Modelling discard ogives from Irish demersal fisheries

Annual discard ogives were estimated using generalized additive models (GAMs) for four demersal fish species: whiting, haddock, megrim, and plaice. The analysis was based on data collected on board commercial vessels and at Irish fishing ports from 1995 to 2003. For all species the most important factors influencing annual discard ogives were fleet (combination of gear, fishing ground, and targeted species), mean length of the catch and year, and, for megrim, also minimum landing size. The length at which fish are discarded has increased since 2000 for haddock, whiting, and plaice. In contrast, discarded length has decreased for megrim, accompanying a reduction in minimum landing size in 2000.

Australian and Thai isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei are distinct by multilocus sequence typing: Revision of a case of mistaken identity

A recent study using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates found a sequence type (ST60) to be common to both Thailand and Australia, contradicting earlier studies showing complete distinction between isolates from these regions. The ST60 isolates reportedly from Australia had been obtained for MLST from United Kingdom and U.S. collections. We have located and characterized the original Australian isolates; they were collected in 1983, and they are neither ST60 nor B. pseudomallei isolates. The B. pseudomallei MLST database has been corrected, and there is no ST common to isolates verified as obtained from Australia or from Thailand.