Multiple stable reference points in oyster populations: implications for reference point-based management

In the second of two companion articles, a 54-year time series for the oyster population in the New Jersey waters of Delaware Bay is analyzed to examine how the presence of multiple stable states affects reference-point–based management. Multiple stable states are described by four types of reference points. Type I is the carrying capacity for the stable state: each has associated with it a type-II reference point wherein surplus production reaches a local maximum. Type-II reference points are separated by an intermediate surplus production low (type III). Two stable states establish a type-IV reference point, a point-of-no-return that impedes recovery to the higher stable state. The type-II to type-III differential in surplus production is a measure of the difficulty of rebuilding the population and the sensitivity of the population to collapse at high abundance. Surplus production projections show that the abundances defining the four types of reference points are relatively stable over a wide range of uncertainties in recruitment and mortality rates. The surplus production values associated with type-II and type-III reference points are much more uncertain. Thus, biomass goals are more easily established than fishing mortality rates for oyster population

A Low-level Geographic Information System for coastal zone management, with application to Brunei Darussalam. Part II:: Economic analysis of trawling in Brunei Darussalam

Economic analysis of the trawl fishery of Brunei Darussalam was conducted using cost and returns analysis and based on an economic survey of trawlers and B:RUN, a low-level geographic information system. Profitability indicators were generated for the trawl fleet under various economic and operational scenarios. The results show that financial profits are earned by trawlers which operate off Muara, particularly those with high vessel capacity, and that these profits could be further enhanced. On the other hand, a similar fleet operating off Tutong would generate profits due mainly to high fish biomass. Trawling operations offshore are deemed financially unfeasible. Incorporating realistic opportunity costs and externalities for existing trawl operations off Muara results in economic losses.

Traditional institutions and their role in the contemporary coastal resource management in the Pacific Islands

A discussion is presented on the role played by customary marine tenure (CMT) institutions in the regulation of fisheries in the Pacific Ocean Islands. Particular reference is made to the system in operation in Marovo Lagoon, in the Solomon Islands, whereby a number of defined clans control resource use within defined areas of land and sea. It is believed that such systems have considerable capacity for handling and adapting to new circumstances, thereby becoming potentially important tools in the contemporary management of fisheries and of the coastal zone in general.

On the way to management of west Sumatra's coastal ecosystem

Various impacts on the coast of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra are presented together with activities and achievements to address them, e.g. public awareness, public relations and capacity building, including the establishment of a marine protected area.

European Union supports project to strengthen fisheries and biodiversity management in African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries

Proper resource management implies a better understanding of ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. Scientists from developing countries often have limited information on their aquatic resources because of many difficulties in accessing and exchanging information on a national and international level. The project described not only aims to strengthen the scientific capacity of fisheries scientists in ACP institutions but it is also expected to create an awareness among fisheries researchers and managers of the importance of conserving biodiversity for the sustainable use of living aquatic resources. This will be achieved through training, building a network of regional and transregional cooperation using modern communication facilities, the promotion of research and the distribution and improvement of fisheries management tools. It is hoped that these capabilities will enable fisheries scientists in ACP countries to actively contribute towards a discussion to solve common problems originating from the endangering of the ecological basis of their fisheries.

Fish quality and processing in Malawi: responding to challenges through institutional capacity building

Fish processing and quality control in Malawi are still poorly developed. Traditional fish processing methods are widely employed resulting in considerable post-harvest losses. One of the major challenges to steady and sustainable development in fish processing and quality management is the lack of adequately trained personel. This is directly reflected in poor institutional capacity. This project analyses the situation in fish processing and quality management in Malawi to identify gaps that require improvement. Specifically, the project assesses the role of training institutions in Malawi in capacity building for fish processing and quality management. The institution under discussion in this project is the Aquaculture and Fisheries Science Department at Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi which is responsible for training students in aquaculture and fisheries science at the undergraduate level.Improvement in the teaching of fish processing and quality management in the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Science was identified as the major gap requiring action. The current teaching syllabus was thus analysed to identify weak areas. In conclusion, the project developed (as the major output) a teaching handbook for the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Science.

Participatory action research on climate risk management, Bangladesh

The rural populations of southern Bangladesh are some of the most vulnerable communities in the world to the future impacts of climate change. They are particularly at risk from floods, waterlogged soils, and increasing salinity of both land and water. The objective of this project was to analyze the vulnerability of people in four villages that are experiencing different levels of soil salinity. The study evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of current coping strategies and assessed the potential of an index-based insurance scheme, designed diversification and better information products to improve adaptive capacity.

Community water access, availability and management in the Tonle Sap region, Cambodia.

During the rollout of CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) in Tonle Sap in 2013, water management was highlighted as one of the key development challenges. With limited capacity to regulate water, the situation oscillates between too much water in the wet season and too little water in the dry season. Access to and availability of water were seen by local communities as major limitations for aquatic and agricultural production, impacting on functions that include the lake fishery, intensive (dry season) rice crops, recession rice, rainfed rice and floating rice by the lakeside. For both fish and rice production, water and water management are determined principally by the natural flooding of the Tonle Sap Lake. This study is based on a community survey on water access, availability and management and was conceived out of the AAS consultation process and was developed to help identify existing practices in water use and management, as well as best practices where lessons can be learned and promising activities scaled out to other communities. The community survey also aims to understand, identify and analyze constraints and opportunities related to water, and includes a gender perspective to better understand the role of women in water management and use.

Report of the postgraduate certificate course on integrated coastal management, Bangkok, Thailand, 21 January - 1 March, 2013

Student projects included: conservation and protection of critical coral habitats in Phuket; assessing the carrying capacity on conservation and protection strategies; proactive stakeholder strategy to tackle an environmental threat; improving the environmental management through participation and sustainable freshwater management. All of these projects were conducted on Racha Yai Island in Phuket.

Report of the BOBLME fishing capacity workshop, Phuket, Thailand, 12-13 January, 2015

The workshop focused on capacity utilisation estimation using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the fishing capacity of fleets.

Impacts of fishing gears, fishing methods and fishing effort in the fisheries of Lake Victoria and proposals for management

The initial subsistence fisheries of Lake Victoria were dominated by two indigenous tilapiines, Oreochromis esculentus (Graham 1929) and Oreochromis variabilis Boulenger 1906, exploited with simple fishing crafts and gears that had little impact on the fish stocks (Jackson 1971). Commercial fisheries, targeting the tilapia fishery, started at the beginning of the 20th Centurywhen cotton flax gillnets were first introduced in 1905 into the Nyanza Gulf in Kenya. Gillnets were quickly adopted around the whole lake and consequently, the native methods of fishing soon died out (Jackson 1971). Following the introduction of gillnets, fishing boats and their propulsion methods were also improved. These improvements in fishing capacity coincided with development of urban centres and increasing human population around the lake, which increased the demand for fishery products. To satisfy the increasing demand, fishing effort increased greatly during the 20th century, despite the decline of catch per unit of effort (CPUE) (Jackson 1971; Ogutu-Ohwayo 1990). The initial catch rates of 127mm (5 inch) mesh size gill nets in the tilapia-based fishery, in 1905, was in the range of 50 to 100 fish per gillnet of approximately 50 m in length. However, twenty years later, the catch rates of gillnets of the same mesh size had declined to about six fish per net and gillnets of smaller mesh sizes, which had better catch rates, had been introduced suggesting overfishing (Worthington and Worthington, 1933).

Socio-economic aspects of Nabugabo satellite lakes, fisheries and their implications for management

A number of fish species once native only to Lakes Victoria and Kyoga have considerably declined over the years, and in some cases disappeared, due to over exploitation, introduction of exotic species especially the Nile Perch, and environmental degradation resulting from human activities. Some of the species have been observed to survive in satellite lakes in the Victoria and Kyoga Lake basins. The Nabugabo satellite lakes contain the endemic Cichlid fish species, Oreochromis esculentus and two haplochromine species previously found only in Lake Nabugabo. There is, therefore, need to conserve these species by ensuring sustainable use and management of the resources. The study revealed that the Nabugabo lakes provide a range of socio-economic benefits accruing from fishing, farming, logging, resort beach development and watering of animals. However, although these activities impact on the lakes ecosystems, the participation of resource users in management is limited because of the weak local management institutions operating on the lakes, hence the need to strengthen them through capacity building. It is recommended that Government should work jointly with the beach committees and fishing community in a participatory way to eliminate the use of destructive fishing practices and control the other environment degrading activities.

WFF-WFFP-ICSF-CIC: national workshop on capacity-building for the implementation of the voluntary guidelines for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries (SSF guidelines) - report, 21 and 22 March 2016 Multi-Purpose Hall, India International Centre, New Delhi, India

The report of the proceedings of the New Delhi workshop on the SSF Guidelines (Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication). The workshop brought together 95 participants from 13 states representing civil society organizations. governments, FAO, and fishworker organizations from both the marine and inland fisheries sectors. This report will be found useful for fishworker organizations, researchers, policy makers, members of civil society and anyone interested in small-scale fisheries, tenure rights, social development, livelihoods, post harvest and trade and disasters and climate change.