Modelling the oceanic habitats of two pelagic species using recreational fisheries data

Defining the oceanic habitats of migratory marine species is important for both single species and ecosystem‐based fisheries management, particularly when the distribution of these habitats vary temporally. This can be achieved using species distribution models that include physical environmental predictors. In the present study, species distribution models that describe the seasonal habitats of two pelagic fish (dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus and yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi), are developed using 19 yr of presence‐only data from a recreational angler‐based catch‐and‐release fishing programme. A Poisson point process model within a generalized additive modelling framework was used to determine the species distributions off the east coast of Australia as a function of several oceanographic covariates. This modelling framework uses presence‐only data to determine the intensity of fish (fish km^?2), rather than a probability of fish presence. Sea surface temperature (SST), sea level anomaly, SST frontal index and eddy kinetic energy were significant environmental predictors for both dolphinfish and kingfish distributions. Models for both species indicate a greater fish intensity off the east Australian coast during summer and autumn in response to the regional oceanography, namely shelf incursions by the East Australian Current. This study provides a framework for using presence‐only recreational fisheries data to create species distribution models that can contribute to the future dynamic spatial management of pelagic fisheries.     

Epizootics in Industrial Livestock Production: Preventable Gaps in Biosecurity and Biocontainment

While technological advances in animal husbandry have facilitated increases in global meat production, the high density and geographic concentration of food animal production facilities pose risks of infectious disease transmission. The scale of the 2014–2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 outbreak in the United States demonstrates the challenges in achieving pathogen control within and around industrial animal facilities using existing technologies. We discuss gaps in current practice in two specific systems within these facilities – ventilation and waste management – which are under‐recognized as important drivers of microbial porosity. The development of innovative ventilation systems to reduce influx and efflux of pathogens is critically needed, and cross‐sectoral partnerships should be incentivized to do so. Adapting current human biosolid treatment technologies for farm applications, reducing animal stocking density and shifting waste management responsibility from farmer to corporation would reduce risk from current manure management systems. While innovative approaches to functionally altering the industrial food animal production system remain important priorities to promote sustainability, our intention here is to identify gaps within the current system that allow for pathogen emergence and transmission and address specific areas in which technological, administrative or policy changes are necessary to mitigate these risks.