Proceedings of the International Workshop responding to HIV and AIDS in the fishery sector in Africa, Lusaka, Zambia, 21-22 February 2006

The purpose of the workshop was to enable professionals and organizations working with fishing communities in response to HIV and AIDS in Africa to share experiences, appraise the efficacy of their approaches and identify actions in research and development that will further improve their impact. The workshop pursued and achieved the following objectives: 1)Review and compare research findings and approaches applied in response to HIV and AIDS in fishing communities and the wider fishery sector. 2)Identify good practice examples for wider application. 3)Identify next steps in development and research to scale up these examples. 4)Initiate a network of practitioners in Africa for capacity building, scaling-up and further development of approaches. The range of papers presented at the conference reveals the diversity of responses to HIV and AIDS in the fishery sector at all levels. The papers discussed a range of issues within this broad remit, from community level impacts of disease to policy implementation, from spatial mapping to theatre as a mode of communication. (Document contains 92 pages)

Adapting integrated agriculture aquaculture for HIV and AIDS-affected households: the case of Malawi

The WorldFish Center in conjunction with World Vision Malawi carried out a project to improve income and nutrition status of households affected by HIV and AIDS with funding from the World Bank. The project was implemented in Southern Malawi particularly in the West of Zomba District from July 2005 to June 2006. Through participatory approaches, the project identified constraints that limit HIV and AIDS affected households’ realisation of the benefits from fish farming and adapted technologies and practices for the affected beneficiaries to boost fish production and utilization. Specifically, the project sought (1) to identify the constraints that limit HIV and AIDS affected households to realise the benefits from fish farming and based on the constraints, (2) to adapt technologies and practices for use by the affected beneficiaries to boost fish production and utilization. (PDF cotains 17 pages)

TUNPOP, a computer simulation model of the yellowfin tuna population and the surface tuna fishery of the Eastern Pacific Ocean

ENGLISH: Mathematical documentation of TUNP0P, an age-structured computer simulation model of the yellowfin tuna population and surface tuna fishery of the eastern Pacific Ocean, is described. Example runs of the model are presented and discussed, and the sensitivity of the model output to changes in various parameters is examined. SPANISH: Se describe la documentación matemática de TUNP0P, un modelo computador de simulación basado en la edad de la población del atún aleta amarilla y de la pesca atunera epipelágíca del Océano Pacífico oriental. Se presentan y se discuten ejemplos de las pasadas del modelo, y se examina la sensibilidad de los resultados de salida con relación a los cambios de varios parámetros. (PDF contains 47 pages.)

Bearbeitung von Fangproben mit neuen elektronischen Messmethoden

For 10 years the Institute for Fishing Technology, Hamburg (IFH) has been carrying out experiments in the brown shrimp fishery with beam trawls aiming at a reduction of unwanted bycatches. When the tests were transferred to commercial fishery conditions the personnel effort and costs increased markedly. It became e.g. necessary to install a deep-freeze chain to make it possible to evaluate more samples in the laboratory. This again required to increase the number of technicians for measuring the fish and shrimp samples, but also made it necessary to perform this work in the most rational and time-saving way by applying modern electronic aids. Though all samples still have to be sorted by species and have to be weighed and measured the introduction of electronic aids, however, like electronic measuring board and computer-aided image processing system, all weight and length data are immediately and digitally recorded after processing. They are transferred via a network to a server PC which stores them into a purpose-designed database. This article describes the applicationof two electronic systems: the measuring board (FM 100, Fa. SCANTROL), iniated by a project in the Norwegian Institute for Fishing Technology, and a computer-aided image processing system, focussing on measuring shrimps in their naturally flexed shape, also developed in the Institute for Fishing Technology in close collaboration with the University of Duisburg. These electronic recording systems allow the consistent and reproducible record of data independent of the changing day-to-day personal form of the staff operating them. With the help of these systems the number of measurements the laboratory could be maximized to 250 000 per year. This made it possible to evaluate, in 1999, 525 catch samples from 75 commercial hauls taken during 15 days at sea. The time gain in measuring the samples is about one third of the time previously needed (i.e. one hour per sample). An additional advantage is the immediate availability of the digitally stored data which enables rapid analyses of all finished subexperiments. Both systems are applied today in several institutes of the Federal Research Centre. The image processing system is now the standard measuring method in an international research project.

A computer software package for assessing and managing risks posed by experiments with genetically modified fish and shellfish

Assessment and management of risk is needed for sustainable use of genetically modified aquatic organisms (aquatic GMOs). A computer software package for safely conducting research with genetically modified fish and shellfish is described. By answering a series of questions about the organism and the accessible aquatic ecosystem, a researcher or oversight authority can either identify specific risks or conclude that there is a specific reason for safety of the experiment. Risk assessment protocols with examples involving transgenic coho salmon, triploid grass carp and hybrid tilapia are described. In case a specific risk is identified, the user is led to consider risk management measures, involving culture methods, facilities design and operations management, to minimize the risk. Key features of the software are its user-friendly organization; easy access to explanatory text, literature citations and glossary; and automated completion of a worksheet. Documented completion of the Performance Standards can facilitate approval of a well designed experiment by oversight authorities.

Ecological computer programs: the importance of being friendly

A discussion is presented on the topic of statistical data analysis in the field of ecology, emphasizing the importance of computer programmes being user friendly for the ecologist. Particular reference is given to TWINSPAN, CANOCO and PATN and the applications of these programmes to tropical fisheries and coastal zone management.

Production planning aids for a modular pond system

This paper presents a series of short mathematical expressions that may be used to determine the necessary variables in production planning in a modular pond system for fish culture.

SUNLIGHT: a computer program for calculation of daily solar radiation

This paper presents an algorithm and software (available from ICLARM) for estimating the possible amount of sunlight that may fall on any location of the earth, any day of the year, as might be required for ecological modelling.

A Test of Computer-assisted Matching Using the North Pacific Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, Tail Flukes Photograph Collection

Testing was conducted of a computer-assisted system for matching humpback whale tail flukes photographs. Trials with a 12,000-photographs database found no differences in match success between matching by computer and matching by comparing smaller catalogs ranging in size from 200 to 400 photographs. Tests with a 24,000-photographs database showed that, on average, the first match was found after examining about 130 photographs whether the photograph quality was excellent, good, or poor. Match success did not appear to be strongly related to whether the tail flukes had especially distinctive markings or pigment patterns (recognition quality). An advantage of computer-assisted matching is the ability to compare new photographs to the entire North Pacific collection, where no bias is introduced based on expectation of resightings within or between specific areas, or based on expectation of behavioral role (e.g. matching “known” females to “known” females).