Non-commercial invertebrate discards in an experimental trammel net fishery

Abstract  Non-commercial invertebrate discards in an experimental trammel net fishery were studied in relation to selectivity of the gear, depth, soak time and season. Forty experimental fishing trials were carried out over a 1-year period with six combinations of small mesh (100, 120 and 140 mm) inner and large mesh (600 and 800 mm) outer panels. On average, 43.8 ± 12.2 (SD) (individuals 1000 m⁻¹ of net) of non-commercial invertebrates were discarded, accounting for 48% and 65% of the total catch and total discards by numbers, respectively. Within non-commercial invertebrates discards, the six most abundant species by number were Phallusia mammillata (Cuvier) (27.5%), Cymbium olla (L.) (13.0%), Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck) (11.3%), Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck) (10.9%), Astropartus mediterraneus (Risso) (8.2%) and Astropecten aranciacus (L.) (8.1%); Echinoderms (43.1%) particularly important. The highest and lowest discard ratios were found in autumn and winter, respectively. Discards generally decreased with depth, varied considerably in relation to soak time and were not related to mesh size combinations. Trammel nets seem to be the most important gear in terms of ecological impacts on benthic invertebrates compared with other coastal fishing gears and at the depths studied (15–60 m).     

Optimising codend configuration in a multispecies demersal trawl fishery

Abstract The relative efficiencies and selectivities of conventional and modified codends were examined in a demersal trawl fishery targeting several species, including eastern king prawns, Penaeus plebejus (Hess), whiting, Sillago spp. and cephalopods. The modifications to codends included: (i) reducing the circumference; (ii) increasing the mesh size in conventional diamond‐mesh designs; and (iii) orientating meshes on the bar so that they were square shaped. The codends were tested against a fine‐meshed control in paired comparisons onboard three commercial trawlers. The conventional codend comprised 41‐mm diamond‐shaped mesh attached to an anterior extension section at a ratio of 150 to 100 meshes and was demonstrated to be non‐selective for the targeted species. Reducing codend circumference to 100 meshes and increasing the size of mesh to 45 mm both improved selection for eastern king prawns, but the lateral mesh openings were estimated to be insufficient to allow juveniles of the other key species to escape. By contrast, codends made from 35‐ and 41‐mm mesh hung on the bar improved the size selection for eastern king prawns and selected stout whiting, Sillago robusta (Stead) (the smallest commercial‐sized fish) across narrow selection ranges and at 50% sizes of retention (L₅₀s) that were closely correlated to the transverse morphology of fish and the maximum mesh opening. With the exception of a reduction in catches of octopus, Octopus spp., by the 41‐square codend, there were no other impacts on commercial catches by the square‐mesh designs. It was concluded that diamond‐mesh codends are inappropriate for use throughout this multispecies fishery and that a modified design comprising at least 35‐mm mesh hung on the bar is required to minimise the fishing mortality of unwanted sizes of the key target species. The results are discussed in terms of the utility of these types of modifications for closely regulating selection in penaeid‐shrimp trawls.     

两岸携手养护厦金海域海洋生物资源策略探讨

金厦海域生物资源丰富,曾是厦门和金门渔民传统的生产渔场。近年来随着两地经济的发展,该海域的海洋生态的损害逐步加重,渔业资源严重衰退,海洋生物多样性遭受重大损害。显然,两岸携手进行该海域的海洋生态养护是十分必要的。本文通过分析该海域的海洋生物资源的基本情况及厦门和金门多年来开展的渔业资源养护工作及其效果,提出两岸携手养护厦金海域渔业资源的合作机制,并建议合作开展海洋环境质量调查,渔业生产现状调查,增殖放流,鱼类栖地再造,划设渔业资源保护区等工作。     

Reflections on the influence of a synthesis of circle‐hook evidence on the angling community and conservation policy and practice

1. Understanding how different forms of environmental evidence inform the actions of different stakeholders is useful to improve how we share knowledge with knowledge users. Reflections on a literature review that we published in 2004 on circle hooks as a tool for fish conservation in the recreational fishing sector identified a number of ways in which that synthesis was influential.
2. The article has had direct influence on policy and regulations in a number of countries, but there were even more examples of where the article has been used to influence voluntary guidelines. The article also contributed to formally defining circle hooks, which was necessary from a regulatory and enforcement perspective.
3. The recreational fishing community has also embraced the work, with numerous angling articles based on the literature review appearing in the media and with some angler organizations pushing for the adoption of circle hooks. The fishing tackle industry has also responded with evidence that circle hooks are now more widely available in stores with more hook design options to suit diverse recreational fisheries. In addition, the influence of the article has extended beyond the recreational sector to commercial fishery issues that span several taxa. The research agenda from the article helped to direct research for more than a decade and has since been updated.
4. Overall, this review was timely in that it provided various knowledge users with credible information synthesized in a thoughtful manner at a time when there was interest and need in exploring circle hooks as a tool to enhance the conservation of angled fish. Although this was not a systematic review, it still served as a form of evidence synthesis that gave diverse knowledge users information to guide them in their decisions.

     

Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) bycatch in Canadian pelagic longline fisheries: Relative importance in the western North Atlantic and opportunities for mitigation

Little is known about the ecology of loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, in Canadian waters. However, Canada's eastern waters off the Scotian Shelf, Georges Bank and Grand Banks appear to be seasonal foraging habitats based on dates and locations where they have been captured as fishery bycatch. Estimates derived from data recorded by the international observer program (IOP) and used for this study suggest that thousands of mostly immature loggerheads have been captured in the Canadian pelagic longline fishery (PLF) in the western North Atlantic since 1999. These data suggest that the PLFs for tuna and swordfish are among the most important causes of incidental capture. Although U.S. and Canadian bycatch estimation methods differ and uncertainty associated with the estimates is high, it is clear from the IOP data that bycatch in the Canadian PLF is substantial and roughly within the same magnitude as that reported for the entire U.S. fleet in the North Atlantic for the same period (1999–2005). Analysis of bycatch observer data from the Canadian PLF and other empirical data suggests that fishing at temperatures below 20 °C using fish rather than squid bait and size-18 circle hooks could reduce loggerhead bycatch and mortality. However, research is needed to identify the best options and their commercial viability. Loggerheads that use Canadian Maritime waters are one of the least studied groups of loggerheads in the world, so systematic long-term studies on the ecology of loggerheads in Canada would help fill important information gaps and assist in developing effective recovery plans for this species.     

海洋渔业转型系统的构建及运行机制分析

海洋渔业转型系统的构建是一个复杂的工程,主要由原因子系统、动力子系统、支持子系统和目标子系统四部分构成,各子系统之间相互作用,相互制约,维护着系统的稳定性。当然,要保证整个系统的顺利运行还需要一系列的保障条件,主要包括物质资本、人力资本、风险、技术、环境、社会服务及政府政策等各方面的保障因素,各个方面都影响着转型的每一个环节和每一个过程。     

渔业发展的主体及其行为分析

渔业发展的进程和结果取决于相应的经济主体在发展过程中的行为策略。演化经济学从个体行为的层面很好地解释了推动经济发展的深层因素。论文基于演化经济学的研究视角,针对我国渔业发展的现状,分析了经济主体尚未完全确立、经济主体的行为能力缺乏、所处的市场环境不完善等问题。提出培育具有独立经济行为的主体,使其具有主动适应外部市场环境变化的行为能力,以及完善相应的市场机制的运行,是实现渔业持续发展的关键所在。     

计算机在渔政管理中的应用——捕捞许可证数据库网络系统

作者介绍了《捕捞许可证数据库网络系统》，这是借鉴国内外管理经验提出的，最终实现大连市渔政部门与所属各县区形成一个渔政管理的计算机通讯网络，为进入“全国渔业管理信息系统工程”做基础准备，其目的利用现有渔政设施逐步提高宏观调控能力，循序渐进达到科学化、规范化的管理效果，使渔业生产获取最佳的经济效益和社会效益。     

全国海洋水产类高校学报被引计量指标的统计与分析

期刊被引计量指标，包括总被引频次、影响因子、即年指标、他引率和被引半衰期等5项计量指标。这些指标主要显示该期刊被读者使用和重视的程度，以及在科学交流中的地位和作用，是评价期刊质量高低的重要依据和客观标准。为了全面、准确、公正、客观地评价和利用全国海洋水产类高校学报，对其被引计量指标中最重要的前3项分别进行统计与分析的结果表明，提高学报的被引计量指标应采取以下措施：(1)努力提高编辑质量：(2)加强组约稿工作；(3)加快编辑流程，尽快缩短出版时滞；(4)重视并增加交叉学科论文的发表。     

Quantifying uncertainty in the wild‐caught fisheries goal of the Ocean Health Index

Sustainability indices are proliferating, both to help synthesize scientific understanding and inform policy. However, it remains poorly understood how such indices are affected by underlying assumptions of the data and modelling approaches used to compute indicator values. Here, we focus on one such indicator, the fisheries goal within the Ocean Health Index (OHI), which evaluates the sustainable provision of food from wild fisheries. We quantify uncertainty in the fisheries goal status arising from the (a) approach for estimating missing data (i.e., fish stocks with no status) and (b) reliance on a data‐limited method (catch‐MSY) to estimate stock status (i.e., B/B_MSY). We also compare several other models to estimate B/B_MSY, including an ensemble approach, to determine whether alternative models might reduce uncertainty and bias. We find that the current OHI fisheries goal model results in overly optimistic fisheries goal statuses. Uncertainty and bias can be reduced by (a) using a mean (vs. median) gap‐filling approach to estimate missing stock scores and (b) estimating fisheries status using the central tendency from a simulated distribution of status scores generated by a bootstrap approach that incorporates error in B/B_MSY. This multitiered approach to measure and describe uncertainty improves the transparency and interpretation of the indicator and allows us to better understand uncertainty around our OHI fisheries model and outputs for country‐level interpretation and use.