PICES Press, Vol. 13, No. 2, July 2005

PICES in transition: The 3rd inter-sessional Science Board and Governing Council meeting (pdf 0.3 MB) New and upcoming PICES publications (pdf 0.3 MB) PICES hosts GLOBEC Symposium on “Climate Variability and Sub-Arctic Marine Ecosystems” in Victoria (pdf 0.4 MB) First CREAMS/PICES Workshop on East Asian Seas Time-series (pdf 0.4 MB) PICES workshop discusses Oceanic Ecodynamics COmparison in the Subarctic Pacific (OECOS) - a project proposal (pdf 0.3 MB) The state of the western North Pacific in the second half of 2004 (pdf 0.4 MB) The Bering Sea: Current status and recent events (pdf 0.3 MB) Recent trends in waters of the subarctic NE Pacific (pdf 0.3 MB) CFAME workshop on “Developing a working plan for CCCC synthesis” (pdf 0.5 MB) What is winter? (pdf 0.5 MB) The first specimens of Humboldt squid in British Columbia (pdf 0.4 MB) Obituary - Dr. Daniel M. Ware (pdf 0.3 MB) PICES Calendar (pdf 0.3 MB)

Bibliography of the Oceanography of the Japan/East Sea

This bibliography contains 1224 references on various aspects of oceanography of the Japan/East Sea published between 1832 and 1997. (PDF contains 100 pages)

The Japanese longline fishery for tunas and billfishes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean east of 130°W, 1964-1966

ENGLISH: Catch and effort statistics from the Japanese longline fishery operating in the eastern Pacific Ocean east of 130°W, from 1964 through 1966, were examined to study the geographic distribution, trends in apparent abundance, sexual maturity, and size composition of the tunas and billfishes. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are generally most abundant in the equatorial regions of the high seas between about 10°N and 20°S, but west of 95°W. The marlins are more coastal in distribution, usually occurring to the east, and to the north and south of the heavy concentration of tropical tunas. Sailfish tend to be associated with coastal areas also, whereas shortbill spearfish are more frequently captured on the high seas. Swordfish are found most abundantly in the coastal regions off northern Mexico, and off northern Peru and southern Ecuador. The albacore, a temperate-water species of tuna, is most abundant in the high-seas area of the southeastern Pacific, Trends in apparent abundance were measured by the hook-rate (i.e. catch per 100 hooks). Hook-rates for bigeye tuna have decreased from about 3.5 fish per 100 hooks in 1958 to about 1.1 fish per 100 hooks in 1966. During the same period, effort was increased substantially and total catch has decreased since 1963. It does not appear that increased effort will result in sustained increased catches of bigeye. Hook-rates for yellowfin tuna in recent years have decreased to about one third of their initial levels. The surface fishery for yellowfin in the eastern Pacific apparently affects recruitment to the longline fishery. Assuming that present conditions in the surface fishery do not change appreciably, increased effort in the longline fishery probably would not produce sustained increased catches, but might in fact result in reduced catch rates. Unlike the situation for the other tunas of the eastern Pacific, it appears that the albacore fishery east of 130°W is not having a marked effect on their abundance. Although a high degree of variability was observed in the hookrates for striped marlin, no obvious trends are evident. Catches have decreased slightly from 13,500 tons in 1964 to about 11,000 tons in 1966. Heavy fishing for sailfish began in 1964 with a hook-rate of 10.6 fish per 100 hooks; by 1966 it had dropped to 5.8. Catches of this species in the area of major concentration dropped from 329,900 fish in 1965 to 173,600 fish in 1966. This fishery has operated for too short a period of time to enable one to determine its effect on the sustainable yield. Length-frequency measurements and gonad samples from yellowfin and bigeye tunas collected in the eastern Pacific were analyzed to determine sexual maturity and growth characteristics. The results corroborate the findings of earlier investigators. SPANISH: Las estadísticas de captura y del esfuerzo de la pesca japonesa con palangre que maniobra en el Océano Pacífico oriental al este de los 130°W, desde 1964 hasta 1966, fueron examinadas para estudiar la distribución geográfica, las tendencias de la abundancia aparente, la madurez sexual y la composición de talla de los atunes y de los peces espada. Los atunes aleta amarilla y ojo grande son generalmente más abundantes en las regiones ecuatoriales de alta entre unos 10°N y 20°S, pero al oeste de los 95°W. Los marlines son costaneros en distribución, apareciendo habitualmente hacia el y hacia el norte y sur de la densa concentración de atunes tropicales. pez vela tiende a asociarse también con las áreas costaneras, mientras el pez aguja corta es capturado con más frecuencia en alta mar. Los peces espada se encuentran más abundantemente en las regiones costaneras de México septentrional y frente al norte del Perú y del Ecuador meridional. La albacora, una especie de atún de aguas templadas, es más abundante en el área de alta mar del Pacífico sudoriental. Las tendencias en la abundancia aparente fueron evaluadas por la tasa de captura por anzuelo (i.e., captura por 100 anzuelos). Las tasas de captura por anzuelo del atún ojo grande, disminuyeron en 1958, de unos 3.5 peces por 100 anzuelos a cerca de 1.1 pez por 100 anzuelos en 1966. Durante el mismo período, el esfuerzo fue aumentado substancialmente y, desde 1963, la captura total disminuyó. No parece que el aumento del esfuerzo resultara en un aumento sostenido de las capturas del atún ojo grande. Las tasas de captura por anzuelo de atún aleta amarilla han disminuido en un tercio de los niveles iniciales, en años recientes. La pesca de superficie de esta especie en el Pacífico oriental afectó aparentemente el reclutamiento en la pesca con palangre. Suponiendo que las condiciones actuales de la pesquería no cambien apreciablemente, un aumento del esfuerzo en la pesquería palangrera probablemente no produciría un aumento sostenido de las capturas, pero en realidad podría resultar en tasas de captura reducidas. A diferencia de la situación de otros túnidos del Pacífico oriental, parece que la pesca de la albacora al este de los 130°W no ha tenido un efecto marcado en su abundancia. Aunque se observó un alto grado de variabilidad en las tasas de captura por anzuelo correspondientes al marlin rayado, no fueron evidentes tendencias obvias. Las capturas han mermado ligeramente de 13,500 toneladas en 1964 a unas 11,000 toneladas en 1966. La fuerte pesca por peces vela empezó en 1964 con una tasa por anzuelo de 10.6 peces por 100 anzuelos; en 1966 había mermado a 5.8. Las capturas de esta especie en el área de mayor concentración disminuyeron de 329,000 peces en 1965, a 173,600 peces en 1966. Esta pesquería ha maniobrado por un período demasiado corto de tiempo para que pueda determinarse su efecto en el rendimiento sostenible. Las mediciones frecuencia-longitud, y las muestras de las gónadas de los atunes aleta amarilla y ojo grande, obtenidas en el Pacífico oriental, fueron analizadas para determinar la madurez sexual y las características del crecimiento. Los resultados corroboraron los hallazgos anteriores de investigadores. (PDF contains 144 pages.)

A survey of aquatic invertebrates of the Somerset Levels, August 13-14, 1981

Since 1975 the wildlife interest of the Somerset Levels and Moors have been assessed. Detailed information has been obtained on the conservation interest of meadows, breeding and wintering bird populations and the botany of aquatic habitats (rhynes). Little work to date has been carried out on the terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate fauna. The prime aim of this survey was to sample a wide variety of rhynes in order to obtain information on the nature and distribution of aquatic invertebrates.

King Mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla, Mark-Recapture Studies Off Florida's East Coast

King mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla, were tagged and released from eastern Florida between 1985 and 1993. Recapture trends from these studies indicate an increase in tag returns from areas north of the release sites, along with a decrease in recaptures from coastal waters in the Florida Keys and Gulf of Mexico, since earlier king mackerel tagging studies completed in the late 1970's. The data indicate that eastern Florida waters may maintain resident king mackerel. Cyclical tag return patterns were noted along eastern Florida and in North Carolina. The proportion of mixing of presently defined king mackerel stocks along eastern Florida may vary yearly. Comparison of king mackerel tags show internal anchor tags to have a higher percentage of return and lower percentage of tag loss than dorsal dart tags.

Annual report 2006 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Fifteenth meeting, Yokohama, Japan, October 13-22, 2006

◾ Report of Opening Session (p. 1) ◾ Report of Governing Council (p. 15) ◾ Report of the Finance and Administration Committee (p. 47) ◾ Reports of Science Board and Committees: Science Board Inter-sessional Meeting (p. 63); Science Board (p. 73); Biological Oceanography Committee (p. 87); Fishery Science Committee (p. 95); Marine Environmental Quality Committee (p. 105); MONITOR Technical Committee (p. 115); Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee (p. 125); Technical Committee on Data Exchange (p. 133) ◾ Reports of Sections, Working and Study Groups: Section on Carbon and Climate (p. 139); Section on Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms in the North Pacific (p. 143); Working Group 18 on Mariculture in the 21st Century - The Intersection Between Ecology, Socio-economics and Production (p. 147); Working Group 19 on Ecosystem-Based Management Science and its Application to the North Pacific (p. 151); Working Group 20 on Evaluations of Climate Change Projections (p. 157); Working Group 21 on Non-indigenous Aquatic Species (p. 159); Study Group to Develop a Strategy for GOOS (p. 165) ◾ Reports of the Climate Change and Carrying Capacity Scientific Program: Implementation Panel on the CCCC Program (p. 169); CFAME Task Team (p. 175); MODEL Task Team (p. 181) ◾ Reports of Advisory Panels: Advisory Panel for a CREAMS/PICES Program in East Asian Marginal Seas (p. 187); Advisory Panel on Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey in the North Pacific (p. 193); Advisory Panel on Iron Fertilization Experiment in the Subarctic Pacific Ocean (p. 197); Advisory Panel on Marine Birds and Mammals (p. 201); Advisory Panel on Micronekton Sampling Inter-calibration Experiment (p. 205) ◾ Summary of Scientific Sessions and Workshops (p. 209) ◾ Membership List (p. 259) ◾ List of Participants (p. 277) ◾ List of PICES Acronyms (p. 301) ◾ List of Acronyms (p. 303)

East African Freshwater Fishery Research Organization Annual Report 1961

The Annual report presents Scientific work carried out during the report year 1961 under the following: Scientific Work of the Organization Fisheries of Lake Victoria Commercial records Population analysis Rational exploitation Other species of Tilapia Small mesh gill net fisheries Bagrus docmac Investigation Lates Investigation Breeding studies on T. zillii & T. nigra The culture of Tilapia in ponds Migration of River Fish Hydrology and Algology Gear Research Buoy releases Vertical gill nets and lastly publications.

East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization Annual Report 1965

Throughout the year the Fisheries Departments of Tanzania and Uganda continued to forward to EAFFRO data on the commercial fisheries of Lake Victoria, particularly statistics of fishing-effort and fish-landings. The Kenya Fisheries Department was re-established at Kisumu towards the end of 1964 and has expanded its activities during 1965; whilst regular records of commercial fishing activity have not been despatched to Jinja, appropriate information has been made available on request from the Chief Fisheries Officer. None of the existing research officers at EAFFRO have been assigned to a detailed survey of the statistical data available, although several officers have taken the opportunity of analysing the data regarding the species considered under their own research programmes. As recorded in the last Annual Report, one important function of the UNDP Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Project will be to undertake the relevant statistical surveys essential to the proper management of the commercial fisheries of Lake Victoria. The level of the lake remained abnormally high but fluctuated somewhat during the year, reaching a maximum in May, but falling to a minimum in October before beginning to rise again with the rains at the end of the twelve-month period. The maximum figure for the year recorded at Jinja: 12.92 ft. above datum did not reach the peak recorded in 1964: 13.33 ft. above datum, which was the maximum reading taken since records were begun in 1899. Scientific work carried out by the organization during the year 1965 included work on the following: Commercial fisheries of Lake Victoria Nile Perch investigations Fisheries surveys in Kenya and Tanzania Studies on anadromous fishes Studies on mormyrid fishes Studies on Tilapia species Studies on Alestes Studies on Haplochromis species

The preservation of some East African freshwater fish

Quality changes during storage were investigated for several commercially important East African freshwater fish. Lates, Bagrus, Protopterus, Tilapia esculenta and T. nilotica were examined during storage in ice and at ambient temperature (250•C). After 24 hours at ambient temperature Lates and Bagrus were completely spoilt but Protopterus was still edible. In iced storage most fish were acceptable for at least 20 days. Organoleptic examination showed that T. nilotica was acceptable after 22 days storage in ice and that gutting was only marginally beneficial. Changes in physical appearance, which could form the basis of a fish inspection system, were recorded during storage. Possible chemical quality control indices were also investigated. It was found that total volatile bases and hypoxanthine are unlikely to be useful quality indices for the species studied with the possible exception of Lates. The bacterial counts of the flesh and skin of T. esculenta and T. niloticus were found to be low (a maximum of 10 organisms per sq cm of skin or per g of flesh) after 22 days storage in ice.