Die Bedeutung biologischer Daten aus der deutschen Seelachsfischerei für Bestandsabschätzung und Management

Since 1999, the ICES Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak assesses the saithe stock in the North Sea, Skagerrak and west of Scotland as a single stock unit. The sampling, evaluation and role of biological data from the German saithe fishery in the assessment are described. The German data showed similar trends as observed in French and Norwegian series. Based on these estimates, the spawning stock recovered to more than 200 000 t due to reductions in quotas and exploitation rates. Thus, the production of the stock increased also in combination with good recruitment and positive trends in spawning stock size and landings were projected for 2002. The biological data derived from the German saithe fishery dominated the assessment of stock size, structure and exploitation. This fact encourages a continuation of the described analyses based on sampling onboard fishing vessels and fish markets by the Institute for Sea Fisheries. The successful collaboration with the saithe fishing industry is judged as an important contribution to the sustainable management of fish stocks.

Die Fischereiressourcen im Hinblick auf deutsche Interessen

The North-European fish stocks are assessed annually by ICES working groups. The results are evaluated twice annually in two meetings of the Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management (ACFM) at ICES. Based on the working group assessments, ACFM formulates an advice for the fisheries management and suggests a total allowable catch (TAC) which is based strictly on biological grounds. The summaries of the state of some selected stocks which are given here, are derived from the ACFM advice, formulated during the most recent October 1999 meeting. For many of the fish stocks the precautionary approach has been implemented now, and for most of them the target reference points have been defined. As a result, most of the stocks are outside safe biological limits or are harvested in disaccordance with the precautionary approach. Only 10 stocks of those evaluated during this autumn meeting were found to be within safe biological limits.

Zustand der Herings- und Sprottenbestände in Nord- und Ostsee, östlichem Kanal und westlichen britischen Gewässern. Beurteilung durch die Herings- und Ostsee-Arbeitsgruppe des ICES, März/April 1999

Information is given about the results of the latest meeting of the Herring Assessment Working Group for the Area South of 62° N and the Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group, which were conducted in March and April at ICES headquarters in Copenhagen. The actual stock development and the catch options estimated for different assessment units of herring and sprat are presented. The spawning stock size of North Sea herring reached in 1998 for the first time since 1991 a level above the Minimum Biological Acceptable Level (MBAL) of 800 000 t. Keeping the fishery at the present level the spawning stock size should reach in 1999 a level of about 1.2 mio. t. For the Western Baltic Spring spawning herring stock no actual stock estimate was presented. Due to uncertainties in splitting the catches in North Sea autumn and Baltic spring spawners no analytical assessment was accepted.

Nordostarktische Fischbestände - Fangempfehlungen für 1998

The results of the assessments on North-east fish stocks of cod, haddock, saithe, redfish and Greenland halibut by the ICES ”Arctic Fisheries Working Group” in 1997 are presented. Whereas the stocks of cod, haddock and saithe are considered to be in fairly good conditions and within safe biological limits the assessments show the stocks of beaked redfish and Greenland halibut to be low. Assessments of cod and haddock differed from previous years, because data on cannibalism were introduced into the recruitment models.

Aktuelle Entwicklung der Herings- und Sprottenbestände südlich des 62. Breitengrades

Information is given about the last meeting of the ICES “Herring Assessment Working Group for the Area South of 62° N”, conducted from 9.-18. March 1998 in Copenhagen. The actual stock development and the catch option estimations for different assessment units of herring and sprat are presented. The spawning stock size of North Sea herring was in 1997 still below the “Minimum Biological Acceptable Level” (MBAL) of 800 000 t. Keeping the fishing mortalities at the present level, the spawning stock size should reach a level of about 1.1 million tons by end of 1998. For the Western Baltic pring spawning herring stock no actual stock parameters were estimated. Due to uncertainties in splitting the catches in North sea autumn and Baltic spring spawners no analytical assessment was accepted.

Lage und Entwicklung der Fischereiressources in Hinblick auf deutsche Fischereiinteressen

The northern European fish stocks are assessed annually by ICES working groups. The results are evaluated biannually in two meetings of the Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management (ACFM) at ICES. Based on the working group assessments, ACFM formulates an advice for fisheries management and suggests a total allowable catch (TAC) which is based strictly on biological grounds. The summaries of the state of some selected stocks which are given here, are derived from the ACFM advice, formulated during the most recent May 1998 meeting. For many of the fish stocks the precautionary approach is still in the process of implementation, and only for some of them the management and target reference points have been fully defined.

Lage und Entwicklung der Fischereiressourcen im Hinblick auf deutsche Fischereiinteressen: Neuste Bestandsabschätzung des ACFM

The North European fish stocks are assessed annually by ICES working groups. The results are evaluated biannually in two meetings of the Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management (ACFM) at ICES. Based on the working group assessments, ACFM formulates an advice for fisheries management and suggests a total allowable catch (TAC) which is based strictly on biological grounds. The summaries of the state of some selected stocks which are given here, are derived from the ACFM advice, formulated during the most recent Oktober 1998 meeting. For many of the fish stocks the precautionary approach is still in the process of implementation, however for most of them the management and target reference points have been fully defined by now.

Panama City Fisheries Resources Office: FY 2008 Annual Report

HIGHLIGHTS FOR FY 2008 1. Completed the first of a two-year Gulf sturgeon population study on the Choctawhatchee River, Florida. The sub adult and adult Gulf sturgeon population was estimated at 2,800 fish. 2. Gulf sturgeon eggs were collected at three hard bottom sites in the Apalachicola River, Florida; two sites were previously confirmed spawning areas and one was a newly confirmed spawning area. 3. Documented 55 potential environmental threats to Gulf sturgeon spawning habitat in the Pea River, Florida and Alabama. 4. Assigned the Eglin AFB Road-Stream Crossing Working Group to guide the closure, repair and maintenance of roads and road stream crossings that impact threatened and endangered species. 5. Conducted 81 assessments of fish and stream invertebrates on and in watersheds surrounding Eglin AFB. 6. Provided technical support for the 5-year status review and reclassification proposed rule for the Okaloosa darter. 7. Initiated an intensive population genetic analysis of the Okaloosa darter throughout its range. Tissues from over 200 Okaloosa darters were collected and analyzed. 8. Established a GIS database to serve as a host for data from any sites sampled for mussels in Northeast Gulf of Mexico drainages. 9. Conducted habitat surveys at 115 locations in the Apalachicola River to assess the effects of drought-related mussel mortality and strandings, evaluate habitat conditions, and assess population demography. 10. A land use/aerial imagery threats assessment data analysis was completed for the Chipola River. A total of 266 impoundments/borrow pits and 471 unpaved road crossings were identified among the threats. 11. Okaloosa darters marked with elastomeric dyes were monitored in Mill Creek, Eglin AFB, to determine movement and habitat use following completion of a fish passage project. 3 12. Partners for Fish and Wildlife funded a streambank and riparian restoration project on Econfina Creek consisting of 3,900 feet of streambank fencing to exclude cattle access. One acre of riparian floodplain was planted with native trees. 13. We provided design and on-the-ground assistance for restoring surface hydrology at St. Vincent NWR. The project restored approximately 1.5 miles of tidal stream and 100 acres of wetlands. 14. A study was completed on 11 coastal streams to document large wood debris relationships with fluvial geomorphic characteristics. 15. We developed a Population Viability Analysis model for the fat threeridge mussel to determine current and future risk of extinction. 17. A Gulf Sturgeon Friends Group, “Gulf Sturgeon Preservation Society” was organized in FY 08. 18. Multiple outreach projects were completed to detail aquatic resource conservation needs and opportunities, including National Fishing Week, Earth Day, several festivals and school outreach.

Overview and bibliography of the literature of socio-economic relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria

An overview is provided of the literature of socio-economic relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria. It covers the following areas: marketing studies; management; changes to the structure of the fishery; and, base-line studies. The bibliography provides a guide to the more important documents on Lake Victoria's socio-economy and includes a total of 177 references

List of institutions of managerial relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria

The list provides addresses of institutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda which are of managerial relevance to the fisheries of Lake Victoria, indicating the relevant area covered

Fisheries management in the social domain: perspectives from Tanzania's Lake Victoria fishery

For a long time, the Tanzanian Fisheries Department has managed Tanzanian fisheries without incorporating other stakeholders within its management framework. On lake Victoria, the persistent use of illegal fishing gear and declining catches have led the government to realize that this system of fisheries management may no longer be viable, and have sought to incorporate fishing communities into the management structure. Through the creation of beach management units (BMUs), the Fisheries Departments have sought to persuade fishing communities to implement and enforce Tanzania's fishing regulations and to monitor the fishery. In this paper we explore a recently gathered data set that yields information on, amongst others, how Tanzanian fishing communities perceive the state of their resource base, how they view their relationship with the Fisheries Department, the efficacy of fishing regulations and other variables. We draw on a series of criteria developed by Ostron (1990) for institutional 'robustness' to explore various areas of institutional development on Lake Victoria, and to try and anticipate how the BMUs will fare. We argue there are many socio-political and economic factors that will determine how communities will receive and perceive their responsibilities towards government-imposed administrative structures at the local level, these will become 'socialized' such that they will vary from place to place. While this may bode well for problems of heterogeneity, it does not necessarily mean that fisheries management objective on Lake Victoria will be met

Regulation in Uganda's Lake Victoria fishery: historical and contemporary conditions

This paper sets out to explore how Uganda's lake Victoria fishery has been managed. It explores the management of the fishery during the protectorate period, and argues that the apparent success of regulation during this time may be attributed to the very heightened controls arising from Sleeping Sickness Controls. Once these were removed, entry into the fishery was rapid and uncontrolled, and the resultant impact on fish stocks was quickly felt. With its huge area, considerable shoreline, and innumerable islands, the lake Victoria fisheries service was quickly overwhelmed and disbanded as a result. In the early independence years, the Republic's government focused on developing the fishery, plans thwarted by turmoil of, and following, Idi Amin's reign. More recently, the fishery has prospered from Uganda's entry into the Nile perch fillet export market, which ahs adversely affected stocks. We present and comment on recently collected data that considers fishers' impressions of the status of the fishery, regulations and future managerial possibilities, and comment on these in the light of recent changes to Uganda's fisheries administration

Fisheries legislation of Lake Victoria: present legislation and new developments

This paper provides an overview of fisheries legislation in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania as far it concerns the administration of Lake Victoria's fishery. It also provides brief comment on the structure of these nations' fisheries departments and how they have evolved in recent years. The administration of Kenya's Lake Victoria fishery has changed very little since the introduction of the 1988 Fisheries Act. In Tanzania and Uganda, however, government policies of decentralization have had a profound impact on fisheries administration at a local level. This paper examines these changes and speculates about possible future management scenarios for these two countries

Limnology in relation to fisheries in Tanzanian waters

The study of limnology is important to understand ecosystem dynamics and the ecological basis for fish production in the Lake Victoria which is important for fisheries resources use, planning and management. Physical, chemical and biological parameters are important and known to influence fish population production. Energy fixed by primary producers, e.g. algae, is transfered to higher trophic levels, e.g fish. Factors which influence the dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton population, e.g nutrient availability and uptake, growth rate, species composition and biomass, ultimately affect fish production. The commercial fisheries of Lake Victoria consists mainly of piscivorous Lates niloticus (L>), algivorous Oreochromis niloticus (L.) and zooplanktivorous Rastrineobola argentea (Pellegrin)

The distribution and abundance of Copepoda and Cladocera in the Lake Victoria, Kenya

Fourteen stations were sampled in the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria in order to assess distribution and abundance of zooplankton. Seven stations were selected in the Nyanza gulf while the rest were in the open waters of the lake. Zooplanktons samples were collected monthly from November 1998 to January 1999, using a 1.5 m long Nansen type plankton net of 243 mu m mesh size and 50 cm diameter. Representative specimens were dissected and identified to species level