Electrotrawling: a promising alternative fishing technique warranting further exploration

In trawl fisheries, beam trawls with tickler chains, chain mats or bobbin ropes are used to target flatfish or shrimp. High fuel consumption, seabed disturbance and high discard rates are well‐known disadvantages of this fishing technique. These shortcomings are increasingly gaining international public and political attention, especially with the upcoming discard ban in Europe. The most promising alternative fishing technique meeting both the fisherman's aspirations, and the need for ecological progress is pulse fishing with electrotrawls. Here, the mechanical stimulation by tickler chains or bobbins is replaced by electrical stimulation resulting in reduced bottom contact, fuel costs and discards. Although a significant amount of research has been done on electrotrawls and their impact on marine organisms, most data were published in very diverse sources ranging from local non‐peer‐reviewed reports with a limited distribution to highly consulted international peer‐reviewed journals. Therefore, there is a clear need for a comprehensive yet concise and critical overview, covering and summarizing all these data and making these available for the scientific community. This article aims to meet the above goals by discussing the working principle of electric fields, the history of electrotrawls and their current application in the North Sea and impact on marine organisms. It is concluded by elaborating on the opportunities and challenges for the further implementation of this alternative fishing technique.     

Effects of marine fish farming on nutrient composition and plankton communities in the Eastern Aegean Sea (Turkey)

The hypothesis that the presence of fish farming zones affects the water quality and plankton communities was investigated in an Aegean Sea fish farm during February, June, September and January 2000–2001. In the spatial coverage, a total of 12 stations were sampled; three of them were reference stations. A variance analysis was applied to the measurements made at the stations near the fish farms and at the control stations. While no significant differences in concentrations of nutrients, chlorophyll a, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen were detected between the stations and the control sites within one season, significant differences were detected between the parameter values measured except for total dissolved phosphorus and dissolved organic phosphorus at different seasons. The seasonal differences were also significant with regard to the biodiversity. Together with these temporal differences in general, there was a higher diversity of species at the control site as compared with the other stations in September, which was the key season to detection of significant changes. The most important consideration is that it is not sufficient to take the instantaneous values for the physico‐chemical variables; rather, it is necessary to monitor the biological parameters in order to define the differences in the ecosystem.     

渤海鱼类群落结构及其主要增殖放流鱼类的资源量变化

基于2010年5月和8月渤海渔业调查数据,结合1959年以来渤海鱼类相关文献资料,对渤海鱼类群落结构的演替、主要增殖放流鱼类的资源动态作了初步分析.结果表明,渤海鱼类群落优势种由个体大、营养层次高的带鱼Trichiurus haumela、半滑舌鳎Cynoglossus semilaevis等优质底层鱼类逐渐被黄鲫Setipinna taty、鳀Engra ulis ja ponicus等个体小、营养层次低的小型中上层鱼类所替代,并且除黄鲫外,其他小型鱼类优势种也在不断更替中.另外,生物健康度指数(BHI)分析显示,渤海鱼类群落处于相对不稳定状态.鱼类资源量急剧降低,尤其在5月,CPUE由1959年的186 kg/h下降至目前不足1 kg/h,鱼类资源密集区主要分布在莱州湾、渤海湾和渤海中部,而辽东湾分布相对较少,并且鱼类资源与海蜇呈交错分布.近年来,渤海增殖放流的鱼类仅有花鲈Lateolabrax japonicus和许氏平鲉Sebastes schlegeli的资源量有小幅度回升,其他种类从20世纪80年代开始资源量一直处于下降趋势.从渤海鱼类群落结构的演替和增殖放流鱼类的资源量变化来看,渤海鱼类群落依旧是小型经济价值较低的种类控制其能流结构.除花鲈外,其他增殖放流鱼类的资源量均不足历史最高资源量的1％,其资源量的恢复尚有很大的空间,增殖潜力很大.     

First attempts towards the restoration of gorgonian populations on the Mediterranean continental shelf

相似文献   

东海渔场环境与太平洋丛柔鱼的分布

太平洋丛柔鱼(Todarodes pacificus steenstrup)的年产量,在八十年代高达四、五十万吨,占目前世界头足类年产量的三分之一左右,是世界最重要的头足类资源。丛柔鱼的分布区局限于太平洋,主要分布在日本群岛周围海域,其群体密度最高;在黄海北部和东海外海的分布区,也有一定产量,主要为流网和底拖网所兼捕。本文论述东海长江口渔场、舟山渔场内太平洋丛柔渔资源的分布密度以及它与不同水系交汇形成流隔的密切关系;五、六月份柔鱼鱼发适温为16—17℃,柔鱼群体栖息活动水层与浮游     

东海区拖虾渔业概况分析

虾类是东海区的主要捕捞对象之一。东海区的拖虾渔业以虾类为主要捕捞目标,发展之初对于促进捕捞结构调整、减轻主要经济鱼类的捕捞压力起了重要作用。但是随着该种作业方式生产规模的不断扩大、生产渔船和渔具的大型化,渔获物中经济虾类和兼捕幼虾的矛盾日益突出,对东海区的渔业资源造成较大程度的破环。本文主要介绍了东海区拖虾渔业的发展和资源概况,主要经济虾类的种类、分布、作业渔船的产量和数量变化,分析了东海区拖虾渔业中存在的问题和所采取的措施,并提出了解决问题的建议。     

Alternating dominance of postlarval sardine and anchovy caught by coastal fishery in relation to the Kuroshio meander in the Enshu-nada Sea

In the mid 1970s, the fishery catch of postlarval Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonica) in a shelf region of the Enshu‐nada Sea, off the central Pacific coast of Japan, started to decline corresponding to a rapid increase of postlarval sardine (Sardinops melanostictus). In late 1980s, sardine started to decline, and it was replaced by anchovy in the 1990s. This alternating dominance of postlarval sardine and anchovy corresponded to the alternation in egg abundance of these two species in the spawning habitat of this sea. It was also noteworthy that during the period of sardine decline, sardine spawning occurred in April–May, a delay of two months compared with spawning in the late 1970s. The implication of oceanographic changes in the spawning habitat for the alternating dominance of sardine and anchovy eggs was explored using time‐series data obtained in 1975–1998, focusing on the effect of the Kuroshio meander. Large meanders of the Kuroshio may have enhanced the onshore intrusion of the warm water into the shelf region and contributed to an increase in temperature in the spawning habitat. This might favour sardine, because its egg abundance in the shelf region was more dependent on the temperature in early spring than was that of anchovy. In addition, enhanced onshore intrusion could contribute to transport of sardine larvae from upstream spawning grounds of the Kuroshio region. On the other hand, anchovy egg abundance was more closely related to lower transparency at the shelf edge, which may indicate the prevalence and prolonged residence of the coastal water, and therefore higher food availability, frequently accompanying non‐meandering Kuroshio. The expansion/shrinkage of the spawning habitat of sardine and anchovy in the shelf region, apparently responding to the change in the Kuroshio, possibly makes the alternation in dominance of postlarval sardine and anchovy most prominent in the Enshu‐nada Sea, in combination with changes in the abundance of spawning adults, which occurred almost simultaneously in the overall Kuroshio region. The implication of this rather regional feature for the alternating dominance of sardine and anchovy populations on a larger spatial scale is also discussed.     

Decadal trends in abundance,size and condition of Antarctic toothfish in McMurdo Sound,Antarctica, 1972–2011

We report the analyses of a dataset spanning 39 years of near‐annual fishing for Dissostichus mawsoni in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, 1972–2011. Data on total length, condition and catch per unit effort (CPUE) were derived from the > 5500 fish caught, the large majority of which were measured, tagged and released. Contrary to expectation, the length frequency of the McMurdo Sound catch was dominated by fish in the upper two‐thirds of the overall distribution exhibited in the industrial catch for the Ross Sea shelf. Fish length and condition increased from the early 1970s to the early 1990s and then decreased. Fish length positively correlated with Ross Sea ice extent in early spring, a relationship possibly caused by more ice encouraging larger fish to move farther south over the shelf and into the study area. Fish condition positively correlated with the amount of open water in the Ross Sea during the previous summer (Feb), perhaps reflecting greater availability of prey with the higher productivity that more open water brings. Decreasing fish size corresponds to the onset of the fishery, which targets the large individuals. CPUE was constant through 2001 and then decreased dramatically. We hypothesize that this decrease is related to the industrial fishery, which began in the 1996–97 austral summer, and concentrates effort over the ice‐free Ross Sea continental slope. As a result of limited prey choices and close coupling among mesopredators of the region, Antarctic toothfish included, the fishery appears to be dramatically altering the trophic structure of the Ross Sea.     

东海北部近海棘头梅童鱼食物组成的季节变化及随发育的变化

根据2006年7月～2008年12月采集于东海北部近海的棘头梅童鱼(Collichthys lucidus)样品,共测定体长在23～157 mm范围内的棘头梅童鱼474 ind,应用卡方检验和聚类分析等方法,对棘头梅童鱼食物组成的季节变化及随个体发育的变化进行了分析。结果显示:东海北部近海棘头梅童鱼的食物种类夏季出现较多,春季出现较少;91～110 mm体长组出现较多,≤50 mm体长组和>130 mm体长组出现较少。食物多样性指数春季较高,秋季较低;≤50 mm体长组较低,>130 mm体长组较高,食物多样性指数随体长的增加而升高。卡方检验显示,棘头梅童鱼主要食物种类宽尾刺糠虾(Acanthomysis latiscauda)、中国毛虾(Aceteschinensis)、七星底灯鱼(Myctophum pterotum)和中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)的出现频率有极显著的季节变化,中华假磷虾(Pseudeuphausia sinica)的出现频率有显著的季节变化;宽尾刺糠虾和七星底灯鱼的出现频率随体长的变化极显著,而中国毛虾、中华假磷虾和中华哲水蚤的出现频率随体长的变化不显著。聚类分析结果表明,棘头梅童鱼春冬季、夏季和秋季三个时期的食物组成差异显著;体长聚类分两组,即体长>70 mm和≤70mm之间食物组成有明显差异。通过分析发现:东海北部近海棘头梅童鱼食物的季节变化与该海域饵料生物的季节变化密切相关;食物组成随发育的变化符合"最佳摄食理论",其饵料生物种类和大小随棘头梅童鱼体长的增加发生了显著的变化。     

九孔鲍北方青苗及生长的探讨

探讨了九孔鲍(Haliotisdiversicolorsuertexta)在北方自然繁殖季节育苗的条件、发育时间和生长速度。2004年8月1日,用紫外线照射海水诱导产卵和人工授精的九孔鲍受精卵,经过60天培育,获6～12mm的幼鲍50万只。