Changes in frigate tuna populations on the south coast of Sri Lanka: evidence of the shifting baseline syndrome from analysis of fisher observations

• 1. This study examines changes in frigate tuna populations in southern Sri Lanka, based on reports from fishers in three age classes. Significantly higher values for best day's catch and largest specimen ever caught were obtained by older fishers than younger ones. Values were also significantly higher during early years, providing clear evidence of a decrease in the resource over time (1951–2007).
• 2. Older fishers reported best catches further inshore and in shallower waters which, on becoming depleted, forced younger generations to fish in less exploited areas further offshore. Heavy harvesting is also evident from the significantly greater number of sites reported by older fishers as being depleted, compared with observations of younger fishers.
• 3. These findings contrast markedly with catch and catch per effort patterns from statistics for frigate tuna and bullet tuna (combined) in southern Sri Lanka (1994–2004). No stock decline is evident, and at least one report in the early 1990s advocated increasing exploitation rates by 40% to maximize yields.
• 4. Although not a primary research objective, fisher observations on frigate tuna populations were also analysed to help evaluate possible effects of the 2004 tsunami. Most fishers reported post‐tsunami decline, but mainly from a larger new generation of fishers, rather than extra boats provided by aid money or (direct or indirect) biophysical impacts from the tsunami.
• 5. Reliance on fishery statistics, especially for mixed species and over a limited period, can be risky and easily mask true stock status. Evidence of harvesting effects on frigate tuna in southern Sri Lanka is evident using questionnaire data over a longer time scale.
• 6. This study provides another compelling case of the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’, whereby fishers of different ages have altered perceptions/experiences of their environment. This may be its first reported occurrence in Sri Lanka. Traditional knowledge from this and similar surveys may provide national fishery management with valuable insights and help improve conservation prospects for frigate tuna and other marine resources. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Gustatory responses in Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel)

Gustatory neural responses of the Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel) to extracted compounds of prey organisms, such as amino acids, nucleotide‐related substances, organic acids and organic bases, were electrophysiologically recorded from the facial nerve supplying the anterior palate. Of the 17 amino acids tested, l ‐proline was the most potent amino acid at 10^?2 M, and its threshold was the lowest at around 10^?6 M. l ‐leucine, l ‐methionine, l ‐alanine, l ‐valine and l ‐isoleucine were also highly stimulatory at 10^?2 M; however, the other 11 amino acids examined were not as effective or were ineffective. Thus, the gustatory receptors for amino acids of the Pacific bluefin tuna show a narrowly tuned response profile. Among the seven nucleotide‐related substances tested, uridine‐5′‐monophosphate, inosine‐5′‐monophosphate and adenosine‐5′‐diphosphate were highly stimulatory, and their thresholds were 10^?4–10^?5 M. Inosine elicited a positive response at 10^?2 M but its response magnitude was not so high. Organic acids l ‐lactic and pyruvic acids were effective at 10^?2 M, but no response was elicited at 10^?3 M. Among organic bases, betaine was highly stimulatory, and its response magnitude at 10^?2 M is almost equal to that of l ‐proline at the same concentration. The threshold for betaine was determined to be at around 10^?5 M. Trimethylamine oxide and ammonium chloride were ineffective.     

Whole-body heat transfer coefficient and body temperature change of juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus orientalis</Emphasis> according to growth

Bluefin tuna maintain a higher body temperature than ambient sea water. Body heat is derived mainly from metabolic heat to elevate and maintain regional body temperature that is higher than the ambient, while heat loss is caused by heat transfer throughout the whole body surface and gills. Retention of high body temperature is thought to differ at each growth stage, so that a larger body mass maintains a higher body temperature. We evaluated the whole-body heat transfer coefficient, thermal difference between each tissue and water temperature, and metabolic heat in tissues during swimming of juvenile bluefin tuna as a function of fork length (FL) using a small thermometer and a treadmill-type flow tank. A system for maintaining high body temperature was well developed in fish with FL greater than 20.0 cm. Whole-body heat transfer coefficient was fitted to a −0.695 power of mass. Juvenile bluefin tuna showed a transition speed of 3.0 FL/s at which they switched from aerobic to anaerobic motion.     

Why do young Pacific bluefin tuna repeatedly dive to depths through the thermocline?

Young Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis with archival tags were released in the East China Sea. Time-series data for depth, and ambient and peritoneal temperatures for nine fish, recorded every 128 s, were analyzed. Our objectives were to describe monthly changes in diving patterns in relation to the ambient thermal structure and the occurrence of feeding events during March–June, and to discuss possible reasons why bluefin tuna repeatedly dived to depths below the thermocline in terms of their thermoconservation mechanisms. It was found that the fish repeatedly dived through the thermocline at intervals of 1.2 h on average, and the dive frequency was high during March–May. However, the dive frequency and periodicity decreased in June, when the gradient became steeper. In contrast, feeding events increased in June. These results indicate that from March to May, bluefin tuna repeatedly dive because food biomass is inadequate at the surface, and they stop undertaking repeated dives in June when food becomes more readily available at the surface, in addition to low visibility caused by low solar radiation. Further, the range of heat transfer times for these fish was so long that their peritoneal temperature was probably maintained by engaging in brief dives. The periodicity of dives may lead to a lower fluctuation in the peritoneal temperature, suggesting that the dives are a kind of behavioral thermoregulation.     

基于将大西洋蓝鳍金枪鱼列入CITES附录Ⅰ提案的国际渔业管理分析

受国际市场对大西洋蓝鳍金枪鱼产品需求的驱动,非法、不报告、不管制捕捞和捕捞能力过剩等现象频频发生,造成该鱼类资源的数量持续下降。瑞典、摩纳哥先后向濒危野生动植物种国际贸易委员会提议将大西洋蓝鳍金枪鱼列入《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》附录,禁止捕捞和国际贸易该鱼种,引起了广泛关注和激烈争论。为此,通过分析ICCAT对大西洋蓝鳍金枪鱼的管理、相关国家或地区组织的不同意见,研究该提案可能对国际渔业管理及我国带来的影响。一旦该鱼种列入CITES附录,可能导致更多商业开发的水生生物被提到CITES框架上来,从而影响世界渔业的管理格局。对此,中国应采取行动,积极参加国际组织会议,参与规则制定,反映中国关注问题与主张。而作为联合国海洋法公约和ICCAT的一员,我国也有义务与其他国家合作执行ICCAT的养护和管理措施,为提高履约能力,规范国内远洋企业的管理,如按照相关要求及时、准确报送数据等,从而配合国家履行国际义务。     

漂流人工集鱼装置随附鱼群中鲯鳅的生物学特征

漂流人工集鱼装置(fish aggregation devices,FAD)在金枪鱼围网渔业中被广泛地应用于诱集捕捞金枪鱼类。鲯鳅作为漂流FAD诱集鱼群中最为常见的兼捕种类之一,研究其生物学特性有助于了解其种群结构,对于合理保护该资源具有重要意义。利用2010-2013年间中西太平洋金枪鱼围网渔业科学观察员在5°N~10°S,145°E~170°E海域内收集的189尾鲯鳅样本,对其叉长分布、性比、性成熟度及摄食等生物学特性进行研究。结果表明:鲯鳅叉长范围为10.0~126.3 cm,优势叉长为70.0~100.0 cm,占总数的66.7%;雌雄性别比为4.1∶1;样本以性成熟(Ⅴ~Ⅵ期)个体为主,占总数的73.6%,50%性成熟叉长(L50)为49.95 cm;76.0%的样本为空胃,而实胃中频现其它常见的小型随附鱼种,如鲣(Katsuwonus pelamis)的幼鱼、细鳞圆鲹(Decapterus macarellus)、六带鲹(Caranx sexfasciatus)、疣鳞鲀(Canthidermis maculata)和单角革鲀(Aluterus monoceros)。渔业生物学信息表明漂流FAD下的鲯鳅群体以性成熟的大型个体为主,FAD对于雌鱼具有更强的聚集效果,觅食是鲯鳅游向漂流物的可能动机之一。     

东太平洋大眼金枪鱼自由鱼群栖息地偏好的时空分布特征

摘 要：本研究基于美洲间热带金枪鱼委员会收集的2015-2017年东太平洋金枪鱼围网金枪鱼自由鱼群捕捞数据和相匹配的卫星遥感数据,使用二阶提升回归树模型(Boosted regression trees, BRTs)建立了该鱼群的栖息地,以探究其时空分布特征。研究结果表明,相对于环境因子,空间因子对大眼金枪鱼自由鱼群的丰度有更大的影响。环境因子方面,纬度、经度、混合层深度、月份和海表面温度是影响大眼金枪鱼捕捞成功概率的主要影响因子,而影响丰度的主要因子为经度和海表面叶绿素浓度。空间上,大眼金枪鱼主要处于10°S以南, 95°W以西的海域。在2016年7-9月和2017年2-4月中,BRTs模型预测的空间分布显示一些高度密集的自由鱼群分别栖息在远离海岸,经度为150°W,纬度为0°的赤道海域和经度为120°W,纬度为10°S附近的海域。时间序列上,大眼金枪鱼丰度月平均值的年际间变化差异很小,月间差异较大,在7月达到最高值,但在8月份立刻下降到最低值。本研究的结果可以为东太平洋大眼金枪鱼的资源养护和管理提供参考依据。     

印度洋温带海域长鳍金枪鱼延绳钓渔获组成分析

根据2008年3～5月"中荣6号"在印度洋温带公海(19°35'S～32°01'S,58°25'E～75°52'E)金枪鱼延绳钓渔业的调查,期间共投钩45航次,钓获27种鱼类,包括金枪鱼类(1 730尾,占总渔获尾数的58.5%),剑旗鱼类(175尾,5.92%),软骨鱼类(187,6.32%)和其他鱼类(865尾,29.25%)。分析了延绳钓渔获物的长度和重量组成和渔获组成的影响因素,并提出减少兼捕渔获的对策。     

Standardized catch and survival rates,and effect of a ban on shark retention,Palau pelagic longline fishery

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