Sustainable utilization of inland water resources: an integrated program for research and management

In both developed and developing countries, there is increased competition for water resources, resulting in deficiencies in supply and in various forms of pollution. In developing countries, the nutritional potential of aquatic resources is very important. To realize this potential, integrated research and management for sustainable water resource use are needed. This requires a sound understanding of the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. A programme is presented which stresses the interrelationships of the physical, chemical and biological components of aquatic systems and their catchments. The programme consists of 16 stages in 5 phases, which are as follows: System description; System functioning and modelling; Resource assessment/dynamics; Resource potential; and, Resource utilization for sustainability. This programme enables workers within different disciplines to identify how their expertise contributes to the overall research requirements to support resource development.

Autonomous adaptation to climate change by shrimp and catfish farmers in Vietnam’s Mekong River delta

The Mekong River delta of Vietnam supports a thriving aquaculture industry but is exposed to the impacts of climate change. In particular, sea level rise and attendant increased flooding (both coastal and riverine) and coastal salinity intrusion threaten the long-term viability of this important industry. This working paper summarizes an analysis of the economics of aquaculture adaptation in the delta, focusing on the grow-out of two exported aquaculture species—the freshwater striped catfish and the brackish-water tiger shrimp. The analysis was conducted for four pond-based production systems: catfish in the inland and coastal provinces and improved extensive and semi-intensive/intensive shrimp culture.

The assessment and exploitation of eel (ANGUILLA ANGUILLA. L) stocks in the River Thames and its catchment.

This is the assessment and exploitation of eel (Anguilla anguilla. L) stocks in the River Thames and its catchment performed by the Polytechnic of Central London and The Thames Water Authority Research Project between April 1985 and April 1986. The report makes an examination of the pre-pollution history of the Thames eel fishing industry to permit an assessment of the recovery of the eel stock following the cleaning up of the Tideway. Archive material shows that the 19th Century stock was larger and more widely distributed than it is today, and the natural recruitment of elvers to the system is now much smaller. Sampling of commercial catches and trapping studies, including comparisons of different mesh sizes, have been undertaken in order to develop a statistical model of the Inner Estuary eel stock and its fishery. Local migrations and activity throughout the year are studied. Electro—fishing methods and eel traps are compared using mark-recapture techniques in order to develop an accurate means of assessing relative abundance and distribution. Work so far has concentrated mainly on the Rivers Darent and Roding but a preliminary distribution map for the whole catchment has been prepared. An experimental trapping site was established on the River Darent to investigate natural recruitment and up—river migration of elvers and juvenile eels. 1790 small eels were taken in 1985 providing information on the scale, timings and factors affecting the migration.

Effects of water quality in Bassenthwaite Lake on anglers' catches of salmon and sea-trout in the River Derwent

This is the report on the Effects of Water Quality in the Bassenthwaite Lake on Anglers Catches of Salmon and Sea-trout in the River Derwent April 1993 by the Institute of Freshwater Ecology. An analysis of the catch statistics for salmon and sea-trout in the Rivers Derwent and Cocker was undertaken in relation to available information on the algal water quality in Bassenthwaite Lake to test the hypothesis that poor catch returns were associated with a deterioration of water quality within the lake. Analysis of the catch statistics failed to reveal any correlation between water quality and catch returns for either species of fish and it is concluded that any water deterioration in Bassenthwaite Lake has not caused any major damage to the salmon and sea trout fisheries of the Derwent/Cocker system. This conclusion is supported by the analysis of the Windermere/Leven and Crake system, where no correlation could be found between lake water quality and downstream catches of migratory salmonid fish. However, the possibility still exists and such an effect might be detected by further field work on the macroinvertebrates and on the composition of potential salmonid spawning in the area.

River Eden RHS and geomorphology evaluation. Final report October 2001

This is the River Eden RHS and geomorphology evaluation: Final report October 2001 produced by the Environment Agency North West in 2001. This report analysed the River Habitat Survey (RHS) and geomorphology data to evaluate the level of habitat quality and the geomorphological characteristics of the River Eden and sub-catchments. RHS data and geomorphological assessment data was collected within the study areas by CEH and Fluvial Environmental Services Ltd. The River Eden and its sub-catchments are being considered as a Special Area for Conservation (SAC) due to the presence of habitat types and species, which are rare or threatened within Europe. The purpose of the project is to provide an overview of the state of the catchment in terms of river habitats and geomorphological processes in order to aid the derivation of sound management for this proposed SAC.The aim of this report was to determine the state of the environment within the Eden and sub-catchments and identify the main pressures on the system in order to derive sound management options.

River Lemon (Teign catchment) fisheries survey

This is the River Lemon (Teign catchment) fisheries survey report produced by South West Water Authority in 1979. This report aims to determine the penetration of Salmon into the River Lemon System and to a lesser degree estimate the population of resident salmonids. Five sections were surveyed being easily accessible and fishable by electro fishing methods.

River Avon (including Glazebrook) fisheries survey 1978

This is the River Avon (including Glazebrook) fisheries survey 1978 report produced by South West Water Authority in 1978. This report aims to determine the penetration of Salmon into the River Avon system and to a lesser degree estimate the population of resident salmonids and other indigenous species. Six sections were electro fished at accessible points as detailed below. All fish were identified and measured. Each section was fished through three times to take the majority of the resident species. Small specimens of salmonid fry, eels and lamprey were common in almost all River Avon sections with the exception of Shipley bridge and Avon Dam but due to the mesh size of the standard dip nets used, many slipped through making accurate number estimation impossible.

River Bovey (main Teign tributary) fisheries survey 1978

This is the River Bovey (main Teign tributary) fisheries survey 1978 report produced by South West Water Authority in 1978. The aim of this report is to confirm or disprove the presence of alien coarse fish species thought present in the Bovey system. A chosen site was electro fished using D.C. methods wading upstream. All fish taken were measured and identified. Since it was not possible to distinguish between the young parr stages of migratory and non migratory trout, all parr taken have been included under the heading of Brown trout whereas in fact some of these parr may become migratory later in their life cycle.

Linking elements of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) with the planned National Water Quality Monitoring Network. Proceedings from the NOAA-Supported workshop 19-21 September 2005

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in cooperation with the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium (NJMSC), hosted a workshop at Rutgers University on 19-21 September 2005 to explore ways to link the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) to the emerging infrastructure of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network (NWQMN). Participating partners included the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, U.S. Geological Survey, Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observing Laboratory, and the New Jersey Sea Grant College. The workshop was designed to highlight the importance of ecological and human health linkages in the movement of materials, nutrients, organisms and contaminants along the Delaware Bay watershed-estuary-coastal waters gradient (hereinafter, the “Delaware Bay Ecosystem [DBE]”), and to address specific water quality issues in the mid-Atlantic region, especially the area comprising the Delaware River drainage and near-shore waters. Attendees included federal, state and municipal officials, coastal managers, members of academic and research institutions, and industry representatives. The primary goal of the effort was to identify key management issues and related scientific questions that could be addressed by a comprehensive IOOS-NWQMN infrastructure (US Commission on Ocean Policy 2004; U.S. Ocean Action Plan 2004). At a minimum, cooperative efforts among the three federal agencies (NOAA, USGS and EPA) involved in water quality monitoring were required. Further and recommended by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, outreach to states, regional organizations, and tribes was necessary to develop an efficient system of data gathering, quality assurance and quality control protocols, product development, and information dissemination.

1987 ecosystem view of management research in the Myakka River: review of Phase I and Phase II reports

This memorandum has four parts. The first is a review and partial synthesis of Phase 1 and Phase 2 Reports by Dr. Ernest Estevez of the Mote Marine Laboratory to the Board of County Commissioners of Sarasota County, Florida. The review and synthesis emphasizes identification of the most important aspects of the structure of the Myakka system in terms of forcing functions, biological components, and major energy flows. In this context, the dominant primary producers, dominant fish species and food habits, and major environmental variables were of articular interest. A major focus of the review and synthesis was on the river zonations provided in the report and based on salinity and various biological indicators. The second part of this memorandum is a review of a draft report by Mote Marine Laboratory on evaluation of potential water quality impacts on the Myakka River from proposed activities in the watershed. This Memorandum's third part is a review of resource-management related ecosystem models in the context of possible future models of the Myakka River Ecosystem. The final part of this memorandum is proposed future work as an extension of the initial reports.

Modeling the effect of snow on seasonal runoff within the Truckee River drainage basin

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): We estimate monthly runoff for a 2-dimensional solution domain containing those areas tributary to Pyramid Lake, Nevada (the Truckee River drainage basin) at a 1-kilometer grid cell spacing. ... To calculate the effect of snow on the hydrologic system, we perform two experiments. In the first we assume that all precipitation falls as rain; in the second we assume that some precipitation falls as snow, thus available water is a combination of rain and snowmelt. We find that considering the effect of snow results in a more accurate representation of mean monthly flow rates, in particular the peak flow during the melt season in the Sierra Nevada. These preliminary results indicate that a relatively simple snow model can improve the representation of Truckee River basin hydrology, significantly reducing errors in modeled seasonal runoff.

Fishing gear and methods of the river Brahmaputra in Assam

Potentially the inland fishery resources of the country are of very high order. But the present level of their exploitation is far from optimum, mainly because of the inadequacies of the existing fishing gear and methods. There is vast scope for increasing the fish production from inland waters by improving the existing gear and methods. This would require a thorough study of the fishing gear and methods in vogue, of which very little is known at present. In the present communication the authors discuss the fishing gear and methods of the river Brahmaputra, in Assam, based on a survey carried out by them during January-February 1964. The survey covers a 640 km stretch of the Brahmaputra River, its important tributaries and connected bheels, from Dhubri to Dibrugarh. As a result of the survey about 19 types of fishing nets, which could be grouped into eight classes, were identified. The salient technological features of the gears and their methods of operation are discussed class-wise. The characteristics of the individual types are shown in tables. The materials used for gear and gear accessories, are briefly discussed. The classification and relative importance of different types of gear are examined. Besides, the influence of the ecological and topographical features of the river on the development of different types of fishing gears, is also discussed.

Optimization of stocking density for environmental-friendly improved extensive shrimp farming system in south-west part of Bangladesh

An experimental culture practice of P. monodon on extension approach was conducted in two brackish water earthen ponds of Demonstration Farm and Training Center (DFTC), Kaliganj, Satkhira. The experiment was aimed to provide farmers with appropriate technology that can immediately improve pond yield with keeping the environment in friendly condition. For optimization of stocking density of a cost effective environmental friendly improved extensive shrimp farming, the ponds were stocked with coastal river post larvae of P. monodon at the stocking rates of 2 pls/m² and 2.5 pls/m² without supplementary feeding. To control experimental error another five farmer's gher were used as replicates of each demo-pond. Considering the farmers buying ability, cost of inputs and other facilities kept minimal. The impact of stocking density was evaluated on the basis of growth, survival rate, production and economic return. Better production (average 299.01 kg/ha) with same survival rate (39.33%) were found with a stocking density of 2.5 pls/m² without causing any deterioration in the culture environment.

Observation on the production performance of Penaeus monodon with Liza parsia under different cropping system

Study was conducted in six ponds each with an area of 0.1 ha in the pond complex of Brackishwater Station, Paikgacha, Khulna from February to October '96, to find out the variation of production rate in two culture system viz., single and double crop of P. monodon with L. parsia. In treatment T1 wild fry of P. monodon (0.006g) and L. parsia (0.20g) collected from nearby river were stocked at a rate of 40,000 and 10,000/ha, respectively, for a culture period of 120 days. In treatment T2, the rate was 20,000/ha for bagda fry in 1st and 2nd crop each and 10,000 for parsia fry/ha for an extended period of 225 days. The highest survivability and growth of P. monodon and L. parsia were 57.08% (1st crop of T2) and 75.26% (T2), and 27.08g (1st crop of T2) and 47.78g (T2), respectively with a significant variations (P>0.05) with other treatment. The net profit (Tk. 93,134) and cost benefit ratio of 1:1.76 were also found higher in T2.

A baseline report of water quality and invertebrate assessment in River Hohwa, Lake Albert: final report

Tullow Oil plc is to launch an onshore Early Production System (EPS) of oil drilling rated at 4,000 barrels of oil per day by 2009. The location of the EPS is in the Kaiso-Tonya area of Block 2 Oil Exploration Zone along Lake Albert within the Albertine graben. Tullow Oil plc contracted Environmental Resources Management (ERM) Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd in conjunction with Environmental Assessment Consult Limited (EACL) to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for pre-construction and operation of the proposed EPS. ERM in association with EACL requested National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) to conduct a baseline survey of water quality and invertebrates in River Hohwa. This study was requested as part of an earlier baseline survey conducted at the Kaiso-Ngassa spit oil exploration area in Block 2. It was conducted at five selected sites (Fig. 1 & Table 1) within the Hohwa River basin in the Kaiso-Tonya Exploration Area 2. The study was pertinent because the targeted oil wells for EPS are upstream this river which drains the Kaiso-Ngassa valley into Ngassa lagoon.