Farm-raised shrimp: good aquacultural practices for product quality and safety

(PDF has 75 pages)

Seafood safety: economics of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) programmes

Seventy percent of the world's catch of fish and fishery products is consumed as food. Fish and shellfish products represent 15.6 percent of animal protein supply and 5.6 percent of total protein supply on a worldwide basis. Developing countries account for almost 50 percent of global fish exports. Seafood-borne disease or illness outbreaks affect consumers both physically and financially, and create regulatory problems for both importing and exporting countries. Seafood safety as a commodity cannot be purchased in the marketplace and government intervenes to regulate the safety and quality of seafood. Theoretical issues and data limitations create problems in estimating what consumers will pay for seafood safety and quality. The costs and benefits of seafood safety must be considered at all levels, including the fishers, fish farmers, input suppliers to fishing, processing and trade, seafood processors, seafood distributors, consumers and government. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programmes are being implemented on a worldwide basis for seafood. Studies have been completed to estimate the cost of HACCP in various shrimp, fish and shellfish plants in the United States, and are underway for some seafood plants in the United Kingdom, Canada and Africa. Major developments within the last two decades have created a set of complex trading situations for seafood. Current events indicate that seafood safety and quality can be used as non-tariff barriers to free trade. Research priorities necessary to estimate the economic value and impacts of achieving safer seafood are outlined at the consumer, seafood production and processing, trade and government levels. An extensive list of references on the economics of seafood safety and quality is presented. (PDF contains 56 pages; captured from html.)

Safety net or debt net?: ties between marketing and credit in coastal Bangladesh

Three fishing communities in coastal Bangladesh namely: 1) Hindu community near Chittagong; 2) Muslim community in Rehania; and 3) Bhuddist community of Rakhaipara were studied, and each shared the same credit marketing system.

Using eye lens diameter as age indicator of young Lithognathus mormyrus and Diplodus vulgaris

Eye lens diameter was analyzed in two sparid fish species, Lithognathus mormyrus and Diplodus vulgaris, in order to determine the possibility of using these data for age determination. The results showed that the technique could be adopted for determining the age of the two species when the specimens are very young. The method is especially useful for age determination when otolith or scale rings are not visible or when false rings may give erroneous readings.

Safety Training and Oceanic Fishing

This paper reports on the cultural adaptation of Atlantic commercial fishermen to the danger of their occupation and efforts to ameliorate that danger through safety training programs. The research is directed towards measuring fishermen's patterns of subjective perceived danger and assessing the impact of safety training on these patterns of thinking. Safety training for commercial fishermen has unique problems owing to a culture that relies heavily on the trivialization or denial of the dangers associated with the work (Binkley, 1995; Poggie et al., 1995, 1996; Pollnac et al., 1995). Hence, understanding the efficacy of various approaches to safety training is important in promoting greater safety at sea, for this understanding will help create the most effective programs.

International legal instruments relevant to fisheries and fishing communities : a handbook. Theme V. Fishing vessels and safety at sea

This handbook provides detailed information for a wide range of legal instruments relevant to fisheries and fishworkers. It covers 114 legal instruments, categorized into the following seven themes: Theme I. Human Rights, Food Security, Women and Development. Theme II. Environment and Sustainable Development. Theme III. Oceans and Fisheries Management. Theme IV. Environmental Pollution Theme V. Fishing Vessels and Safety at Sea Theme VI. Labour Theme VII. Trade The handbook also includes the working of the instruments (decision-making bodies, monitoring and implementation agencies, periodicity of meetings, rules for participation in meetings of the decision-making bodies and implementation agencies for States and non-governmental organizations), regional instrument and agencies. Apart from being a ready reckoner to the instruments, it highlights the important sections of relevance to fisheries or small-scale fisheries and fishworkers. The companion CD-ROM provides the full texts of the instruments in a searchable database. The handbook will be useful for fishworker and non-governmental organizations, and also for researchers and others interested in fisheries issues.

Suggestive role of eye-stalk of Macrobrachium gangeticum Bate, 1868 in regulation of its reproductive behaviour

Role of eye-stalk of Macrobrachium gangeticum Bate, 1868 in its reproductive behaviour has been examined by conducting deletion and addition experiments. Eye-stalk ablation induced gonadal maturity in both sexes, leading to change in colour and size of ovaries and increase in GSI and oocyte diameter in females and increased length of testes and diameters of seminiferous tubules in males. Injection of eye-stalk extracts tended to at least partly restrict the effects in both sexes. The experiments thus suggested that the eye-stalk of M. gangeticum released some gonad inhibiting factors.

Electrophoretic characteristics of oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) and mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) eye lens proteins

Electrophoresis of eye lens proteins of oil sardine and mackerel showed separation of proteins into three and four components, indicating the heterogeneous nature of the population.

On the eye diameter-total length relationship of the Indian mackerel Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier)

Results of studies of chemical, bacteriological and organoleptic quality of cured fish collected from four major curing centres along the Tamil Nadu coast are reported. Only 32.43% of the samples had moisture level below 35%, 0.9% had salt 25% and above. None of the samples showed acid insoluble ash below 1.5%. The main defects were unhygienic processing, inadequate salting, use of poor quality salt and incomplete drying. Recommendations for improvement of quality are given.

Use of eye lens diameter and weight as an age indicator in the carangid fish, Decapterus russelli (Pisces: Carangidae) from Gulf of Oman: preliminary observation

Specimens of Decapterus russelli have been collected from Lema, north of the Gulf of Oman. The ocular lens diameter and weight were tested as an additional age indicator to those already in use. The results showed that this technique could be adopted for determining the age of the species Decapterus russelli when the specimens are in the second year of age in case of eye lens diameter. On the other hand, eye lens weight failed to separate between the four age groups observed. The method is especially useful for age determination when otolith or scale ring are not visible or when false rings give erroneous reading.