Environmental quality standards to protect identified uses of controlled waters: salmonid fisheries, cyprinid fisheries, migratory fisheries, commercial harvesting of marine fish for public consumption, commercial harvesting of shellfish for for public consumption

This report considers the development of environmental quality standards (EQSs) for the salmonid fishery, cyprinid fishery, migratory fishery, commercial harvesting of marine fish for public consumption and commercial harvesting of shellfish for public consumption uses of controlled surface waters. Previous reports have been used to identify those parameters necessary for the maintenance of these five uses. Each water use is considered in a separate section within which identified parameters are discussed and standards proposed, a summary of the proposed standards is presented at the beginning of the relevant section. For salmonid, cyprinid and migratory fisheries, EQSs for substances in water have been proposed for the protection of these fisheries. For the commercial harvesting of marine fish and shellfish for public consumption uses 'Warning Levels' of substances in waters have been proposed. These 'Warning Levels' have been proposed by considering data on bioaccumulation and food standards and aim to prevent acceptable intake values and concentrations in fish/shellfish flesh exceeding statutory or recommended levels. For the commercial harvesting of marine fish for public consumption it has been concluded that the current EQSs for most List II substances for the protection of salt water life should be adequately stringent to protect this use, however for the commercial harvesting of shellfish for public consumption, these List II EQSs do not appear adequate to protect this use and more stringent 'Warning Levels' have been proposed. For all five uses considered in this report there has been found to be limited information on a number of the parameters considered and in general for indigenous species, this has been found to be especially so when considering migratory fisheries and the commercial harvesting of marine fish and shellfish.

Tunas and tuna fisheries of the World: an annotated bibliography, 1930-1953

This bibliography attempts to list, with descriptive annotations and a subject index, important literature published between 1930 and 1953 dealing with the tunas and their fisheries in all parts of the world. It is thus a continuation of Corwin's (1930) work, which extended with similar scope through 1929, and an extension of Shimada's (1951), which was limited to the biology of Pacific tunas. The tunas with which it deals are those fishes customarily so-called in commercial parlance and usually classified in the genera Thunnus, Neothunnus, Parathunnus, Germo, Katsuwonus, Euthynnus and Auxis and their various synonyms. All aspects of the biology of the tunas are dealt with, as are descriptions and histories of all types of tuna fisheries, commercial and exploratory tuna fishing methods and results, fishing gear, catch statistics, and fishery management, but processing technology, economics and marketing, folklore, and purely literary references have been excluded.

Commercial production of fish meal from fish waste

The importance of fish meal production as a means of reducing fish waste currently being experienced in the fisheries subsector is discussed. Cost estimate for Nigeria establishing a fish meal manufacturing plant and suggestions on rational execution of the project are presented. If properly located and well managed, the project will serve to convert fish waste to cash in the industrial fishery

Commercial utilization of dolphins (porpoises) in Ceylon

Two species of mammal dolphin are found in waters adjacent to Ceylon, namely the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and the bottled-nosed dolphin (Tursiops truricatus). Both these species are predators and cause damage to finishing nets by attacking fish trapped in them. This menace to nets is particularly pronounced when fish populations in a particular area become somewhat depleted. Dolphin can be successfully captured from a motor boat by use of a simple hand harpoon with a detachable dart and bladder buoy. Fresh dolphin meat when placed on the market sold readily despite some local prejudice against the naturally dark colored meat. The flesh of the dolphin is nutritious and can be used successfully in both western and eastern types of cookery.

Commercial studies on radiation preservation of fish and shell-fish in Canada

The author describes work being undertaken at the Fisheries Research Board of Canada's Laboratory at Halifax (Nova Scotia). These studies relate particularly to the irradiation of fish and shellfish for storage, and bacterial analysis of irradiated products.

Commercial small craft pair trawling trials Lake Chilwa, Malawi 1971

The results are reported of commercial small craft pair trawling trials conducted on Lake Chilwa from May to August 1971. Type of vessels and equipment used and the fishing method and operation employed are described and design data given for the different trawls used. The effects on catching efficiency of varying amounts of small mesh netting trawls are dealt with and recommendations made for trawls design modifications.

Improvements to Data Collection in Commercial Fisheries Using Electronic Reporting Methods: Cost/Efficiency and Implications for Use in Ecosystem Management.

Data have been collected on fisheries catch and effort trends since the latter half of the 1800s. With current trends in declining stocks and stricter management regimes, data need to be collected and analyzed over shorter periods and at finer spatial resolution than in the past. New methods of electronic reporting may reduce the lag time in data collection and provide more accurate spatial resolution. In this study I evaluated the differences between fish dealer and vessel reporting systems for federal fisheries in the US New England and Mid-Atlantic areas. Using data on landing date, report date, gear used, port landed, number of hauls, number of fish sampled and species quotas from available catch and effort records I compared dealer and vessel electronically collected data against paper collected dealer and vessel data to determine if electronically collected data are timelier and more accurate. To determine if vessel or dealer electronic reporting is more useful for management, I determined differences in timeliness and accuracy between vessel and dealer electronic reports. I also compared the cost and efficiency of these new methods with less technology intensive reporting methods using available cost data and surveys of seafood dealers for cost information. Using this information I identified potentially unnecessary duplication of effort and identified applications in ecosystem-based fisheries management. This information can be used to guide the decisions of fisheries managers in the United States and other countries that are attempting to identify appropriate fisheries reporting methods for the management regimes under consideration. (PDF contains 370 pages)

Analysis of sea turtle bycatch in the commercial shrimp fisheries of Southeast U.S. waters and the Gulf of Mexico

The coastal shrimp trawl fisheries have long been the focus of conservation actions to reduce turtle bycatch and mortality in the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. Atlantic (NRC, 1990). Calculation of catch rates of sea turtles in shrimp trawls is necessary to evaluate the impact on sea turtle populations. In this paper we analyze sea turtle bycatch to provide an estimate of the current number of interactions with otter trawl gear as well as an estimate of the number of fatal inions in Southeast U.S. waters and the Gulf of Mexico. We also provide an estimate of the number of individuals likely to die in the future with the new regulations that will require an increase in the size of the escape openings in trutle excluder devices (TEDs). The new regulations will allow many more turtles to escape. Other gears also are discussed. (PDF contains 24 pages)

Characterization of North Carolina commercial fisheries with occasional interactions with marine mammals

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA, 16 U.S.c. et seq.), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is required to publish an annual List of Fisheries (LOF) which categorizes U.S. commercial fisheries based on their level of interaction with marine mammals. The objective of this document is to provide a characterization of the six 2001 MMPA Category II commercial fisheries (i.e., those with occasional interactions with marine mammals) in North Carolina (NC). This report outlines the history, fishing method and gear configurations (using the U.S. system of measurement), primary target species, temporal and spatial characteristics including trip and landing statistics, and monthly variations in species composition for each fishery for a five-year period (1995 - 1999). (PDF contains 63 pages)

An Economics Guide to Allocation of Fish Stocks between Commercial and Recreational Fisheries

The increasingly intense competition between commercial and recreational fishermen for access to fish stocks has focused attention on the economic implications of fishery allocations. Indeed, one can scarcely find a management plan or amendment that does not at least refer to the relative food and sport values of fish and to how expenditures by commercial and recreational fishermen on equipment and supplies stimulate the economy. However, many of the arguments raised by constituents to influence such allocations, while having an seemingly "economics" ring to them, are usually incomplete, distorted, and even incorrect. This report offers fishery managers and other interested parties a guide to correct notions of economic value and to the appropriate ways to characterize, estimate, and compare value. In particular, introductory material from benefitcost analysis and input-output analysis is described and illustrated. In the process, several familiar specious arguments are exposed.(PDF file contains 34 pages.)