Summary of fishery statistics 1992

This fisheries report summarises developments of the year 1992 in the North West region of the National Rivers Authority. It provides catch statistics, rod and line and commercial catches for salmon and sea trout, fish culture and hatchery operations, restocking with trout and freshwater fish, upstream fish movement recorded at authority fish counters, counts of salmon and sea trout spawning redds, fish mortalities, licences issued, and prosecutions. Among the streams that are covered in the report are the River Lune, River Kent, River Leven, River Ribble and River Derwent.

Summary of fishery statistics 1993

This fisheries report summarises developments of the year 1993 in the North West region of the National Rivers Authority. It provides catch statistics, rod and line and commercial catches for salmon and sea trout, fish culture and hatchery operations, restocking with trout and freshwater fish, upstream fish movement recorded at authority fish counters, counts of salmon and sea trout spawning redds, fish mortalities, licences issued, and prosecutions. Among the streams that are covered in the report are the River Lune, River Kent, River Leven, River Ribble and River Derwent.

Revealing the appetite of the marine aquarium fish trade: the volume and biodiversity of fish imported into the United States

The aquarium trade and other wildlife consumers are at a crossroads forced by threats from global climate change and other anthropogenic stressors that have weakened coastal ecosystems. While the wildlife trade may put additional stress on coral reefs, it brings income into impoverished parts of the world and may stimulate interest in marine conservation. To better understand the influence of the trade, we must first be able to quantify coral reef fauna moving through it. Herein, we discuss the lack of a data system for monitoring the wildlife aquarium trade and analyze problems that arise when trying to monitor the trade using a system not specifically designed for this purpose. To do this, we examined an entire year of import records of marine tropical fish entering the United States in detail, and discuss the relationship between trade volume, biodiversity and introduction of non-native marine fishes. Our analyses showed that biodiversity levels are higher than previous estimates. Additionally, more than half of government importation forms have numerical or other reporting discrepancies resulting in the overestimation of trade volumes by 27%. While some commonly imported species have been introduced into the coastal waters of the USA (as expected), we also found that some uncommon species in the trade have also been introduced. This is the first study of aquarium trade imports to compare commercial invoices to government forms and provides a means to, routinely and in real time, examine the biodiversity of the trade in coral reef wildlife species.

How fresh is too fresh?: the live reef food fish trade in eastern Indonesia

Although the live reef food fish trade has become an increasingly "hot" topic in the environmental press in recent months, many of the sources reporting on this practice have tended to focus on issues related to the rampant use of sodium cyanide in the trade, rather than the more pressing matter of the looming potential for overexploitation engendered by this practice. Presented in this article is a brief overview of the live reef food fish trade as it is practiced in eastern Indonesia covering the methods used and economics, geographic extent and numerous deleterious effects of the fishery.

Catching and rearing postlarval cleaner shrimp for the aquarium trade: results from a WorldFish Center project in Solomon Islands

Between 1999 and 2003, the WorldFish Center in Solomon Islands conducted research into the feasibility of a new fishery based on the capture and culture of postlarval coral reef fish for the live fish trade. The work was carried out in two phases: a research phase from late 1999 to the end of 2002; and a “finetuning” phase in 2003. Most of the species were of value to the marine aquarium trade, with very few live reef food fish recorded. The most valuable ornamentals were the banded cleaner shrimp, Stenopus species. Cleaner shrimp were harvested using crest nets, the method being modified with the addition of a solid, water-retaining cod-end designed to increase survival at capture. Grow-out techniques were improved by rearing the shrimp separately in jars to prevent aggression. The jars were painted black to protect the shrimp from sunlight. An economic model using experimental catch data and farm gate prices indicates that the fishery based on shrimp, supplemented with small numbers of lobster and fish is economically viable. The next step will be setting up a demonstration farm in a village in the Western Province of Solomon Islands.

Warning signs unheeded in South Pacific invertebrate trade

Nearshore marine resources play a significant role in the lives of South Pacific islanders and can be critical to the economies of nations in the region. However, few countries have adequate management controls in place to ensure harvests remain at sustainable levels, and so determining current levels of utilization is far from easy. A lack of information about the volume of both domestic and international trade in marine invertebrates in high demand is a growing concern. Further hindering management and conservation efforts is the little available background biological information to allow for population assessments, according to this new study on the global trade in South Pacific marine invertebrates.

Length-based estimates of vital statistics in threadfin bream (Nemipterus japonicus) from Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

ELEFAN 0, ELEFAN I and ELEFAN II were used to estimate vital statistics of Nemipterus japonicus from length-frequency data sampled along the coast of Bangladesh. The parameters L and K were estimated at 24.5 cm and 0.94 year super(-1). The values of M and F were found to be 1.81 and 1.58 year super(-1), respectively. The fish recruit to the fishery during May-June and September-October.

Vital statistics of marine fishes of Vanuatu

Vital statistics are presented for 38 marine species of Vanuatu based on previous studies conducted in the area, with parameters describing growth (6 species, 13 sets of parameters), mortality (estimates of M for 6 species), length-weight relationship (32 species), and reproduction (length at first maturity for 26 species, months of reproduction for 18 species). The species covered belong mainly to the family Lutjanidae.

Estimating exploitable stock biomass for the Maine green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) fishery using a spatial statistics approach

The objective of this study was to investigate the spatial patterns in green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) density off the coast of Maine, using data from a fishery-independent survey program, to estimate the exploitable biomass of this species. The dependence of sea urchin variables on the environment, the lack of stationarity, and the presence of discontinuities in the study area made intrinsic geostatistics inappropriate for the study; therefore, we used triangulated irregular networks (TINs) to characterize the large-scale patterns in sea urchin density. The resulting density surfaces were modified to include only areas of the appropriate substrate type and depth zone, and were used to calculate total biomass. Exploitable biomass was estimated by using two different sea urchin density threshold values, which made different assumptions about the fishing industry. We observed considerable spatial variability on both small and large scales, including large-scale patterns in sea urchin density related to depth and fishing pressure. We conclude that the TIN method provides a reasonable spatial approach for generating biomass estimates for a fishery unsuited to geostatistics, but we suggest further studies into uncertainty estimation and the selection of threshold density values.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico Pink Shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, Fishery: 50 Years of Commercial Catch Statistics

U.S. Gulf of Mexico, pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, catch statistics have been collected by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, or its predecessor agency, for over 50 years. Recent events, including hurricanes and oil spills within the ecosystem of the fishery, have shown that documentation of these catch data is of primary importance. Fishing effort for this stock has fluctuated over the 50-year period analyzed, ranging from 3,376 to 31,900 days fished, with the most recent years on record, 2008 and 2009, exhibiting declines up to 90% relative to the high levels recorded in the mid 1990’s. Our quantification of F. duorarum landings and catch rates (CPUE) indicates catch have been below the long-term average of about 12 million lb for all of the last 10 years on record. In contrast to catch and effort, catch rates have increased in recent years, with record CPUE levels measured in 2008 and 2009, of 1,340 and 1,144 lb per day fished, respectively. Our regression results revealed catch was dependent upon fishing effort (F=98.48df=1, 48, p<0.001, r2=0.67), (Catch=1,623,378 + (520) × (effort)). High CPUE’s measured indicate stocks were not in decline prior to 2009, despite the decline in catch. The decrease in catch is attributed in large part to low effort levels caused by economical and not biological or habitat related conditions. Future stock assessments using these baseline data will provide further insights and management advice concerning the Gulf of Mexic

John Nathan Cobb (1868–1930): Founding Director of the College of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle

John Nathan Cobb (1868–1930) became the founding Director of the College of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle, in 1919 without the benefit of a college education. An inquisitive and ambitious man, he began his career in the newspaper business and was introduced to commercial fisheries when he joined the U.S. Fish Commission (USFC) in 1895 as a clerk, and he was soon promoted to a “Field Agent” in the Division of Statistics, Washington, D.C. During the next 17 years, Cobb surveyed commercial fisheries from Maine to Florida, Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska for the USFC and its successor, the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. In 1913, he became editor of the prominent west coast trade magazine, Pacific Fisherman, of Seattle, Wash., where he became known as a leading expert on the fisheries of the Pacific Northwest. He soon joined the campaign, led by his employer, to establish the nation’s first fisheries school at the University of Washington. After a brief interlude (1917–1918) with the Alaska Packers Association in San Francisco, Calif., he was chosen as the School’s founding director in 1919. Reflecting his experience and mindset, as well as the University’s apparent initial desire, Cobb established the College of Fisheries primarily as a training ground for those interested in applied aspects of the commercial fishing industry. Cobb attracted sufficient students, was a vigorous spokesman for the College, and had ambitions plans for expansion of the school’s faculty and facilities. He became aware that the College was not held in high esteem by his faculty colleagues or by the University administration because of the school’s failure to emphasize scholastic achievement, and he attempted to correct this deficiency. Cobb became ill with heart problems in 1929 and died on 13 January 1930. The University soon thereafter dissolved the College and dismissed all but one of its faculty. A Department of Fisheries, in the College of Science, was then established in 1930 and was led by William Francis Thompson (1888–1965), who emphasized basic science and fishery biology. The latter format continues to the present in the Department’s successor, The School of Aquatic Fisheries and Science.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Sea Turtles in the Western North Atlantic and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico from Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS)

Systematic surveys, along with opportunistic sightings, have provided important information on sea turtle (Cheloniidae and Dermochelydae) distributions, knowledge which can help reduce the risk of harmful human interaction. In 1991 and 1992, the Marine Recreational Fishery Sta- tistics Survey (MRFSS) of the National Ma- rine Fisheries Service, NOAA, provided a unique opportunity to gain additional, synoptic information on the spatial and temporal distribution of sea turtles along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts by asking recreational anglers if they had observed a sea turtle on their fishing trip. During the spring and summer months of those years, as water temperatures warmed, the MRFSS documented an increase in sea turtle sightings in inshore waters and in a northward direction along the U.S. Atlantic Coast and in a westward direction along the northern Gulf of Mexico. This pattern reversed in the late summer and fall months as water temperatures cooled, with sea turtles concentrating along Georgia and both coasts of Florida. Although the MRFSS did not provide species or size composition of sea turtles sighted, and effort varied depending upon location of fishing activity and time of year anglers were queried, it did provide an additional and useful means of ascertaining spatial and temporal distributions of sea turtles along these coasts.

Trade and Management: Exclusive Economic Zones and the Changing Japanese Surimi Market

The United States' increasing competitive advantage in international seafood trade in Alaska walleye pollock. Theragra chalcogramma, has contributed to higher prices for surimi-based goods and structural changes in seafood production and trade in Japan. The objectives of this analytical investigation include: 1) Evaluation of the role reversal of Japan and the United States in international seafood trade and 2) quantification of the impact of rising prices of frozen surimi on household consumption of surimi-based foods in Japan. This study documents Japan's regression from "seafood self-sufficiency" to increasing dependence on imported products and raw materials. In particular, Japan's growing dependence on American fishermen and seafood producers is described. Surimi production by the United States, and its emerging dominance over Japanese sources of supply, are especially significant. Results of the analysis suggest that Japanese consumer demand for surimi-based food stuffs correlates directly with "competitive" food prices, e.g., pork, chicken, and beef, and inversely with personal income. Also revealed is how rising household income and relative price shifts among competing animal protein sources in the Japanese diet have contributed to declining household consumption of surimi-based foods, specifically, and a shift away from seafoods in favor of beef, in general. The linkages between, for example. Japanese domestic seafood production and consumption, international trade in marine products, and resource management decisions in the U.S. EEZ present a picture of a changing global marketplace. Increasingly, actions in one arena will have perhaps profound implications in the others.

A Review of Recent Developments in the World Sea Cucumber Fisheries

Sea cucumbers (Holothuridae and Stichopodidae) have been harvested commercially for at least 1,000 years. The world fisheries for sea cucumbers, however, are not well documented and in general are poorly managed. Depending upon the species exploited, there are two processing procedures for the sea cucumber product. Some species are eaten raw, while most commercial species are processed into a dry product called beche-de-mer or trepang. This dry product is exported to a central market such as Hong Kong and then re-exported to the consumers. In this review, recent statistics on the world sea cucumber fisheries, collected from different services, are detailed for each major fishing area. Case studies for each fishing area are also presented. Recent major changes in the Indo-Pacific fishery include the participation of new producer countries, the shift in the species being exploited, and an increase in the Chinese market. The expansion of the largely monospecific temperate North Pacific fisheries is also described. Statistics from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Food and Agriculture Organization provide valuable information on the producer and importer countries. Particular attention is paid to the reciprocal trade of beche-de-mer between Hong Kong and Singapore. An evaluation of the world sea cucumber landings and beche-de-mer production is presented. Recent developments include an expansion of the Hong Kong market due to increased demand by China, the importance of Indonesia as a major world producer, and an increase in the fisheries of Tropical Pacific nations. This increase is best documented for New Caledonia and Fiji. Ways to improve the access and the reliability of the statistics for the sea cucumber fishery are discussed, as is the potential for management of artisanal fisheries.

The Atlantic and Gulf Menhaden Purse Seine Fisheries: Origins, Harvesting Technologies, Biostatistical Monitoring, Recent Trends in Fisheries Statistics, and Forecasting

With its genesis in New England during the 1800's, the purse seine fishery for Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, expanded south and by the early 1900's ranged the length of the eastern seaboard. The purse seine fishery for Gulf menhaden. B. patronus, is of relatively recent development, exploitation of the stock beginning in the late 1940's. Landings from both fisheries annually comprise 35-40% of the total U. S. fisheries landings, ranking menhaden first in terms of volume landed. Technological advances in harvesting methods, fish-spotting capabilities, and vessel designs accelerated after World War II, resulting in larger, faster, and wider-ranging carrier vessels, improved speed and efficiency of the harvest, and reduction in labor requirements. Chief products of the menhaden industry are fish meal, fish oil, and solubles, but research into new product lines is underway. Since 1955 on the Atlantic coast and 1964 on the Gulf coast, the NMFS has monitored the fisheries for biostatistical data. Annual data summaries of numbers-of-fish-at-age harvested, catch tonnage, and fishing effort of the fleet form the basis of routine stock assessments and annual catch forecasts to industry for the upcoming fishing season. After landings declined in the 1960's, the Atlantic menhaden stock has recovered through the 1970's and 1980's. Exceptional year classes of Gulf menhaden in recent years account for record landings during the 1980's.