Variability in conspecific predation among longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox in the western Indian Ocean

ABSTRACT:   Conspecific predation among longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox was investigated in four spatio-temporal strata of the western Indian Ocean. The cannibalism level varied from 0 to 45.5% by frequency of occurrence and was negatively related with abundance of non-evasive prey (such as crustaceans Charybdis smithii and Natosquilla investigatoris ) and foraging success. Predation by lancetfish is often described as a non-selective process, constrained by local prey availability and by its feeding speed during an attack of prey. Our results show that lancetfish may adapt its opportunistic foraging behavior, feeding on non-conspecific abundant prey such as crustaceans when available, and switching to a high level of conspecific predation in poor waters.     

我国远洋渔业发展现状、面临问题与对策浅析

从远洋渔业的概念和发展远洋渔业的目的与意义入手,对我国远洋渔业近40年来的行业发展进行了简要梳理。通过总结远洋渔业行业发展现状及面临的主要问题,结合新形势下我国面临的内外部环境条件,提出该行业未来发展的应对策略及相关建议。     

基于DEMATEL-ISM-MICMAC法中国远洋鱿钓渔业脆弱性指标选择与分析

远洋鱿钓渔业是我国远洋渔业的重要组成,该渔业极易受到环境等因素的影响。为可持续高质量发展我国远洋鱿钓渔业,本文结合脆弱性理论和方法,从气候与环境、物种、社会经济三大方面建立了我国远洋鱿钓渔业社会—生态系统脆弱性指标体系,运用决策试验与评价实验室(DEMATEL)法、解释结构模型(ISM)法以及交叉影响矩阵相乘(MICMAC)法对影响指标及其关联性进行分析。研究表明,鱿鱼渔业资源是最核心的因素,对我国远洋鱿钓渔业脆弱性起决定性作用;科技投入、政策与管理、捕捞强度是最具影响力或驱动力的因素;我国远洋鱿钓渔业脆弱性指标可分五大类,要把重点放在关联因素、调整因子和驱动因素上,其次为依赖因素,自主因素无需过多关注。研究认为,除渔业资源外,脆弱性系统可分为四个层级,长期监控L3和L4层指标,重视L2和L3层的指标,针对性地调整L1层指标,是保持我国远洋鱿钓渔业长期健康发展的有效路径。该研究不仅能识别影响我国远洋鱿钓渔业脆弱性的关键因素,同时可为远洋鱿钓渔业的科学管理提供理论指导,并为脆弱性实证评估奠定基础。     

银盘电站蓄水前后乌江下游产漂流性卵鱼类早期资源变化

为了探究水电开发对流域鱼类资源的影响,遏制生物多样性衰退的趋势,2009-2015年5-7月对乌江下游干流漂流性鱼卵进行阶段性调查,初步分析银盘电站蓄水前后产漂流性卵鱼类的自然繁殖变化。结果表明,调查期间共采集到鱼卵12种,包括犁头鳅（Lepturichthys fimbriata）、中华金沙鳅（Jinsha sinensis）、中华沙鳅（Botia superciliaris）、圆筒吻鮈（Rhinogobio cylindricus）、吻鮈（Rhinogobio typus）、长鳍吻鮈（Rhinogobio ventralis）、蛇鮈（Saurogobio dabryi）、花斑副沙鳅（Parabotia fasciata）、铜鱼（Coreius heterodon）、中华倒刺鲃（Spinibarbus sinensis）、翘嘴鲌（Culter alburnus）和蒙古鲌（Culter mongolicus）。漂流性鱼卵年资源量为1012.99万~18673.97万粒,鱼类产卵场自上而下分布有彭水、高谷、江口（杨家沱）、武隆（石鼻子）、土坎（桃子沟）、羊角6处。银盘电站蓄水后,乌江下游产漂流性卵鱼类的自然繁殖较蓄水前发生了显著变化。种类组成中,典型的流水生境繁殖类群减少,缓静水生境繁殖类群增加;产卵规模显著下降,以长鳍吻鮈、铜鱼、圆筒吻鮈、中华金沙鳅的减少尤为显著;产卵场减少并逐步往坝下压缩,数量由6处减少到3处,长度由35 km减少到18 km,位于银盘库区的彭水、高谷产卵场消失,江口产卵场规模显著减少。产漂流性卵鱼类的大规模产卵都在涨水时发生,不同种类产卵对水文条件的要求有所差异,大坝建设引起的栖息地萎缩和水文情势改变是导致乌江下游漂流性卵鱼类早期资源衰退的主要原因。建议采用水库生态调度补偿措施,通过合理下泄生态流量,加大脉冲流量和流水江段长度来满足重要鱼类的繁殖和早期发育需求,并结合人工增殖放流、鱼类基础监测和生态学研究等综合手段,强化乌江下游鱼类资源的生态修复。     

两种底拖网渔业资源调查船捕捞效率标准化分析

渔业资源科学调查是开展渔业资源状况评价、物种保护和管理等分析的重要数据来源，当调查方式发生变化时，维持数据的时间一致性至关重要。因此，原位试验获取不同调查方式的捕捞效率校正因子（fishing power correction，FPC）成为资源状况评价的先决条件。本研究通过平行拖网对比试验分析了科学调查船“中渔科211”（试验船）和生产性渔船“浙嵊渔10201-10243”（标准船）在开展渔业资源调查时对不同种类或类群的渔获率差异。结果表明，标准船和试验船平均渔获率分别为（47.27~1836.72）kg/nmile²和（12.28~311.85）kg/nmile²。标准船主要种类为小黄鱼（），渔获率范围分别为（1.17~1113.26）kg/nmile²和（0~565.39）kg/nmile²；试验船主要种类为鳀（），渔获率范围分别为（0~277.59）kg/nmile²和（0~125.24）kg/nmile²。2种调查方式对不同种类/组的渔获率随深度变化趋势出现分化，其中总渔获率、鱼类、银鲳（Apogonichthys lineatus）、绿鳍鱼（）8个种类/组表现为相似的变化趋势；甲壳类、细点圆趾蟹（Erisphex pottii）5个种类/组变化趋势相反；头足类、小黄鱼、龙头鱼在各深度变化具有异质性特征。这种变化与网口垂直扩张和所在水层位置有关。均值比和Kappenman方法估计的总渔获率FPC分别为0.35（95%置信区间为0.24~0.61）和0.43（95%置信区间为0.27~0.70），各种类渔获率均值比结果显示，FPC变化范围在0.03~2.61，其中总渔获率、鱼类、头足类、小黄鱼和绿鳍鱼达到显著水平，建议对上述种类的资源丰度指标年际变化趋势分析时进行数据校正。标准船以近底层种类为调查对象，尤其在捕获经济种类方面表现出优良性能，但对完整生态系统代表性较弱。试验船适合浅水区调查，在深水区由于网口垂直扩张不足，且网位存在上浮现象，难以反映近底层生态系统。     

中国海洋捕捞能力的计量与分析

采用数据包络分析方法,以渔船数、总吨位、总功率和专业劳动力为投入指标。以年捕捞产量为产出指标,对我国1994至2005年的近海捕捞与远洋渔业的捕捞能力与能力利用度进行了系统的计量,并以此为依据对我国渔业管理的政策绩效进行了量化分析,发现近年来近海捕捞的渔船数和捕捞劳力的过剩率得到了较好的控制,但渔船总吨位与总功率的过剩率却还处于相对较高的水平。说明目前我国近海增加捕捞能力的主要手段依然是提高渔船的总功率与总吨位,需要在今后的渔业管理中引起重视。通过近海与远洋渔业的比较研究发现,我国近海捕捞能力的实际过剩率已超过了50％,捕捞能力的利用水平不高且提高程度有限;而远洋渔业的能力利用度则尚有较大的提高空间。研究同时显示：我国近海捕捞能力利用度与远洋捕捞能力利用度两条曲线在每次远离后都有互相靠拢的趋势。表明我国远洋捕捞的能力利用度提高后,会吸引近海渔业的部分捕捞能力转入远洋渔业,在降低远洋渔业能力利用度的同时,减轻了近海渔业资源的捕捞压力,也使近海捕捞的能力利用度得以提高;反之,当远洋渔业的能力利用度相对近海渔业较低时,就会有一部分远洋渔业的捕捞能力转入近海捕捞,加大了近海的捕捞强度,使近海捕捞的能力利用度下降。所以,积极提高并保持远洋渔业的能力利用度,对缩减近海捕捞规模有较直接的影响。     

拖网渔船船-机-桨-网匹配研究

在拖网渔船的设计中,需要重点考虑螺旋桨与船-机的匹配、渔具与船-机-桨的匹配,实现推进系统的高效能发挥。本文引入时间概率的最佳螺旋桨参数优化确定方法,考虑拖网渔船设计的限制条件,通过优化分析,达到运营工况综合效能最佳,实现螺旋桨与船-机的合理匹配。从拖网渔船数据库中选取30艘运营状况优良的渔船进行有效拖力计算,建立拖网渔船有效拖力与主机功率和拖速的多元非线性回归方程,依据此方程得出的有效拖力结果选择网具和网板,实现有效拖力与渔具的合理匹配,最终实现渔具与船-机-桨的合理匹配。通过实船计算对比,验证了回归的有效拖力估算公式误差范围和适用性。研究表明:在拖网渔船设计初期,可以利用该公式估算有效拖力进行网具和网板的匹配,实现技术经济优化论证,最终实现船-机-桨-网的优化匹配。     

Are circle hooks effective in reducing incidental captures of loggerhead sea turtles in a Mediterranean longline fishery?

• 1. A known fishing hot spot for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea is in the waters of the Strait of Sicily where interactions with fish hooks and branchlines are believed to be a major cause of mortality for sea turtles.
• 2. Hooks with different shapes but a similar gape width (circle hook size 16/0 vs J hook size 2) were tested in order to determine the potential effectiveness of the hook design to both reduce sea turtle capture as well as to maintain acceptable levels of target species capture rates in a shallow‐set longline swordfish fishery in the Mediterranean.
• 3. Seven experimental fishing trips, 30 000 hooks total, were conducted on a single commercial fishing vessel (18 m in length) in the Strait of Sicily during the months of July through October over a period of three years from 2005 to 2007. Circle and J hooks were alternated along the mainline.
• 4. A total of 26 sea turtles were hooked, all immature‐size Caretta caretta. Turtles were caught at a statistically greater frequency on J hooks than on circle hooks. The capture rate, weight, and upper jaw fork length of the target species were not significantly different between the two types of hooks employed.
• 5. Five sea turtles swallowed the hook and in all such cases these were J type. Circle hooks tended to be located externally and were more easily detected by fishermen, and could be removed with the correct dehooking action before returning the turtle to the sea.
• 6. These findings suggest that 16/0 circle hooks can effectively reduce the incidental capture of immature loggerhead sea turtles in a Mediterranean swordfish longline fishery without affecting the catch size of the target species.

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental determinations of factors affecting the sink rates of baited hooks to minimize seabird mortality in pelagic longline fisheries

• 1. An experiment was conducted in Australia's pelagic longline fishery to establish a scientific basis for the introduction of line weighting to reduce seabird mortality. The experiment examined the effects of different bait species (blue mackerel, yellow‐tail mackerel and squid), bait life status (dead or alive), weight of leaded swivels (60 g, 100 g and 160 g) and leader length (distance between leaded swivel and hooks: 2 m, 3 m and 4 m) on the sink rates of baited hooks from 0–6 m deep.
• 2. On average, live bait sank much more slowly than dead bait. The sink rates of individual live bait were highly variable: many were <2 m underwater 18 s after deployment, including some on the heaviest swivels, and some were <10 m deep after 120 s.
• 3. Within the dead bait group, all three swivel weights on 3 m and 4 m leaders sank at similar rates. Initial sink rates (e.g. 0–2 m) were 2–3 times slower than final rates (e.g. 4–6 m) for all combinations of swivel weight and leader length. The fastest initial and final sink rates were associated with heavy swivels placed close to hooks.
• 4. The results show that (a) compared with dead bait, live bait greatly increases the exposure of baited hooks to seabirds; (b) initial sink rates of dead bait are increased by placing leaded swivels close to hooks and final rates by increasing the weight of the swivels; (c) adding weight to long leaders makes little difference to sink rates; and (d) the small (incremental) changes to swivel weights and leader lengths typically preferred by industry will be difficult to detect at sea and unlikely to substantially reduce seabird mortality.
• 5. We suggest that experiments designed to reduce seabird mortality from that associated with 60 g swivels and ～3.5 m leaders (the preferred option by industry) should aim to expedite the initial sink rates as well as rates to deeper depths. This objective could be achieved by including branch lines with ≥120 g swivels ≤2 m in comparative assessments of the effectiveness of line weighting regimes in reducing seabird mortality. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Habitat utilization and vertical movements of white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) released from commercial and recreational fishing gears in the western North Atlantic Ocean: inferences from short duration pop-up archival satellite tags

Researchers have applied numerous techniques to improve billfish stock assessments, including habitat‐based models that incorporate behavioral and oceanographic parameters to standardize historical catch‐per‐unit‐effort time‐series data. These methods have allowed researchers to account for significant changes in the depths of pelagic longline (PLL) gear deployments over time. This study presents habitat‐use data recovered from high‐resolution 5‐ and 10‐day pop‐up satellite archival tags (PSATs) attached to 47 surviving white marlin released from commercial and recreational fishing gears offshore of the U.S. East Coast, the northern Caribbean, and Venezuela between 2002 and 2004. Data recovered from transmitting tags indicated that white marlin spent nearly half of their time associated with warm, near‐surface waters (<10 m). All fish displayed frequent short duration (mean: 39.8 min) vertical excursions from surface waters to depths averaging 51 m. Qualitative and multivariate classifications of data from completely transmitted movements of surviving white marlin revealed two major types of descents: one pattern was characterized by deep ‘V’‐shaped excursions of relatively short duration (mean: 23.4 min) while the other featured descents that were more broadly ‘U’‐shaped and confined to a specific depth range for an extended period of time (mean: 75.8 min). Based on the frequency, persistence, and patterns of these vertical movements, white marlin appear to direct a considerable proportion of foraging effort well below surface waters, a behavior that may account for relatively high catch rates of white marlin on some deep‐set PLL deployments.