Poverty and aquatic resources in Vietnam: an assessment of the role and potential of aquatic resource management in poor people's livelihoods

This report seeks to discuss a variety of approaches to poverty in order to illustrate the diversity of poor people, and the range of ways in which people are poor, facilitating a broader understanding of poverty and the significance of aquatic resources in poor people’s livelihoods. This is intended to provide a balance to the general neglect of the poor in the pursuit of aquaculture development within the Fisheries sector. It is also intended that this approach to poverty will assist in the planning and targeting of aquatic resource interventions that aim to promote poverty alleviation. In its many different forms, poverty remains a persistent problem with a great number of people facing deprivation and vulnerable livelihoods. Rates of poverty alleviation also differ; whereas the Red River Delta has achieved the greatest reductions in poverty, the Mekong Delta has achieved the smallest improvements, with possible indications that inequality has increased (see 2.4). Inequality between regions persists despite progress in all regions. (PDF has 37 pages.)

Observations on the life history and identity of intraspecific groups of the anchoveta, Cetengraulis mysticetus, in Montijo Bay and Chiriquí Province, Panama

ENGLISH: Howard and Landa (1958) and Barrett and Howard (1961) have studied the life history of the anchoveta in most of the areas where this species occurs in important quantities. The Gulf of Panama was the only area of Panama included in these studies, as this was the only one from which sufficient samples were available. Berdegue (1958) compared certain meristic and morphometric characters of anchovetas from Montijo Bay and nine other areas of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. He found statistically significant differences, and concluded that the fish of the different areas belonged to separate "populations." Fish from Chiriquí province were not included in his study. Since the, completion of the above-mentioned studies, a number of collections of anchovetas from Montijo Bay and Chiriquí province have been obtained. In the present report use is made of this material to determine the salient facts regarding the life history of the anchoveta from these areas and to supplement the available knowledge of the identity of the intraspecific groups. Acknowledgment is extended to Dr. Milner B. Schaefer, formerly Director of Investigations, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (now Director, Institute of Marble Resources, University of California), Mr. Clifford L. Peterson, Assistant Director of Investigations, and Mr. Edward F. Klima (now with the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries) for advice and assistance rendered to the project. The shrimp-boat samples were collected by Captains Robert Barrett, Stephen Barrett, and Chester McLean. SPANISH: Howard y Landa (1958) y Barrett y Howard (1961) han estudiado la historia natural de la anchoveta en la mayoría de las áreas en donde esta especie aparece en cantidades importantes. El Golfo de Panamá es la única area de Panamá incluida en estos estudios, ya que es la única de la cual hubo suficientes muestras disponibles. Berdegué (1958) camparó ciertos caracteres merístieos y morfométricos de la anehoveta del Golfo de Montijo y otras nueve áreas del Océano Pacífico Oriental Tropical. Encontró diferencias estadísticamente significativas e hizo la conclusión de que los peces de las diferentes áreas pertenecían a "poblaciones" separadas. Los peces de la Provincia de Chiriquí no fueron incluidos en su estudio. Desde la terminación de los estudios antes meneionados se obtuvieron varias recolecciones de anchovetas del Golfo de Montijo y de la Provincia de Chiriquí. En el presente informe se usó este material para determinar los hechos sobresalientes referentes a la historia natural de la anchoveta de estas áreas y suplir el conocimiento disponible de la identidadde los grupos intraespecíficos. Se hace extensivo un reconocimiento al Dr. Milner B. Schaefer, antiguo director de investigaciones de la Comisión Interamericana del Atún Tropical (ahora director del Institute of Marine Resources, University of California), al Sr. Clifford L. Peterson, asistente del director de investigaciones, y al Sr. Edward F. Klima (ahora can el U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries) por su consejo y ayuda prestados en este proyecto. Las muestras de los barcos camaroneros fueron reeolectadas por los capitanes Robert Barrett, Stephen Barrett y Chester McLean

Red and white meat of tuna (Euthynnus affinis): their biochemical role and nutritional quality

The biochemical and nutrient compositions of red and white meat of tuna are reported. Based on the data the biochemical role and nutritional quality of red and white meat are discussed. The results show that red meat is adapted for slow and continuous activity and white meat for quick but occasional activity. In spite of comparatively low lysine content the red meat is adjudged more nutritious than white meat.

The role of substrate, flow and larval supply to recruitment of the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens)

Precipitous declines in wild populations of the red abalone Haliotis rufescens and the eventual closure of the commercial and southern recreational fishery have led to renewed interest in supplementing wild stocks with hatchery-raised individuals. Most work to date has focused on releasing small juveniles and has had limited success. Although much is known about larval settlement, juvenile survivorship and growth of abalone, there is scanty information on natural processes in the field. The failure of many regulated fisheries worldwide suggests that both the larval and juvenile stages may be important in determining the future population, and that early juvenile mortality is more important than previously believed. This paper presents a series of experiments designed to examine factors and mechanisms that could affect settlement, survivorship, and growth of larvae and early post-settlers in the field. Laboratory trials under different flow regimes showed that red abalone larvae settled preferentially on substrates encrusted with coralline algae, and that settlement was rapid when exposed to crusts compared to other surfaces. Urchin grazing of films appeared to facilitate abalone settlement but only when urchins were removed. Initial field experiments showed that released larvae settled on natural cobble rock, and that settlement was at least one order of magnitude greater when settlement habitats were tented. I then examined post-settlement survivorship at one and two days after settlement, and found that although there was a large amount of variation, on average 10% of released larvae were found as newly-settled recruits after 1 day. Survivorship and growth of recruits were followed over at least one month in both Spring and Fall. Abalone settled at higher densities, survived better and grew faster in the warmer Fall months than in the Spring. The density of month-old abalone recruits was correlated with density of naturally-occurring gastropods in the Spring, but not in the Fall. These results suggest that settlement and survivorship can be extremely variable across space and time, and that oceanographic and local biotic conditions play a role and should be considered when planning larval seeding.

Increasing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation and food security

The objectives of these Technical Guidelines are to provide a focus on small-scale fisheries and their current and potential role in contributing to poverty alleviation and food security by expanding on the guidance on small-scale fisheries offered by the Code. The Guidelines are complementary to existing Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. Most small-scale fishers are in developing countries and many live in communities characterized by poverty and food insecurity. Small-scale fishing communities are faced with an array of serious problems, including overexploitation and depletion of resources, lack of alternative sources of employment, rapid population growth, migration of populations, displacement in coastal areas due to industrial development and tourism, pollution and environmental degradation and conflicts with large commercial fishing operations. However, small-scale fisheries are critical for food security and poverty alleviation in many countries. The first part of the Guidelines discusses the current contribution, role and importance of small-scale fisheries in poverty alleviation and food security. It examines the importance of small-scale fisheries for poverty alleviation at a national, local and household level. It also notes the nutritional qualities of fish and thus the particular role of fish in nutritional aspects of food security. The fact that about half of all fish caught for human consumption comes from small-scale fisheries underlines the importance of this subsector for the world fish supply. In many countries small-scale fisheries contribute to national food security both directly – where fish is a crucial part of the daily diet, and indirectly – by generating foreign exchange earnings that enable the purchase through trade of a range of food products. The second part of the Guidelines explores ways through which the contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation and food security could be enhanced. A vision for the future of small-scale fisheries is presented as a goal towards which the subsector should develop. Ensuring greater participation by small-scale fishers and their communities in the formulation of policies, the development of related legislation and regulations, and in management decision-making and implementation processes, is vital to the realization of this vision. The central role of effective fisheries management, the importance of considering cross sectoral uses of fisheries and related resources, the special role of women in fish marketing, processing and value addition, the significant scope for trade, the critical role that adequate financing may have in enabling transitions for effective fisheries management and the role of knowledge in making informed decisions are all discussed in these Guidelines. (PDF contains 97 pages)

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Mid-Atlantic): Alewife/Blueback Herring

This profile covers life history and environmental requirements of both alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), since their distribution is overlapping and their morphology, ecological role, and environmental requirements are similar. The alewife is an anadromous species found in riverine, estuarine, and Atlantic coastal habitats, depending on life cycle stage, from Newfoundland (Winters et al. 1973) to Soutn Carolina (Berry 1964). Landlocked populations are i n the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, and many other freshwater lakes (Bigelow and Sch roeder 1953; Scott and Crossman 1973). The blueback herring is an anadromous species found in riverine, estuarine, and Atlantic coastal habitats, depending on life stage cycle, from Nova Scotia to the St. Johns River, Florida (Hildebrand 1963)

Uganda and Malawi field pilots of proposed LSMS fisheries module: summary report

While an overwhelming majority of sub-Saharan African countries exhibit serious weaknesses in statistics pertaining to crop and livestock sectors, the deficiencies in terms of nationally representative data on the fishery sector are even more acute. The very little data available on the sector are essentially derived from case studies of selected fisheries, and the limited nationally representative data available are generally derived from a few questions included in the livestock section of household surveys. These do not permit the detailed characterization of the fishery production systems. As a consequence in many countries the decision-makers and planners lack the most basic information about the role and importance of the fisheries sector to their national economy. As part of an initiative called the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) project, a collaboration was developed between the World Bank and the WorldFish Center to address this situation. This report provides detail on pilot testing of a fisheries module for living standards measurement surveys.