Determinants of small-scale fishermen's income on Oman's Batinah Coast

The small-scale fishing industry of Oman is responsible for almost 90 percent of the total marine fishery production. It is also the main supplier of fish for Omani households. This study analyzes the factors that determine small-scale fishermen���s income on Oman���s Batinah Coast, which has almost 30 percent of Oman���s population and more than one-third of the small-scale fishermen. We find that fishermen���s income here can be explained broadly under four major blocks of variables: geographical region, fishing inputs and catch, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and the nature of the relationship with fisheries extension services. In general, the Wilayat (local administrative units) failed to make any significant impact on fishermen���s income. The variable ���Fishing inputs and catch,��� such as increases in engine power, boat length, weekly catch, and number of weekly trips, positively impacted fishermen���s income while increases in weekly fishing costs, number of crew members, and difficulty in getting ice had a significantly negative effect on the income. Furthermore, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics also contributed significantly in determining the fishermen���s income level. The other important findings were related to extension services. The variables ���Fishermen���s exchange of information and cooperation with the ministry��� and ���Fishermen���s involvement in the extension activities��� were found to have positive effects on fishermen���s income levels. Capitalizing on these findings could improve fishermen���s incomes and their lives across the region, as well as nationally.

A survey of process hygiene in the Sri Lankan prawn industry. 3. Critical control points

Of fifteen processing plants surveyed in Sri Lanka, only five were found to have a prawn process which was adequately controlled. Most common process faults were: inadequate chilling of prawns after a wash in 30��C, mains water, the use of large blocks of ice to cool prawns, and high ratios of prawns to ice. There was also ample scope for cross-contamination of the processed prawns.

Qualit��tsvergleich zwischen panierten Filetportionen aus einfach- und doppelgefrorenen TK-Bl��cken

Single and double frozen fillet blocks of Alaska pollack and cod both commercially processed of unknown shelf life were further processed to breaded battered portions. The quality of these fillet portions were compared using sensory (QDA), physical and chemical methods. It was difficult to differentiate between SF and DF fillets by sensory method because of the absence of differences in flavour attributes. While no differences could to be found in the texture of cod fillets, in Alaska pollack fillets some texture attributes were significantly different. These differences could not be verified by instrumental texture measurement. In all cases the lightness was different between SF and DF fillets. Probably, after having fixed L* values for SF fillets of commercially important fish species as limit this could be employed in the future to differentiate between single and double frozen products. Due to the unknown shelf life it is difficult to evaluate the results. Therefore, the investigation of the influence of double freezing on the quality needs a special sample preparation. The use of randomly taken commercially processed samples seems not to be useful.

Observations sur Orthopagurus Harmsi Gordon

During 1955 researching activities on Hapalocarcinid��s in the Nhatrang Bay, the author collected blocks of Montipora verrucosa, genre Hexacoralliaire, and he found an Orthopagurus Harmsi Gordon, never harvested on the coral before. In this paper the author gave a detailed description.