Interactions between populations of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa Dana and the harpacticoid copepod Tisbe holothuriae Humes in mixed cultures of live feed for fish larvae

Copepods are considered high quality live feed for fish larvae due to their large within species size span, swimming pattern triggering hunting behaviour, and complete biochemical profile. In a continuous cultivation system aiming at the planktonic calanoid Acartia tonsa an intruding harpacticoid frequently appears. We experimentally evaluate how the interaction from the semi‐benthic Tisbe holothuriae is affecting our cultures and ask whether the two copepod‐species are expected to pose competitive exclusion or co‐exist long‐term. This is pursued by establishing ~40 days mono‐ and mixed copepod cultures reared in a stationary setup (S) theoretically advantageous for T. holothuriae and a rotating setup (R) with organisms kept in suspension by use of a plankton wheel, theoretically advantageous for A. tonsa. The carrying capacities of A. tonsa in either mono‐ or mixed cultures are not affected whether the copepods are subject to S or R treatment. Only exception is the S‐setup containing mixed culture were A. tonsa obtains a significantly lower carrying capacity compared with A. tonsa alone in R‐setup. The mono‐ and mixed cultures of T. holothuriae are, however, highly negatively affected by the R setup compared with S setup. A long‐term solution to limit the presence of T. holothuriae is to apply turbulence level in a classical stagnant tank setup to an extend that suppress T. holothuriae and simultaneously allow algae in suspension as food for A. tonsa, make their eggs sediment as well as minimize risk of benthic‐predation on eggs.     

Effort rights‐based management

Effort rights‐based fisheries management (RBM) is less widely used than catch rights, whether for groups or individuals. Because RBM on catch or effort necessarily requires a total allowable catch (TAC) or total allowable effort (TAE), RBM is discussed in conjunction with issues in assessing fish populations and providing TACs or TAEs. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, and there are trade‐offs between the two approaches. In a narrow economic sense, catch rights are superior because of the type of incentives created, but once the costs of research to improve stock assessments and the associated risks of determining the TAC and costs of monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement are taken into consideration, the choice between catch or effort RBM becomes more complex and less clear. The results will be case specific. Hybrid systems based on both catch and effort are increasingly employed to manage marine fisheries to capture the advantages of both approaches. In hybrid systems, catch or effort RBM dominates and controls on the other supplements. RBM using either catch or effort by itself addresses only the target species stock externality and not the remaining externalities associated with by‐catch and the ecosystem.     

The risk of individual fish being captured multiple times in a catch and release fishery

The proportion of angled Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. being caught and released has increased. If individuals are repeatedly captured, this may have fish welfare consequences. Of 995 Atlantic salmon tagged during catch and release in eight Norwegian rivers, 10% were captured twice, while 3% were captured three times within the same fishing season. The probability that released salmon were captured again decreased with decreasing time left of the fishing season, decreased for larger‐sized fish and varied among rivers/years. Increased exploitation rates within the river, indicating an increased fishing pressure, strongly increased the probability that fish would be recaptured. However, the proportion of salmon caught a second time was much lower than the total exploitation rates in the same rivers (which was on average 46%). For fish tagged in the sea, the likelihood of being angled decreased with time since entering the river, which may explain why the recapture rates of caught and released fish were lower than the total exploitation rates.     

Moritella viscosa bypasses Atlantic salmon epidermal keratocyte clearing activity and might use skin surfaces as a port of infection

Moritella viscosa is considered the main causative agent of winter ulcer disease in salmonid fish. In order to obtain more details on route of infection, we challenged Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) epidermal keratocytes with M. viscosa and performed an Atlantic salmon immersion challenge. Although keratocytes were able to remove M. viscosa from surfaces, their engulfment capability appeared inefficient with reduced ability to reepithelialise superficial wounds (scale less skin surfaces) challenged with the bacterium. The immersion challenge revealed a significant connection between exposure area and mortality. Enhanced invasion ability and mortality was observed by M. viscosa exposure of the head and gill region compared to exposure of: the right side of the body; the left side of the body; or the body from pectoral to caudal fin (p=0.04). Ulcer development corresponded to area exposed (p=0.002), suggesting skin ulcer formation to result primarily from direct skin surface colonization. Ulceration of surfaces exposed to M. viscosa in parallel with occurrence of septicaemia suggests that both skin and gills may act as possible initiation sites for M. viscosa infections.     

Effect of chromium propionate on growth, carcass traits, pork quality, and plasma metabolites in growing-finishing pigs

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary Cr, as Cr propionate, on growth, carcass traits, pork quality, and plasma metabolites in growing-finishing swine. Ninety-six crossbred gilts (Exp. 1; initial and final BW of 28 [SEM = 0.41] and 109 [SEM = 2.11] kg) or 144 PIC Cambrough 22 barrows (Exp. 2; initial and final BW of 26 [SEM = 0.39] and 111 [SEM = 2.52] kg) were allotted to six or four dietary treatments, respectively, with six replications and four (Exp. 1) or six (Exp. 2) pigs in each replicate pen blocked by weight in randomized complete block designs. The six dietary treatments for Exp. 1 were 1) corn-soybean meal (C-SBM), 2) C-SBM + 50 ppb Cr, 3) C-SBM + 100 ppb Cr, 4) C-SBM + 200 ppb Cr, 5) C-SBM low NE diet, and 6) C-SBM low NE diet + 200 ppb Cr. The four dietary treatments for Exp. 2 were C-SBM with 0, 100, 200, or 300 ppb Cr. Growth, carcass traits, and plasma metabolite (collected on d 29 and at each phase change) data were taken at the end of both experiments and pork quality data were taken at the end of Exp. 1. There was no effect (P > 0.10) on overall growth performance when pigs were fed graded levels of Cr (Exp. 1 and 2) or Cr in the positive control or low NE diets (Exp. 1). Longissimus muscle area, ham weight, ham fat-free lean, and total carcass lean were increased in pigs fed 200 ppb in the positive control diets but decreased in pigs fed 200 ppb Cr in the low NE diets (Cr x NE, P < 0.08). There was no effect of Cr concentration (P > 0.10) on carcass traits in Exp. 2. In Exp. 1, cook loss of a fresh or a frozen chop was decreased (P < 0.10) by 200 ppb Cr. In Exp. 1, NEFA concentration was decreased (P < 0.05) in pigs fed Cr in the positive control or low NE diets during the early-finishing period. In Exp. 2, the addition of Cr decreased NEFA (quadratic, P < 0.09) and plasma urea N (linear, P < 0.02) concentrations and tended to increase total cholesterol and high density lipoproteins (quadratic, P < 0.09). In these experiments, Cr propionate had no effect on overall growth performance, variable effects on carcass traits and plasma metabolites, and some positive effects on pork quality, especially water holding capacity of a fresh or frozen chop.