Examining the impact of CITES listing of sharks and rays in Southeast Asian fisheries

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. However, measuring the effectiveness and impacts of these trade regulations for commercially exploited aquatic species remains challenging. This study highlights observed or documented changes in elasmobranch fisheries in eight Southeast Asian countries before and after the listing of sharks and rays in CITES’ Appendix II, and the influence of CITES across five pillars or sectors of a “fishery assessment framework” developed especially for this purpose. Fisheries experts reported change was most common in the “governance” (e.g., policy, regulation and compliance) and “fisher(y)” sectors (e.g., structure and effort) of the assessment framework. The smallest change was recorded in “markets” (e.g., structures and prices) and “sociocultural” sectors (e.g., consumption, livelihoods and community awareness). Overall, the study demonstrates a measurable, albeit small, mostly positive influence of CITES in five of eight countries, while noting predominantly negative influences across two, and ongoing challenges for all in maintaining legal trade of these CITES‐listed species. The study concludes by offering guidance on future needs: most notably, more effort for long‐term collection of fundamental fisher‐, stock‐ and market‐related data to inform adaptive management and facilitation of legal trade where it is shown to be sustainable. Furthermore, as many of the shark and ray species under CITES provisions are transboundary stocks, increased support for communication and cooperation among regional fishery stakeholders is an ongoing need.     

Effects of including catla and tilapia in a freshwater prawn–mola polyculture in a rotational rice–fish culture systems

An on-farm trial was carried out from February to June 2006 to evaluate the growth and production performance of catla ( Catla catla ) and tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) with freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) and mola ( Amblypharyngodon mola ) in farmer's rice fields. In all treatments, 20 000 mola ha⁻¹ and 20 000 prawn ha⁻¹ were stocked. Besides, stocking included 2500 catla ha⁻¹ in treatment-I, 2500 tilapia ha⁻¹ in treatment-II and catla and tilapia at 1250 ha⁻¹ each in treatment-III . Prawns were fed in the evening with pellets at a feeding rate of 3–8% body weight (initially 8% and gradually decreased to 3%). Catla and tilapia were fed in the morning with a paste of mustard oil cake and rice bran at a feeding rate of 3% body weight. Significantly higher combined production of fish and prawn observed was 2142 kg ha⁻¹ in treatment-I. The benefit:cost ratio was found to be significantly higher in treatment-I than in treatment-II and there were no differences between treatments I and III. From the production and economic point of view, treatment-I was found to be the best proposition for the rotational rice–fish culture systems.     

Density effects of silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and catla Catla catla on the production system in all‐male freshwater prawn–finfish polyculture ponds

The effects of three different combinations of silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and catla Catla catla density on the production system in all‐male freshwater prawn–finfish polyculture ponds were evaluated in triplicate. The stocking density of silver carp and catla, respectively, were maintained at 2000 and 500 ha^?1 in treatment SC₂₀₀₀C₅₀₀, 1500 and 1000 ha^?1 in treatment SC₁₅₀₀C₁₀₀₀ and 1000 and 1500 ha^?1 in treatment SC₁₀₀₀C₁₅₀₀. Male freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii and small fish mola Amblypharyngodon mola densities were fixed in all treatments at 12 000 and 20 000 ha^?1 respectively. Management practices were same for all treatments. Blue‐clawed male prawns were harvested twice during the 122‐day culture at 15‐day intervals before the final harvest. Plankton and macro‐benthos abundance and water quality parameters (except transparency and chlorophyll a) did not vary significantly (P>0.05) among treatments. Mean final weights of both silver carp and catla were decreased with the increasing of their own stocking density. The treatment SC₁₅₀₀C₁₀₀₀ resulted in 25–32% increased net production of silver carp plus catla (461 kg ha^?1) and 20–21% increased net production of all species combined (874 kg ha^?1) as compared with the other treatments, although the differences in production of prawn and mola among treatments were not significant.     

Evaluation of freshwater prawn‐small fish culture concurrently with rice in Bangladesh

An integrated aquaculture of freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and self‐recruiting small fish mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) was conducted in farmers' rice fields at Mymensingh, Bangladesh. There were four treatments with three replications. Four stocking densities, 10 000, 15 000, 20 000 and 25 000 ha^?1, of freshwater prawn were applied. The stocking density of mola was the same (20 000 ha^?1) in all treatments. During land preparation, triple super phosphate (TSP) and murate of potash (MP) were applied at the rate of 150 and 75 kg ha^?1 respectively. Urea was applied at the rate of 200 kg ha^?1 in equally distributed three installments after 16, 45 and 65 days of rice plantation. Prawns were fed with commercial pelleted feed at 3–8% body weight. All water quality parameters were found to be within the suitable range for freshwater prawn culture. There was a homogenous abundance of plankton communities in all treatments. The results of a 4‐month culture period showed that the average production of prawn ranged from 222 to 388 kg ha^?1, mola 51 to 68 kg ha^?1 and rice 2 880 to 3 710 kg ha^?1. Significantly higher production of both prawn and mola was recorded in the plots where the freshwater prawn stocking density was 15 000 ha^?1. This treatment resulted in a net profit of USD 1100 ha^?1.     

AC Peregrine Red: A High-yielding Red-skinned Fresh Market Cultivar

AC Peregrine Red is a maincrop cultivar that produces very uniform attractive tubers with a deep red skin color. Marketable yields and skin color retention in storage are superior to Norland in Canadian and some U.S.A. locations. The cultivar provides the fresh market industry with a high-yielding red-skinned potato, with good storage capacity and resistance to fusarium dry rot.     

The effect of common carp, Cyprinus carpio (L.) and mrigal, Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton) as bottom feeders in major Indian carp polycultures

A polyculture experiment with the large carp rohu, Labeo rohita (Hamilton), catla, Catla catla (Hamilton) and either mrigal, Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton) or common carp, Cyprinus carpio (L.) (as cash crop fish), and the small indigenous fish punti, Puntius sophore (Hamilton) (as food for the small‐scale farmer family) was carried out at the Field Laboratory of the Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. The main objective was to compare polycultures of large carp in which the bottom feeder is either the native mrigal or the exotic common carp. Secondary objectives were to assess the effects of adding the small indigenous species punti to polycultures of large carp, and to compare the effects of mrigal and common carp on punti production and reproduction. It was found that (i) common carp damaged embankments, had no effect on catla, improved rohu performance by 50% and total fish production by 20%; (ii) punti addition did not affect rohu, catla and total yield, improved mrigal performance by 50%, and decreased common carp performance by 20%; and (iii) punti was not affected either by common carp or by mrigal. However, its performance was not satisfactory, probably owing to frequent netting, which might have hindered growth and breeding. In spite of the embankment damage caused by common carp, this bottom feeder seems to be more promising than mrigal, because it leads to higher fish production. The addition of punti to the large carp polyculture is a viable proposition, as it does not reduce cash crop production, and might be a good food source for a small‐scale farmer's family.     

Effects of adding different proportions of the small fish punti (Puntius sophore) and mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) to a polyculture of large carp

This experiment was carried out in the framework of a project to develop a viable fish polyculture technology under Bangladeshi conditions that allows simultaneous fish production of small indigenous species for the farmers' family consumption and of large carp species as a cash crop. The objectives of this experiment were to assess the effects of adding punti and mola in different proportions on the large carp and on the environment, and to assess the effects of punti on mola and mola on punti. The polyculture included the large carp rohu, catla and common carp (as cash crop fish), and the small indigenous fish punti and mola (as food for the small‐scale farmer family). The total large carp stocking density was 10 000 fish ha^?1, at a species ratio of 1:1:1. The total small fish stocking densities were 0 in the control and 30 000 punti and mola ha^?1 in the treatments, these at rates 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2. Stocking punti and mola at the density and all ratios tested were viable solutions to obtain simultaneously large carp cash crops and small fish to feed the farmer's family. Statistically marginal differences in large carp production were obtained in stocking small fish in the different proportions. These marginal differences could be explained by food competition between punti and common carp and between mola and rohu, which had different outcomes depending on the proportions of the small fish stocked. Stocking punti and mola at a 1:1 ratio would result in more small fish for the farmer's family, while the individual size of rohu, the most expensive large carp, would be somewhat smaller, but not necessarily small enough to decrease its selling price. Stocking one of the small fish in higher proportion than the other (2:1 or 1:2) would result in less mola for the family consumption, while harvesting of common carp would be somewhat lower and of smaller fish. Since common carp is the cheapest of the large carps, this small reduction would not necessarily affect the family income in an important way. With these results, farmers would now be able to reorganize their stocking practices with large carps and small fish and decide the appropriate small fish stocking ratios to meet their needs.     

The effect of storage temperature on quality and decay percentage of ‘Pairi’ and ‘Taimour’ mango fruits

The effects of storage temperatures, especially chilling-temperatures, and the duration of exposure to them, on quality and decay percentage, and on the shelf-life of ‘Pairi’ and ‘Taimour’ mango fruits were studied. ‘Taimour’ fruits had better keeping-quality, storage ability and a longer marketing period than ‘Pairi’ fruits under all storage temperatures. Both cultivars were affected by storing at 0 °C and the severity of chilling was proportional to the duration of cold storage. ‘Taimour’ fruits were less sensitive to chilling-injury than ‘Pairi’ fruits. Storage at 5 °C or slightly higher was the most suitable temperature for both cultivars, followed by 10 °C.     

Sorption and Desorption Behavior of FTuoroquinolone Antibiotics in an Agricultural Soil

<正>Dear Editor,Fluoroquinolones(e.g.,ciprofloxacin(CIP),enrofloxacin(ENR),and levofloxacin(LEV))are an extensively used family of antibiotics prescribed for various infections;however,they are also increasingly used     

热应激对肉鸡血液白细胞亚型比例变化的影响

本实验的目的是研究热应激对肉鸡血液白细胞亚型组分和比例变化的影响.实验采用60只40日龄AA肉鸡,在暴露于39±1℃的热应激环境持续2.5h后,肉鸡直肠温度及异嗜性细胞和嗜碱性细胞所占白细胞的比例皆有所升高.异嗜性细胞与淋巴细胞的比例(H/L)亦从0.23升至0.42.高温环境的应激还导致了单核细胞与淋巴细胞组分比例的下降,而嗜碱性细胞却未发现显著性变化.结果显示:在足以使肉鸡体温升高的环境温度的应激下,可致使循环血液中的白细胞组成发生变化.