STREAM Initiative: support to regional aquatic resources management: a NACA strategy for rural development

(PDF contains 9 pages.)

The STREAM Initiative: support to regional aquatic resources management. Promoting participation, communication, and policies that support the livelihoods of poor aquatic resource users in the Asia-Pacific. Memorandum

Throughout the Asia-Pacific region capture fisheries and certain less intensive forms of aquaculture can and do play a vital role in livelihoods management, food security, and health and nutrition. Knowledge and experience exist that could be more effectively used in policy for poverty alleviation. (PDF contains 89 pages)

Accelerating loss of seagrasses across the globe threatens coastal ecosystems

Coastal ecosystems and the services they provide are adversely affected by a wide variety of human activities. In particular, seagrass meadows are negatively affected by impacts accruing from the billion or more people who live within 50 km of them. Seagrass meadows provide important ecosystem services, including an estimated $1.9 trillion per year in the form of nutrient cycling; an order of magnitude enhancement of coral reef fish productivity; a habitat for thousands of fish, bird, and invertebrate species; and a major food source for endangered dugong, manatee, and green turtle. Although individual impacts from coastal development, degraded water quality, and climate change have been documented, there has been no quantitative global assessment of seagrass loss until now. Our comprehensive global assessment of 215 studies found that seagrasses have been disappearing at a rate of 110 square kilometers per year since 1980 and that 29% of the known areal extent has disappeared since seagrass areas were initially recorded in 1879. Furthermore, rates of decline have accelerated from a median of 0.9% per year before 1940 to 7% per year since 1990. Seagrass loss rates are comparable to those reported for mangroves, coral reefs, and tropical rainforests and place seagrass meadows among the most threatened ecosystems on earth.

Poverty reduction and aquatic resources

The Millennium Development Goals call for a reduction in the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day to half the 1990 level by 2015. This means reducing from 28.3 percent of all people in low and middle income economies to 14.2 percent. The Goals also call for halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger between 1990 and 2015. If projected growth remains on track, global poverty rates will fall to 13 percent – less than half the 1990 level – and 360 million more people will avert extreme poverty. So while poverty would not be eradicated, that would bring us much closer to the day when we can say that all the world's people have at least the bare minimum to eat and clothe themselves. (Pdf contains 9 pages).

Final report of the Support to Regional Aquatic Resources Management (STREAM): a NACA networking initiative

The governing council of Naca has resolved to effect a shift in emphasis from aquaculture development to aquaculture for development. This will require engaging partners from a broad spectrum of government and development agencies, the nature of the information that will need to be gathered and the strategies used for disseminating information and initiating action. The vehicle for operationalising this shift is STREAM - Support to Regional Aquatic Resources Management. This report outlines the nature of the STREAM network, its relationship to NACA's vision, mission, objectives and operating principles, and how STREAM differs from previous NACA's networks. Because STREAM is different, a theoretical basis for network communication is presented along with an outline of the preliminary steps in getting the network up and running. (Pdf contains 33 pages).

Assistance in poverty alleviation through improved aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: GVT/NACA-STREAM/FAO International Workshop on livelihoods approaches and analysis. Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, 2-6 Feb. 2004

This is the report of the “GVT/NACA-STREAM/FAO International Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis” that was conducted in Ranchi, India from 2-6 February 2004. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and document mechanisms for training in livelihoods approaches and analysis, and to build national capacity to conduct livelihoods analysis. The workshop in Ranchi was a joint India-Nepal event, with colleagues coming to participate from Kathmandu and other areas of Nepal. The workshop in Ranchi was the second in a series, the first of which was held in Iloilo City, Philippines, in November 2003. Subsequent workshops will take place in other countries in the region, including Lao PDR, Myanmar and Yunnan, China. (Pdf contains 48 pages).

Assistance in poverty alleviation through improved aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: DLF/NACA-STREAM/FAO National Workshop on livelihoods approaches and analysis. Vientiane, Lao PDR, 8-12 Mar. 2004

This is the report of the “DLF/NACA-STREAM/FAO National Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis” that was conducted in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 8-12 March 2004. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and document mechanisms for training in livelihoods approaches and analysis, and to build national capacity to conduct livelihoods analysis. The workshop in Vientiane was the first STREAM event in Lao PDR, with colleagues coming to participate from Vientiane and many provinces throughout the country. The workshop in Vientiane was the third in a series, the first of which was held in Iloilo City, Philippines, in November 2003 and the second in Ranchi, India, in February, 2004. Subsequent workshops will take place in other countries in the region, including Myanmar and Yunnan, China. (Pdf contains 59 pages).

Assistance in poverty alleviation through improved aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: Yunnan DOA/NACA-STREAM/FAO Workshop on livelihoods approaches and analysis. Mengzi, Yunnan, China, 6-10 Sep. 2004

This is the report of the “Yunnan DOA/NACA-STREAM/FAO Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis” that was conducted in Mengzi, Yunnan from 6-10 September 2004. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and document mechanisms for training in livelihoods approaches and analysis, and to build national capacity to conduct livelihoods analysis. The workshop in Yunnan was the first STREAM event in China, with colleagues coming to participate from throughout the province. It was the fifth workshop in a series, the first of which was held in Iloilo City, Philippines, in November 2003, the second in Ranchi, India, in February 2004, third in Vientiane, Lao PDR, in March 2004 and the fourth in Yangon, Myanmar, in May 2004. (Pdf contains 44 pages).

Assistance in poverty alleviation through improved aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: BFAR/NACA-STREAM/FAO Workshop on livelihoods approaches and analysis. Iloilo City, Philippines, 24-28 Nov. 2003

This is the report of the “BFAR/NACA-STREAM/FAO Workshop on Livelihoods Approaches and Analysis” that was conducted in Iloilo City, Philippines from 24-28 November 2003. The main purpose of the workshop was to develop and document mechanisms for training in livelihoods approaches and analysis, and to build national capacity to conduct livelihoods analysis. The workshop in Iloilo was the first in a series which will take place in other countries in the region, including India (with Nepal), Lao PDR, Myanmar and Yunnan, China. (Pdf contains 53 pages).

Hydroacoustic evaluation of spawning red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) aggregations along the coast of Puerto Rico in 2002 and 2003

Red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) have been overfished in the Caribbean and were included with seven other regional grouper species deemed vulnerable to risk of extinction. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources desired to map spawning red hind aggregations within commonwealth waters as part of their resource management program for the species. Mobile hydroacoustic surveys were conducted over 3-day periods in 2002 and 2003, indexed to the full moon phase in February or March when red hind were known to aggregate. Four vessels concurrently sampled the southwest, south, and southeast coasts of Puerto Rico in 2002. In 2003, three vessels conducted complementary surveys of the northwest, north, and northeast coasts of the island, completing a circuit of the coastal shelf-spawning habitat. These surveys indicated that red hind spawning aggregations were prevalent along the south and west coasts, and sparse along the north coast during the survey periods. Highest spawning red hind concentrations were observed in three areas offshore of the west coast of Puerto Rico, around Mona and Desecheo islands (20,443 and 10,559 fish/km2, respectively) and in the Bajo de Cico seasonal closed area (4,544 fish/km2). Following both 2002 and 2003 surveys, a series of controlled acoustic measurements of known local fish species in net pens were conducted to assess the mean target strength (acoustic backscatter) of each group. Ten species of fish were measured, including red hind (E. guttatus), coney (E. fulvus), white grunt (Haemulon plumieri), pluma (Calamus pennatula), blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), squirrel fish (Holocentrus spp.), black durgeon (Melichtyhs niger), ocean file fish (Canthidermis sufflamen), ocean surgeon fish (Acanthurus bahianus), and butter grouper (Mycteroperca spp.). In general, the mean target strength results from the caged fish experiments were in agreement with published target strength length relationships, with the exception of white grunt and pluma.

System requirement report for Level 2 – national management institutions, for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the Philippines

This report presents the findings from a thorough literature review, workshops, and group and individual interviews conducted by STREAM in the Philippines in November and December 2003. The ambitious scope of the report combined with the limited time frame and funding available to compile it necessitated the extensive use of secondary data, including both published and unpublished material written by staff of the agencies / organisations involved, with very limited editing of material used. All possible efforts were made to generate information in participation with the government institutions responsible for managing the fisheries, and all contributors (as well as many other stakeholders) were provided with multiple opportunities to comment on the report content. The contributors are listed on the front page of the report. (Pdf contains 56 pages).

Framework for a pro-poor regional strategy on sustainable aquatic resources management in Asia-Pacific: a statement of understanding and recommendations

This statement was prepared by the participants of the FAO/NACA-STREAM Workshop on Aquatic Resources and Livelihoods: Connecting Policy and People, 17-19 March 2005, in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. This was the concluding event of the FAO Technical Cooperation Program (TCP) project entitled “Assistance in Poverty Alleviation through Improved Aquatic Resources Management in Asia-Pacific.” The purpose of the workshop was to review and share experiences of the NACA-STREAM Initiative, build consensus on the value of livelihoods approaches in aquatic resources management and poverty alleviation, and identify ways of promoting livelihoods approaches throughout the region. (Pdf contains 2 pages).

Investigation of unusual mortalities of bottlenose dolphins along the mid-Texas coastal bay ecosystem during 1992

An investigation was conducted into the deaths of more than 220 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that occurred within the coastal bay ecosystem of mid-Texas between January and May 1992. The high mortality rate was unusual in that it was limited to a relatively small geographical area, occurred primarily within an inshore bay system separated from the Gulf of Mexico by barrier islands, and coincided with deaths of other taxa including birds and fish. Factors examined to determine the potential causes of the dolphin mortalities included microbial pathogens, natural biotoxins, industrial pollutants, other environmental contaminants, and direct human interactions. Emphasis was placed on nonpoint source pesticide runoff from agricultural areas, which had resulted from record rainfall that occurred during the period of increased mortality. Analytical results from sediment, water, and biota indicated that biotoxins, trace metals, and industrial chemical contamination were not likely causative factors in this mortality event. Elevated concentrations of pesticides (atrazine and aldicarb) were detected in surface water samples from bays within the region, and bay salinities were reduced to <10 ppt from December 1991 through April 1992 due to record rainfall and freshwater runoff exceeding any levels since 1939. Prolonged exposure to low salinity could have played a significant role in the unusual mortalities because low salinity exposure may cause disruption of the permeability barrier in dolphin skin. The lack of established toxicity data for marine mammals, particularly dermal absorption and bioaccumulation, precludes accurate toxicological interpretation of results beyond a simple comparison to terrestrial mammalian models. Results clearly indicated that significant periods of agricultural runoff and accompanying low salinities co-occurred with the unusual mortality event in Texas, but no definitive cause of the mortalities was determined. (PDF file contains 25 pages.)

A summary of recent studies on the Salamander, Ambystoma mabeei

Ambystoma mabeei, a small relatively uncommon salamander of the sub-genus Linguaelapsus, is limited in distribution to the coastal plain of North and South Carolina. First described in 1928, few specimens have been collected and details of its biology have remained essentially unknown. (PDF contains 3 pages)

Our water resources and their conservation

Life history, habits, structure, industry, conservation efforts for: Blue Crabs; Oyster; Fin fishes - shad, rock, croaker; Sport fish and fishing - marine and fresh-water; other aquatic forms - Diamondback terrapin, muskrat. Problems that confront husbandry and conservation of the commercial species, while many of the fish types found in the Chesapeake Bay are superior from the sportive viewpoint. (PDF contains 103 pages)