Investing in Africa: the WorldFish Center's African strategy in summary

Across much of Africa, freshwater and coastal fisheries provide an important source of food and livelihood for many millions of people. In addition, the aquaculture potential of the continent has only recently begun to be developed. To help sustain these capture fisheries, support the emergence of aquaculture and foster the contribution of both to sustainable livelihoods and improved food security, the WorldFish Center is increasing its investment in Africa. The framework for this investment is provided by a new Strategy for Africa and West Asia 2002-2006 that identifies priorities for the Center’s work in rivers and floodplains, lakes and reservoirs, coastal fisheries, aquaculture, policy research and capacity building. The present article summarizes the issues being addressed by the Center and describes initial research priorities.

African freshwater fisheries: what needs to be managed?

The management of African freshwater fisheries in Southern African Development Coordination (SADC) countries is discussed. Changes in catch and fishing effort in the SADC freshwater fisheries in the past 50 years, the main causes behind the patterns of change in fishing effort, the effects of fishing effort and environment on the regeneration of fish stocks, as well as existing and proposed fisheries management regulations are investigated.

Comparative study of hatching rates of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell 1822) eggs on different substrates

The hatching rates of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) eggs on four natural substrates: the roots of Nile cabbage (Pistia stratiotes), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), pond weed (Ceratophyllum dermasum) and green grass leaves (Commelina sp.), and four artificial substrates: sisal mats, nylon mats, papyrus mats and kakaban mats, was assessed. Concrete slabs were used as control. The natural substrates performed better than the artificial ones. Pistia roots gave the best mean hatching rate of 66.2 ± 3.62%. Green grass leaves were second with a mean rate of 54.0 ± 3.46%, water hyacinth was third with 49.7 ± 3.16% and Ceratophyllum fourth with a mean of 13.0 ± 2.37%. Concrete slabs gave a mean rate of 18.6 ± 2.8%, sisal mats 18.6 ± 2.0%, papyrus 12.2 ± 1.2% and kakaban 11.8 ± 1.9%. Nylon mats were the last, with a mean rate of 4.0 ± 0.7%. The best performing natural substrates were those with the ability to float and thin fibrous roots that seemed to allow higher aeration of the eggs during incubation. The cost of using natural substrates was minimal.

The evolution of body muscle composition of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) (Burchell 1822)

Changes in body muscle composition of Clarias gariepinus were studied in fish reared from 1.08 g to 383 g mean body weight in a 201-day culture period. Changes in the amount of protein content, dry matter and ash free dry matter in the muscle tissue can be described as a function of body weight. The percentage of protein content was observed to be higher in bigger fish. Fat content was low throughout the fingerling stage. Specific growth rate decreased significantly at 400 g mean body weight (P<0.05) while feed conversion rate increased. The conclusion, based on the culture conditions in this study, is that the optimal weight for harvesting C. gariepinus is 400 g.

Production of fingerlings and marketable size African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in ponds in northern Cameroon

A simple running water method of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingerling production in ponds in Northern Cameroon is outlined.

Training in fisheries planning and management: the case of the Southern African Development Community nations

This paper presents an evaluation of the 15-week course on Training in Fisheries Planning and Management being offered at the University of Namibia since 1991. This course includes instruction in fisheries technology, fisheries biology, fisheries law and law of the sea, fisheries economics, fisheries sociology, environment impact assessment, planning and management, the logical framework approach to planning and computer literacy. The participats in the course have rated the various elements in a range of 2.9 to 4.7 out of a maximum of 5 points.

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.

Drawn to the Sea: Charles Bradford Hudson (1865-1939), Artist, Author, Army Officer, with Special Notice of His Work for the United States Fish Commission and Bureau of Fisheries

The biography of Charles Bradford Hudson that follows this preface had its seeds about 1965 when I (VGS) was casually examining the extensive files of original illustrations of fishes stored in the Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. I happened upon the unpublished illustration of a rainbow trout by Hudson and was greatly impressed with its quality. The thought occurred to me then that the artist must have gone on to do more than just illustrate fishes. During the next 20 years I occasionally pawed through those files, which contained the work of numerous artists, who had worked from 1838 to the present. In 1985, I happened to discuss the files with my supervisor, who urged me to produce a museum exhibit of original fish illustrations. This I did, selecting 200 of the illustrations representing 21 artists, including, of course, Hudson. As part of the text for the exhibit, Drawn from the Sea, Art in the Service of Ichthyology, I prepared short biographies of each of the artists. The exhibit, with an available poster, was shown in the Museum for six months, and a reduced version was exhibited in U.S. and Canadian museums during the next 3 years.

Kumataro Ito, Japanese Artist on Board the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross During the Philippine Expedition, 1907–1910

Kumataro Ito produced hundreds of beautiful color paintings of fishes and invertebrates during and after the 1907-10 Philippine Expeditin of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross. The paintings are housed in the files of the Divisions of Fishes and Mollusks, United States National Museum of Natural History, and Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Few of those paintings have been published in color, but many have been publishes in black and white. Two years after the expedition, Ito came to Washington, D.C., in 1912 for an extended period to render final paintings based on preliminary color sketches made during the expedition. He did not completly render all the sketches during his stay, probably because he was asked to produced a large number of black-and-white illustrations of Philippine fishes, and a few of North American fishes. Most of the black-and-white illustrations have been published. Few publications containing Ito's Philippine and North American illustrations have acknowledged him. The very little that is known about Ito's life is discussed, examples of his black-and-white and colored fish paintings are reproduced, and his previously unacknowledged illustrations in various publications are herein acknowledged. Another Japanese artist, Yasui, about whom almost nothing is known, joined the Albatross during Ito's second tour on board the ship. It appears, with few exceptions, that Yasui produced only preliminary color sketches of fishes, which, if rendered as final paintings, were done by Ito.

Trawling Operations and South African (Cape) Fur Seals, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus

South African (Cape) fur seals, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, interact with the South African trawl fisheries-offshore demersal, inshore demersal, and midwater fisheries. These interactions take thef ollowing forms: Seals take or damage netted fish, on particular vessels they become caught in the propeller, seals drown in the nets, live seals come aboard and may be killed. Except in specific cases of seals damaging particular trawler propellers, interactions result in little cost to the offshore and midwater trawl fisheries. For the inshore fishery, seals damage fish in the net at an estimated cost in excess of R69, 728 (US$18,827) per year, but this is negligible (0.3%) in terms ofthe value of the fishery. Seal mortality is mainly caused by drowning in trawl nets and ranges from 2,524 to 3,636 seals of both sexes per year. Between 312 and 567 seals are deliberately killed annually, but this most likely takes place only when caught and they enter the area below deck, where they are difficult to remove, and pose a potential threat to crew safety. Overall, seal mortality during trawling operations is negligible (0.4-0.6%) in terms of the feeding population of seals in South Africa.

Life history of South African snoek, Thyrsites atun (Pisces: Gempylidae): a pelagic predator of the Benguela ecosystem

Snoek (Thyrsites atun) is a valuable commercial species and an important predator of small pelagic fishes in the Benguela ecosystem. The South African population attains 50% sexual maturity at a fork length of ca.73.0 cm (3 years). Spawning occurs offshore during winter−spring, along the shelf break (150–400 m) of the western Agulhas Bank and the South African west coast. Prevailing currents transport eggs and larvae to a primary nursery ground north of Cape Columbine and to a secondary nursery area to the east of Danger Point; both shallower than 150 m. Juveniles remain on the nursery grounds until maturity, growing to between 33 and 44 cm in the first year (3.25 cm/month). Onshore– offshore distribution (between 5- and 150-m isobaths) of juveniles is deter-mined largely by prey availability and includes a seasonal inshore migration in autumn in response to clupeoid recruitment. Adults are found through-out the distribution range of the species, and although they move offshore to spawn—there is some southward dispersion as the spawning season progresses—longshore movement is apparently random and without a seasonal basis. Relative condition of both sexes declined dramatically with the onset of spawning. Mesenteric fat loss was, however, higher in females, despite a greater rate of prey consumption. Spatial differences in sex ratios and indices of prey consumption suggest that females on the west coast move inshore to feed between spawning events, but that those found farther south along the western Agulhas Bank remain on the spawning ground throughout the spawning season. This regional difference in female behavior is attributed to higher offshore abundance of clupeid prey on the western Agulhas Bank, as determined from both diet and rates of prey consumption.

A study on the trend of sports fishery of Mafia Island (Tanzania) along the East African coast from 1961-1972

Mafia waters in the western Indian Ocean on the east coast of Africa is a natural attractive area for fishing. It has extensive coral beds which harbour good fish life and attracts sport fishery in the area. About 12 commercially important fishes listed are caught by sports fishermen. The data indicates that this area can become an attractive centre for sports fishery almost throughout the year with peak season from November to February. Long-term planning of the fishery is necessary. The conservation measures should be evolved and gan fishing, dynamiting or any other kind of distructive fishing should be prohibited. This area has natural potential to become a sports fishing centre in the future and a great attraction for tourists and anglers.

Culture feasibility of african catfish (Clarias gariepinus Lin.) fry in glass tank and synthetic hapa system using supplemental diets

An experiment was carried out with 1 0 days old Clarias gariepinus fry over a period of 42 days to determine the effects of different feeds on growth and survival of African catfish fry in glass tanks. The experiment was designed into four treatments each having three replications. Thus treatment 1 (T1) was named as Tank Tubifex (TT) and treatment 2 (T2) as Tank Sabinco (TS), treatment 3 as Pond Tubifex (PT), and treatment 4 (T4) as Pond Sabinco (PS). Live Tubifex (protein levels 64.48%) was supplied to treatments 1 and 3 and rest of the treatments were supplied Sabinco starter-1 (protein levels 40.13%). The highest and the lowest growth in total length and weight were 12.90cm, 18.77g and 6.17cm, 4.04g recorded from the treatments 3 and 2, respectively. Growth of catfish fry under treatment 3 in terms of both length and weight were significantly higher (P<0.01) than those of the other treatments. However treatment 2 showed the significantly lowest (P<0.01) growth performance among the various treatments. The highest survival rate (92%) was also obtained with treatment 3. Tubifex proved to be the best larval feed in respect of growth and survival rate.