confirmed nuclear DNA damage using a comet assay. Physiological stress indicators were significantly higher, immune parameters were significantly lower, and the amount of nuclear DNA damage was higher after exposure to low temperatures, but these effects were mitigated by exposure to green or blue LEDs. The direct decline in temperature induced more physiological stress and nuclear DNA damage than the progressive stepwise change. Green and blue LEDs aid recovery from physiological damage in fish.     

The Image of Fish from Aquaculture Among Europeans: Impact of Exposure to Balanced Information

This study investigated the effect of balanced, nonpersuasive information related to safety, healthiness, and sustainability of aquaculture on the image of farmed fish among European consumers. It was demonstrated that there is neither positive nor negative influence of this type of information on the predominantly positive image of fish from aquaculture. Consumers who were exposed to information related to the EU origin and aquaculture related guarantee reported a more positive image of farmed fish. These results provide valuable input for transparent communication about fish farming practices which might increase consumer trust and will not harm the image of fish from aquaculture. Increasing consumers' knowledge about aquaculture and its positive effects on the image of farmed fish is also discussed as a pathway for maintaining and improving aquaculture's positive image in the future.     

Virus infections of marine fish erythrocytes: electron microscopical studies on the blenny virus

Abstract. This paper reports for the first time the application of the direct negative staining technique for the rapid confirmation of the viral nature of blenny'piscine erythrocytic necrosis (PEN). The virus in negatively stained preparations has an internal core structure which appears in exact opposite contrast to that seen in thin sectioned virus. The resultant images from both negative staining and thin sectioning suggest that the organization of the core is unique amongst intracytoplasmic deoxyriboviruses (ICDVs).     

Depletion of radioactivity from yearling coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) after extended ingestion of anabolically effective doses of 17α-methyltestosterone-1, 2-3H

Radioactivity in blood and 16 tissues of yearling coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) was followed during 3 days of feeding a diet supplemented with 1 mg/kg 17α-methyltestos-terone-1, 2-³ H (MT) and during 10 days following the withdrawal of the hormone from the diet. Maximum uptake in blood and non-excretory tissues was apparently reached within 2 h of the first isotope intake.High concentrations of radioactivity in the intact gall bladder 2, 8 and 16 h after a previous isotope intake indicated a hepatobiliary route of elimination. The combined concentrations of MT and its metabolites in blood and tissues, calculated as MT equivalents from residual radioactivity, were generally higher than those previously reported for testosterone, which may explain the greater anabolic effect of MT.After 10 days of feeding the hormone-free diet, the concentration of radioactive substances was reduced to less than 1 ng/g (= ppb) in all tissues. The highest concentration at that time, 0.98 ng/g, appeared in the liver.     

Metabolic fate of <Superscript>14</Superscript>C-labelled chlorinated and non-chlorinated fatty acids in goldfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Carassius auratus</Emphasis>)

In order to study the metabolic fate of chlorinated fatty acids in fish, goldfish were fed either 9,10-dichlorostearic acid or oleic acid, chosen as the unchlorinated analogue, both radiolabelled at either the carboxyl (1st) or the terminal (18th) carbon of the fatty acid chain. By keeping the fish in hermetically closed aquaria, all the respired, assimilated and excreted radioactivity could be accounted for. Fish fed 9,10-dichlorostearic acid labelled in the terminal end respired radioactive CO₂ to a much lower degree than fish fed the other test compounds. As a consequence, the radioactivity bound in lipids was higher in the group of fish fed dichlorostearic acid labelled in the terminal end. It is suggested that the chlorine atoms in the middle of the carbon chain obstruct the metabolic turn-over of 9,10-dichlorostearic acid, which may have an impact on the residence time of these compounds in the ecosystem.     

The effect of spectral composition and light intensity on melatonin, stress and retinal damage in post-smolt Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar

Metal halide lights are currently used as standard in commercial Atlantic salmon sea cages as a means of enhancing productivity through grilse inhibition. However, such systems create bright point light sources that are neither environment specific nor species specific and could potentially compromise fish welfare. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are a new form of lighting technology currently being developed for the fish farming industry that can be tuned to environment and species sensitivities through narrow bandwidth outputs. However, prior to implementing these new high energy alternatives, any potential adverse effects must be determined in fish. The objectives of this study were thus (1) to determine the effect of increasing intensities of blue LED light (0.199–2.7 W m^− 2, at 0.1 m from the light source) on light perception and stress response, and (2) to examine potential retinal damage under these conditions in post-smolt Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. A white LED light was also tested, as well as a very high intensity metal halide positive control. Results demonstrated firstly that salmon perceived blue LED light (basal melatonin levels maintained) irrespective of intensity. Secondly, fish exposed to high intensity blue LED light showed an increase in plasma cortisol and glucose levels within 3 h, returning to a basal state 24 h post-light onset. This typical acute stress response was not observed in fish exposed to the white LED light and lower blue light intensities which could indicate differential sensitivities to spectral content of the light. No effects on the non-specific immune system (lysozyme activity) were observed. Finally, extensive histological examination of the retina from fish exposed to these various light treatments revealed no signs of damage. This demonstrates the efficiency of the adaptive mechanisms to light developed in fish.     

Comparative study on hormones and biochemistry indices in plasma,ovarian fluid and oocytes of LHRHa2‐induced female Stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus)

Reproduction efficacy of sturgeon as donors of oocytes is regulated by hormones effects. It can influence the egg quality or larvae functions as rearing mediators for successful production. This study is conducted to evaluate the concentration of sex steroids, cortisol and thyroid hormones and distinguish the relationship of maternal hormones' correlation in Stellate sturgeon. The study followed the hormones fluctuations that could impress some egg quality information such as fertilization rate. Female breeders were injected with LHRH_a2 for controlled propagation. Samples from blood, ovarian fluid and oocytes were obtained for hormonal and biochemical analysis. Our results showed that the concentrations of estradiol 17‐β and testosterone were significantly higher and lower in oocyte and the plasma, respectively. The level of plasma cortisol was significantly higher than in ovarian fluid and oocytes. The results showed elevation of triiodothyronine and thyroxine concentrations in oocytes, which were significantly different with plasma and ovarian fluid. Thyroxine concentration of plasma and ovarian fluid revealed a significant negative correlation. The mentioned parameters showed negative correlation with fertilization rate. The biochemical parameters (calcium, glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride) revealed significant differences in blood, ovarian fluid and oocytes. These results showed direct relations of fertilization rate with hormones level. Therefore, fertilization rate as egg quality index could be recommended as a relevant indicator of maternal transferring of hormones from blood and ovarian fluid to oocyte.     

Bacterial nutrition of great scallop larvae

Bacterial nutrition of great scallop, Pecten moximus, larvae was investigated using the radioactive tracer technique. The bacterial labelling was studied initially to obtain a high and stable specific radioactivity (¹⁴C) of bacterial cells. A higher bacterial specific ¹⁴C activity was obtained when the tracer (amino acid) was introduced in the culture medium at the beginning of the exponential growth phase. After a 12 h labelling period in a rich nutritive medium, the bacteria were depurated in seawater for 5 h (chase) to prevent further ¹⁴C excretion and then added to larval rearing vessels. The larval labelling was followed for 12 h and then larvae were placed in new vessels without radioactive bacteria. The depuration of larvae was followed for 3 days. Data obtained on ingestion and assimilation efficiency show that bivalve larvae are able to ingest and digest bacteria.     

The implications of solar UV radiation exposure for fish and fisheries

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) possesses three important properties that combine to make it a potent environmental force. These include the potential to induce damage: UVR carries more energy per photon than any other wavelength reaching the Earth’s surface. Such highly energetic photons are known to damage many biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins. In addition, they can initiate a series of redox reactions to form reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause oxidative stress to cells and tissues. The second property is ubiquity: owing to their dependence on light, primary producers and most visual predators, such as fish, are also necessarily exposed to damaging levels of UVR. Thirdly, the combined effect of UVR and additional environmental factors may result in synergistic effects, such as the photoactivation of organic pollutants and photosensitisation. In natural environments, the concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and habitat depth are the two main factors controlling the degree of UVR exposure experienced by fish. Additional factors include vegetation coverage, particulate materials in suspension, pH and hydrological characteristics, and site location (latitude, elevation). The range of potential effects on fish includes direct DNA damage resulting in embryo and larval mortality, and adult and juvenile sunburn, as well as indirect oxidative stress, phototoxicity and photosensitisation.     

Estimation of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) habitat in waters adjacent to Australia’s East Coast: making the most of commercial catch data

The physical environment directly influences the distribution, abundance, physiology and phenology of marine species. Relating species presence to physical ocean characteristics to determine habitat associations is fundamental to the management of marine species. However, direct observation of highly mobile animals in the open ocean, such as tunas and billfish, is challenging and expensive. As a result, detailed data on habitat preferences using electronic tags have only been collected for the large iconic, valuable or endangered species. An alternative is to use commercial fishery catch data matched with historical ocean data to infer habitat associations. Using catch information from an Australian longline fishery and Bayesian hierarchical models, we investigate the influence of environmental variables on the catch distribution of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). The focus was to understand the relative importance of space, time and ocean conditions on the catch of this pelagic predator. We found that pelagic regions with elevated eddy kinetic energy, a shallow surface mixed layer and relatively high concentrations of chlorophyll a are all associated with high yellowfin tuna catch in the Tasman Sea. The time and space information incorporated in the analysis, while important, were less informative than oceanic variables in explaining catch. An inspection of model prediction errors identified clumping of errors at margins of ocean features, such as eddies and frontal features, which indicate that these models could be improved by including representations of dynamic ocean processes which affect the catch of yellowfin tuna.     

Tissue distribution and cellular uptake of Aeromonas salmonicida lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in some marine fish species

Τhe uptake and distribution of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), isolated from Aeromonas salmonicida, was investigated in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., turbot, Scophthalmus maximus L., and Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus L. LPS was radiolabelled by bromine oxidation and subsequent sodium borotritide reduction (³H-LPS), and fluorescence-labelled by introducing a fluorescein isothiocyanate derivative (FITC-LPS). After intravenous and intraperitoneal injections in cod, high amounts of radioactive LPS (³H-LPS) were present in heart, spleen and kidney throughout the experimental period (1–168 h). After peroral administration, a high amount of ³H-LPS was observed in intestinal tissues, whereas internal organs and tissues contained considerably lower amounts. Following intravenous administration of ³H-LPS in turbot, high contents of radioactivity were revealed in spleen, liver and kidney, whereas the content in heart was lower than in blood at the sampling times (1–24 h). The same pattern was observed after intraperitoneal administration. The spleen and liver contained high amounts of radioactivity when the turbots were intubated perorally with ³H-LPS. The spleen, kidney and heart were the main scavenging organs following intravenous administration of ³H-LPS in Atlantic halibut. A minor amount of radioactivity was present in the liver. The same pattern emerged after intraperitoneal injection in halibut. As observed for turbot, the spleen was the main accumulation site for ³H-LPS following peroral administration. Fluorescence microscopy of sections of organs and tissues from cod, intravenously and intraperitoneally injected with FITC-LPS, revealed that endocardial cells of both atrium and ventricle contained large amounts of the fluorochrome, whereas in turbot and halibut only atrial endothelial cells accumulated the substance. In all species, macrophages in kidney and spleen contained FITC-LPS and in the spleen the fluorochrome was trapped in the ellipsoidal walls. At later time points (e.g. 48 h) in the turbot spleen, FITC-LPS was located in cells adjacent to the ellipsoidal walls. Halibut endothelial cells that were located in the connective tissue of the intestine and gills also contained FITC-LPS. After peroral administration to the different fish species, specific fluorescence was found only in intestinal epithelial cells of halibut and in cells located in the lamina propria. Fluorescence was not detected in internal organs such as the kidney, spleen and liver after peroral administration of FITC-LPS. Gel chromatographic analysis of plasma samples from cod, turbot and halibut after intravenous and intraperitoneal injections showed that high molecular weight radioactivity was present. A minor amount of radioactivity that corresponded to low molecular weight substances was also observed. In conclusion, there is a high degree of variation with respect to the site of accumulation and some variation in the type of cells involved in the uptake of purified LPS in cod, turbot and halibut.     

The influence of dietary arachidonic acid on the immune response and performance of Pacific whiteleg shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei,at high stocking density

Stocking shrimp at high densities increases yield during culture, but growth is generally compromised and weakened immune response associated with poor water quality has also been reported. Therefore, we tested if supplying more arachidonic acid (ARA) in the diet, a precursor of eicosanoids such as prostaglandins E from the series II (PGE₂) that enhance immune response can counteract the negative effect of stocking shrimp at high densities. The effect of physical crowding was separated from the effect of water quality, both a result of high density, by using tanks divided by a hard plastic net that allowed water flow between two density conditions. Crowding reduced weight gain by 8.3%, although the effect was more evident with deteriorated water quality from combined effects of high total ammonia and low dissolved oxygen levels (18.4%), but no effect on survival was found. A clear food imprinting of ARA levels in hemocytes was observed, but ARA did not clearly counteract the negative effects of high density on overall performance. However, ARA could minimize stress response of sampling and enhance some effectors of the immune system, such as clotting and respiratory burst. The increase in PGE₂ metabolite in shrimp fed with the high‐ARA diet was not consistent, and thus, the effects of ARA were not necessarily mediated by these eicosanoids.     

Effect of dietary glutathione supplementation on the biological value of rapeseed meal to juvenile grass carp,Ctenopharyngodon idellus

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary rapeseed meal (RM) and glutathione supplementation (400 mg kg^?1) on growth and intestinal microbiota of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). Dietary 450 g kg^?1 RM decreased growth and feed intake, while increased the activities of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT). The hepatic damages were also observed the significant lower condition factor (CF), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and the symbol of parenchymal damage. Glutathione supplementation increased weight gain and feed intake while significantly decreased the three serum biochemistry parameters compared with the RM group. In addition, HSI, CF and pathology reports revealed that glutathione supplementation alleviated the damage caused by RM on the fish liver. In addition, glutathione had a positive effect on the intestinal digestive capacity. PCR‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis indicated a higher similarity between dietary glutathione supplementation and control group. In conclusion, we demonstrated dietary 450 g kg^?1 rapeseed meal lead to negative health outcomes, while glutathione supplementation neutralize the adverse effect of rapeseed meal presented in aqua feed through alleviating the damage factors on the fish liver.