The eel fishery in Lough Neagh,Northern Ireland – an example of sustainable management?

Abstract  Lough Neagh produces over 500 t of grown eel annually and employs 300 people fishing yellow and silver eel. Glass eel are transported upstream and stocked into the Lough. Since glass eel returns crashed in the 1980s, additional glass eel seed has been purchased from other fisheries. The fishery now faces ecological, social and economic pressures. Prices for the product have fallen; recruitment to the fishery has declined, and seed has decreased in availability and increased in price. Fishers are less inclined to take up the hard work required to make a living fishing eel and the fisher population is ageing. The European Commission has recognised the decline of eel and proposed emergency measures, which may further affect the viability of the fishery. The sustainability of the fishery is examined, based on the relationship between glass eel input and grown eel outputs over a period of 45 years, set against increasing environmental, socio-economic, and natural resource pressures. Spawning escapement of silver eel is estimated by mark–recapture experiments.     

Evaluation of a by-catch reduction device for glass eel fishing traps

Abstract  The effectiveness of a new design of glass eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), fishing trap was tested in the Ebro River delta fishery (Eastern Mediterranean, Spain). The modified fishing trap incorporated a by-catch reduction device (BRD) to increase trap selectivity and minimise by-catch of non-targeted fish, without affecting glass eel captures. The BRD is inexpensive and easy to implement, consisting of a cylinder covered with a rigid square-mesh of 2.0–2.4 mm knot-to-knot, which is easily fitted to the fishing trap entrance. Testing of the BRD was made by paired comparisons between captures of targeted and non-targeted fish species from both conventional and BRD-modified traps. The use of a BRD in the glass eel traps resulted in a 68.9% reduction in the number of captured non-targeted fish specimens, while it did not reduce glass eel yields. The BRD implementation was fully effective for all species and individuals with sizes >40 mm total length, with the exception of the black-striped pipefish, Syngnathus abaster Risso. These results support the implementation of the BRD in glass eel fisheries along the Eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula where these fishing traps are used.     

Estuarine and fluvial recruitment of the European glass eel, Anguilla anguilla, in an exploited Atlantic estuary

A glass eel fishery exists downstream of the Arzal estuarine dam in the Vilaine (Brittany, France). Catch statistics were collected between 1996 and 2000, and processed using a subsampling technique which allowed data from a reliable subsample to be extrapolated to the whole fishery. During the same period, glass eel migration into fresh water was monitored using a glass eel trap located on the dam – the upstream limit of the fishery. The analysis of glass eel biology and exploitation shows that the glass eel fishery is very intensive and that there was more or less no escapement during the fishing seasons studied. The proportion of the stock successfully migrating towards fresh water, as compared with the total catch is estimated to range between 0.3 and 3.9%. In such a fishery, the fishing effort affects the abundance. Consequently, the total catch has to be used instead of catch‐per‐unit‐effort to estimate abundance.     

Mortality associated with catch and release of striped bass in the Hudson River

Catch‐and‐release fishing has increased in many fisheries, but its contribution to fishing mortality is rarely estimated. This study estimated catch and release mortality rates of striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), for the spring recreational fishery in the Hudson River. Treatment fish (caught with live bait on spinning gear) and control fish (captured by electric fishing) were placed in in situ holding pens for 5 days. Mortality rates were estimated using conditional instantaneous mortality rates and additive finite mortality rates. Influences of variables (playing and handling time, hook location, degree of bleeding and fish length) on hooking mortality rates were examined by logistic regression. Conditional instantaneous mortality rates and additive finite mortality rates were 31 and 28%, respectively. Hook location significantly affected the survival of striped bass. Angling catch, effort, and release rates must be integrated with associated hooking mortality rates before this component of overall population mortality can be incorporated into management decisions.     

Optimising recreational harvests of blue cod: The effects of catch-and-release mortality and size selectivity

A yield-per-recruit model is developed for the recreational fishery on blue cod (Parapercis colias: Pinguipedidae) in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. The model incorporates sex differences in growth rates, protogyny, minimum size limits, catch-and-release mortality and size-selective fishing. Mortality of released fish due to hooking damage and post-release predation is a potentially significant factor for blue cod management. High levels of catch-and-release mortality favour small minimum size limits and reduced fishing intensity. Even in the absence of size limits, hook and line fishing for blue cod is highly selective on larger fish and this greatly reduces the potential impact of catch-and-release mortality on yields and management choices. Catch-and-release mortality will also lower the spawning stock biomass-per-recruit and therefore has the potential to impact on stock sustainability as well as yields. In protogynous species the effects of fishing on spawning stock biomass will be different for males and females and it is important to model these separately, as well as understanding the cues for, or timing and extent of, sex change. Catch-and-release mortality can also slow the recovery of stocks when no-take rules still allow fishing for other species and therefore by-catch of the species targeted for protection. It is suggested that a small reduction in size limit and a small increase in daily bag limit relative to present regulations, would result in optimal yields from this fishery. Predation on fish released by recreational anglers is less widely reported than mortality due to hooking damage but both have the potential to negate the benefits of minimum size limits.     

A mail survey to estimate the fishery dynamics of southern Florida's bonefish charter fleet

Abstract Bonefish, Albula vulpes (L.), support an economically important recreational fishery in southern Florida, USA that has received little scientific study and has never been adequately assessed. A mail survey of 322 captains that comprise the southern Florida bonefish charter fleet was conducted to acquire a baseline understanding of the primary fishery statistics. The response rate was 59% and a follow‐up telephone survey of non‐respondents indicated no non‐response bias. Experience in the fishery ranged from 3 to 61 years. The annual fishing effort was 30 875 boat days. The majority of the fleet fishing effort occurred in the northern Florida Keys and is presumed to reflect bonefish abundance. The instantaneous mortality rate of released fish was 0.11 year^?1. The majority of the respondents indicated that the bonefish stock had declined over the past decade.     

Stock assessment of Japanese eels using Japanese abundance indices

The paper compiles a catch history of Japanese eels Anguilla japonica in East Asia and some Japanese relative abundance series. Maximum likelihood estimates of stock abundance of eels have been obtained using the abundance series and various biological parameters, such as growth, maturity and natural mortality. Age- and sex-structured models have been used to express the dynamics of stock abundance, and the Beverton and Holt model has been used to express the relationship between stock and recruitment. Data for estimations are standardized catch per unit effort of commercial fishery for exploitable stock (1954–2006 and 1968–2008) and for glass eel (1954–2010, 1972–2004, and 1973–1997). From the results of the base case scenario of estimations, the estimated stock size of individuals aged ≥1 year was 18.7 thousand tons in 2010, which was 24 % of the carrying capacity. The estimated stock size has recovered since 1990. Maximum sustainable yield was 4,180 tons if only the exploitable stock were utilized, and 266 tons if only the glass eel were utilized. These results and issues relating to estimation and management for reducing the fishery impact on stock are discussed.     

基于地标点几何形态测量法识别北部湾4种白姑鱼矢耳石形态

为了评估银姑鱼资源开发状态,实验根据2016年在浙江南部海域底拖网的调查数据,研究了银姑鱼的生活史参数,并基于单位补充量模型对其资源状态进行评价,进而探讨不同自然死亡系数和捕捞选择性对资源评价结果的影响。结果显示,银姑鱼渐近体长估计值为25.36 cm,生长速率为0.32/年,当前开捕体长(13.52 cm)远小于其初次性成熟体长(17.79 cm);自然死亡系数估计值为0.74,总死亡系数为2.62,当前捕捞死亡系数为1.88。基于以上参数,构建了单位补充量渔获量YPR模型和单位补充量亲体生物量SSBR模型,随着F的增加,YPR先增大后减小,而SSBR则减少。银姑鱼生物学参考点F_0.1为0.78,F_max为3.43,F_20%为0.66,F_40%为0.33,可知当前捕捞强度远大于防止补充型过度捕捞警戒线F_20%。敏感性分析结果显示,自然死亡系数的不确定性将明显影响单位补充量模型的研究结果和相关生物学参考点的估算值,而不同选择性系数,尤其是开捕体长,也直接影响单位补充量模型的结果。研究表明,当前浙江南部近海银姑鱼种群已处于补充型过度捕捞状态,为维持渔业资源的可持续发展,建议适当减小开发力度,增大开捕体长;为提高资源状态评价的准确性,建议减小自然死亡系数的不确定性。本研究可为银姑鱼资源的养护和管理提供科学建议。

     

Estimation of glass eel (Anguilla anguilla) exploitation in the Severn Estuary,England

Mark-release-recapture trials were conducted to determine the exploitation rate of glass eel Anguilla anguilla (L.) by handheld dip nets in the Severn Estuary in the spring of 2020. The glass eel were marked with Rhodamine B at a concentration of 0.1 g/L, 200 glass eel/L for 4.5 hr and then placed in fresh water for 36–48 hr to monitor mortality. In trial 1, 891 ± 100 of the 20,455 glass eel were recaptured while in trial 2,373 ± 172 of the 27,923 glass eel released were recaptured. The exploitation rate was estimated to be 4.36% (±0.49) in trial 1 and 1.33% (±0.62) in trial 2. The size of the glass eel population from trial 1 was estimated to be 24.69 t (22.46 – 28.81), and the overall exploitation rate of the fishery for the season was 7.8% (6.7% – 8.6%). Comparisons are made with studies in other estuaries and with conservation targets set by the EU Eel Regulation and the Eel Management Plan for the River Severn. The study suggests the fishery is not the main cause of the Severn RBD failing to meet escapement targets.     

基于分期的实际种群分析法研究

实际种群分析法(virtual population analysis,VPA)是开展渔业资源评估最有效的技术之一,一般以世代为基础开展评估.基于实际渔业存在渔汛期、休渔期等特点,本研究运用分期评估的概念对传统实际种群分析进行了扩展,即分期种群分析法,并根据不同时期的捕捞死亡特征,评估与分析了4种不同分期情景对评估结果的影响.模拟研究表明,由于分期不当造成评估结果的误差为6％～33％.文中一并给出了开展分期实际种群分析法对资料收集和参数评估的要求.该方法克服了传统实际种群分析法中没有全面分期产生的误差,使其扩展至适合于评估全年捕捞死亡率不稳定或非连续性渔业种群,评估结果也更接近于评估种群的真实值.     

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。     

Fish stock assessment of the northern New Caledonian lagoons:3 – Fishing pressure,potential yields and impact on management options

The potential yields of demersal reefal and lagoonal finfish, which are valuable for trade or consumption in the Northern Province of New Caledonia, are unknown. Fishing pressure was estimated from tally-sheets of professional fishermen to assess trade fishing and a household consumption survey to assess subsistence fishing. Total yield was estimated to be 1 326 tonnes in 1995, 94 % of which correspond to subsistence fishing. Most of the catches were taken from the east and west coasts; in the north zone (Bélep Archipelago) catches were very low. From this fishing pressure and the total stock values, the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) was estimated to be 12 600 t, which was about 10 % of the total stocks assessed in the Northern Province (138 300 t). This MSY was dominated by five families, namely Lethrinidae, Acanthuridae, Scaridae, Serranidae and Lutjanidae. The results suggest that fishing effort in the Northern Province of New Caledonia could increase without endangering the stock. However, on a smaller geographical scale, some locations (Koné and Népoui on the west coast), reef habitats (near-reef areas) or species groups (fish caught by line) were already being intensively fished. Fishing techniques should be diversified so that part of the fishing effort be redirected toward the least heavily exploited groups of species and biotopes.     

Effects of cryptic mortality and the hidden costs of using length limits in fishery management

Fishery collapses cause substantial economic and ecological harm, but common management actions often fail to prevent overfishing. Minimum length limits are perhaps the most common fishing regulation used in both commercial and recreational fisheries, but their conservation benefits can be influenced by discard mortality of fish caught and released below the legal length. We constructed a computer model to evaluate how discard mortality could influence the conservation utility of minimum length regulations. We evaluated policy performance across two disparate fish life‐history types: short‐lived high‐productivity (SLHP) and long‐lived low‐productivity (LLLP) species. For the life‐history types, fishing mortality rates and minimum length limits that we examined, length limits alone generally failed to achieve sustainability when discard mortality rate exceeded about 0.2 for SLHP species and 0.05 for LLLP species. At these levels of discard mortality, reductions in overall fishing mortality (e.g. lower fishing effort) were required to prevent recruitment overfishing if fishing mortality was high. Similarly, relatively low discard mortality rates (>0.05) rendered maximum yield unobtainable and caused a substantial shift in the shape of the yield response surfaces. An analysis of fishery efficiency showed that length limits caused the simulated fisheries to be much less efficient, potentially exposing the target species and ecosystem to increased negative effects of the fishing process. Our findings suggest that for overexploited fisheries with moderate‐to‐high discard mortality rates, reductions in fishing mortality will be required to meet management goals. Resource managers should carefully consider impacts of cryptic mortality sources (e.g. discard mortality) on fishery sustainability, especially in recreational fisheries where release rates are high and effort is increasing in many areas of the world.     

北部湾二长棘鲷生长和死亡参数估计

根据上世纪90年代及60年代的生物学资料，运用体长频率分析法估算二长棘鲷的生长和死亡参数。vonBertlanffy生长方程的主要参数L∞=27．3cm，K=0．45，t0=-O．34；体重的生长拐点为2．12龄；瞬时总死亡率(Z)、瞬时自然死亡率(M)和瞬时捕捞死亡率(F)分别为2.825，1．045和1．78。当前开发率为0．63，资源处于过度利用状态。根据等渔量曲线图分析，当前的捕捞强度过高，而开捕年龄和开捕体长过低，资源出现衰竭现象。综合考虑当前的捕捞强度和社会经济效益，建议北部湾二长棘鲷的最适开捕年龄大于1龄，开捕体长大于120mm。     

Bycatch and discarding in the South African demersal trawl fishery

Observers aboard commercial trawlers collected data on the total catch composition of 614 and 479 hauls made by vessels operating off the south and west coasts of South Africa, respectively. On the south coast, four fishing areas were identified on the basis of target species and fishing depth. On the west coast, hauls were separated into those targeting hake Merluccius spp. in four depth ranges (0–300, 301–400, 401–500, and >500 m) and those targeting monkfish Lophius vomerinus. For each area, the catch composition was calculated and the species assemblages were investigated using cluster analysis and multi-dimensional scaling. Finally, for each coast, the weight of fish discarded annually was estimated. On the south coast, although hake dominated, between 21% and 47% of the catch was not hake, depending on the fishing area. In comparison, hake dominated west coast catches, the proportion of hake increasing with depth. For each fishery investigated, approximately 90% of the catch was processed and landed. However, estimates of annual discards indicate that the south and west coast fisheries may annually discard 9000 or 10,000 t and 17,000 or 25,000 t, of undersized and unutilizable fish and offal, respectively, depending on the estimation method used. When developing strategies to limit or enhance utilization of bycatch, cognisance should be taken of the differences in catch composition between the south and west coasts and of the importance of bycatch revenue to south coast fishing companies.     

Modelling the effects of reserve size and fishing mortality for Caribbean queen conch Strombus gigas

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An unfished area enhances a spiny lobster,Panulirus argus,fishery: implications for management and conservation within a Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican Caribbean

The Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, Latreille, is the main source of income for the communities in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve Mexico. The fishery has recently been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council provided that further stock assessment is carried out. A total of 379 lobsters were tagged in an unfished area offshore from the Bahía del Espíritu Santo fishing grounds to assess whether lobsters remained within these areas and were thus fully protected. The lobsters recaptured in the shallow area (5.3%) were sufficient to develop a multistate mark recapture model, which takes into account fishing and natural mortality, tag reporting rate and tag loss. This estimated that between 15 and 20% of all adult lobsters dwelling in the unfished area moved into the fishery and were subjected to exploitation. This study suggests that the offshore unfished area provides protection to the majority of the stock in this area while adding to and maintaining fishing yields within the inshore commercial fishery.     

浙北沿岸大黄鱼放流增殖的初步研究

为了恢复浙江渔场大黄鱼资源，1998—2002年，浙江省在浙江北部沿岸海域进行了大黄鱼增殖放流可行性研究。通过5年来的放流试验表明，在浙北沿岸进行大黄鱼放流是完全可行的，放流鱼能够在放流区域附近海域存活、生长，并进行索饵、产卵洄游，同时形成了一定数量的捕捞群体，放流鱼回捕率较高，放流效果较好。文章对试验放流过程中出现的问题进行了探讨和分析，为今后进一步大规模放流提出了建议。     

浙江南部海域银姑鱼的生活史参数估算及资源评价

为了评估银姑鱼资源开发状态,实验根据2016年在浙江南部海域底拖网的调查数据,研究了银姑鱼的生活史参数,并基于单位补充量模型对其资源状态进行评价,进而探讨不同自然死亡系数和捕捞选择性对资源评价结果的影响。结果显示,银姑鱼渐近体长估计值为25.36 cm,生长速率为0.32/年,当前开捕体长(13.52 cm)远小于其初次性成熟体长(17.79 cm);自然死亡系数估计值为0.74,总死亡系数为2.62,当前捕捞死亡系数为1.88。基于以上参数,构建了单位补充量渔获量YPR模型和单位补充量亲体生物量SSBR模型,随着F的增加,YPR先增大后减小,而SSBR则减少。银姑鱼生物学参考点F_0.1为0.78,F_max为3.43,F_20%为0.66,F_40%为0.33,可知当前捕捞强度远大于防止补充型过度捕捞警戒线F_20%。敏感性分析结果显示,自然死亡系数的不确定性将明显影响单位补充量模型的研究结果和相关生物学参考点的估算值,而不同选择性系数,尤其是开捕体长,也直接影响单位补充量模型的结果。研究表明,当前浙江南部近海银姑鱼种群已处于补充型过度捕捞状态,为维持渔业资源的可持续发展,建议适当减小开发力度,增大开捕体长;为提高资源状态评价的准确性,建议减小自然死亡系数的不确定性。本研究可为银姑鱼资源的养护和管理提供科学建议。     

基于生长和死亡参数变化的官井洋大黄鱼资源现状分析

依据2010—2011年福建官井洋水域渔业资源监测调查资料,对2 098尾大黄鱼的体长、体质量、生长、性腺进行测定。据此,利用von Bertalanffy生长方程和死亡参数分析官井洋大黄鱼资源现状,并讨论了拐点年龄,临界年龄等渔业生物学特征。结果表明,目前官井洋大黄鱼平均体长132.6 mm,优势体长组为110～150 mm,占55.96%;平均体质量45.1 g,优势体质量组为10～50 g,占61.77%,大黄鱼幼鱼和补充群体已成为渔业生产的主要捕捞对象。大黄鱼体长—体质量间的关系式为W=2.001×10-5L3.006。用ELEFAN技术拟合的von Bertalanffy生长方程参数分别为L∞=385.4 mm、k=0.43及t0=-0.32a,拐点年龄为2.2龄。对照20世纪80年代福建近海海域大黄鱼群体L∞值从555.4 mm下降到现在的385.4 mm,拐点年龄由2.97下降到2.2,均表明当今大黄鱼群体小型化且低龄化严重。生长系数k由0.36增长到0.43表明大黄鱼的生长速度加快。总死亡系数(Z)为3.12,自然死亡系数(M)为0.45,捕捞死亡系数(F)为2.67,资源开发率(E)为0.856。大黄鱼M值出现上升,可能与福建近海环境质量下降有关,而高强度的捕捞促使大黄鱼捕捞死亡系数由0.84上升到2.67,说明大黄鱼资源已经处于过度开发状态。在官井洋大黄鱼现行资源状态下,应努力降低捕捞死亡水平,保护大黄鱼生存环境,而对目前以小型化和低龄化为主的大黄鱼群体,建议以控制大黄鱼的开捕年龄(t0)为主。