Zustand der Herings- und Sprottenbestände in Nord- und Ostsee, östlichem Kanal und westlichen britischen Gewässern. Beurteilung durch die Herings- und Ostsee-Arbeitsgruppe des ICES, März/April 1999

Information is given about the results of the latest meeting of the Herring Assessment Working Group for the Area South of 62° N and the Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group, which were conducted in March and April at ICES headquarters in Copenhagen. The actual stock development and the catch options estimated for different assessment units of herring and sprat are presented. The spawning stock size of North Sea herring reached in 1998 for the first time since 1991 a level above the Minimum Biological Acceptable Level (MBAL) of 800 000 t. Keeping the fishery at the present level the spawning stock size should reach in 1999 a level of about 1.2 mio. t. For the Western Baltic Spring spawning herring stock no actual stock estimate was presented. Due to uncertainties in splitting the catches in North Sea autumn and Baltic spring spawners no analytical assessment was accepted.

Ichthyoplanktonaufnahmen als Beitrag zu Biodiversitätsuntersuchungen in der westlichen Ostsee

Ichthyoplankton material provides information on the species composition in an area of investigation and leads to a better understanding of the entire fish community. Since 1993 every year in May and/or June an ichthyoplankton survey in ICES-Subdivision 22 and 24 has been performed to sample the plankton community of fishery resources in the western Baltic Sea. One objective was to get signs of possible changes in the natural structures of this fish community. The time series derived from the Bongo-Net samples does not show a clear trend in larval densities. Values varied, but up to now samplings in the western Baltic Sea yielded only low mean densities. According to the kind of reproductive biology the fish species were divided in three major groups: • Fish species with a long developmental phase in the plankton community • Small short living species with benthic eggs and a reduced plankton phase • Guests without local spawning populations. Species could be identified, which were absent in the fish larvae catches of the western Baltic Sea in the 60s and 70s.

Biologie des Stöckers in Nordsee und Nordostatlantik

This paper summarises the current knowledge on horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) biology. The synopsis is mainly based on the report of a recently conducted EU funded workshop on horse mackerel age reading. A brief description of this workshop and of recent developments in sampling of German commercial horse mackerel catches is given.

Discards in der deutsche Seelachsfischerei

The saithe fishery in the Northern North Sea includes unused by-catches, that usually represent 6.1 % of the total catch. Although this relates clearly to single to species and year classes this fishery is comparatively “clean”. If such catches were better used, i.e. if the marketable fish of legal length were also landed, one could certify that the saithe fishery could be carried out without ecological concern.

Aktuelle Entwicklung der Herings- und Sprottenbestände südlich des 62. Breitengrades

Information is given about the last meeting of the ICES “Herring Assessment Working Group for the Area South of 62° N”, conducted from 9.-18. March 1998 in Copenhagen. The actual stock development and the catch option estimations for different assessment units of herring and sprat are presented. The spawning stock size of North Sea herring was in 1997 still below the “Minimum Biological Acceptable Level” (MBAL) of 800 000 t. Keeping the fishing mortalities at the present level, the spawning stock size should reach a level of about 1.1 million tons by end of 1998. For the Western Baltic pring spawning herring stock no actual stock parameters were estimated. Due to uncertainties in splitting the catches in North sea autumn and Baltic spring spawners no analytical assessment was accepted.

The decline in the commercially important species of fish and predominance of Clarias lazera in Lake Chad

About 86 species of fish have been recorded in the Lake Chad. Most of the species occurring in the lake are widespread including most of the commercially important species. Fish distribution in the lake was adversely affected by the 1972/73 and 1983/84 droughts. The commercially important species before the 1972/73 drought were; Lates, Labeo distichodus, Heterotis, Gymnarchus, Hydrocynus, Citharinus and Bagrus. Other species which had less commercial value at that time include, Clarias, Gnathanemus, Polypterus, Protopterus, Tilapia and Synodontis. Lates niloticus was the most predominant species of commercial importance comprising 50-60% of the total catches of fishermen between 1962 and 1973. Before the 1972/73 drought, occurrence of Clarias lazera was negligible and restricted to long line catches and had little commercial value. As a result of the drought of 1972/73 which resulted in near drying up to the northern sector of the lake, fish populations were confined to isolated pools and were completely scooped out. The remaining fish populations retreated to the southern basin where enough water always remained to hold the surviving representatives of the population. The effects of the drought resulted in occurrence of the little known C. lazera along with other hardy species like Tilapia and Protopterus to dominate the existing fish species composition. In 1976, C. lazera dominated the total catches of fishermen with 85.6%. An overview of the fish population in the lake, their relative abundance, changes in species composition, the effects of drought on the fauna of the lake based on the available data are discussed in this paper

Migrations of yellowfin tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean as determined from tagging experiments initiated during 1968-1974

ENGLISH: Data from tagging experiments initiated during 1968-1974 in the eastern Pacific Ocean were used to study the migrations of yellowfin tuna in that area. The map method, the parallel-area method, and the Jones method were employed in the analyses. The map method gives a useful impression of the distances and directions traveled, but does not express these parameters in quantitative terms. The parallel-area method is particularly useful for determining whether or not there is net movement in particular directions, i.e. inshore-offshore, east-west, or north-south. The first of these is of particular interest, as the incidence of smaller fish is much higher in the catches made inshore than in those made offshore, and it is desirable to know whether this is due to relatively greater abundance or to relatively greater vulnerability of the smaller fish in the inshore areas. If the former were the case an offshore movement of the fish as they grew older would probably be detected. Such a movement was not detected, however, so it appears likely that the differences in the catches of smaller fish in the inshore and offshore areas are due mainly to differences in vulnerability. Few or no east-west or north-south tendencies in the movements of the fish were detected. The Jones method indicates that the movement is not random, but reveals no pronounced directional tendencies. SPANISH: Se emplearon los datos de los experimentos de marcado, iniciados en el Océano Pacífico oriental durante 1968-1974 para estudiar los desplazamientos del atún aleta amarilla en esa zona. En los análisis se emplearon los métodos cartográficos, de las zonas paralelas y de Jones. El método cartográfico ofrece una idea útil sobre la distancia y dirección de los desplazamientos, pero no expresa estos parámetros en términos cuantitativos. El método de las zonas paralelas es particularmente conveniente para determinar si existe o nó un desplazamiento neto en una dirección especial, es decir, hacia la costa-fuera de la costa, este-oeste o norte-sur. El primero de éstos tiene un interés especial, ya que la incidencia de peces más pequeños es muy superior en las capturas realizadas cerca de la costa que en las de mar afuera, y se desea conocer si ésto se debe a la abundancia relativamente superior o a las vulnerabilidad relativamente mayor de los pequeños peces en las zonas costeras. Si el caso fuera el primero, se podría descubrir probablemente un movimiento de los peces mar afuera a medida que crecen. Sin embargo, no se ha descubierto tal movimiento, así que es probable que las diferencias en las capturas de peces pequeños en las zonas costeras y mar afuera se deban principalmente a diferencias en la vulnerabilidad. Se descubrió poca o ninguna tendencia en los peces a desplazarse este-oeste o norte-sur. El método de Jones indica que el movimiento no es aleatorio, pero no revela una tendencia pronunciada a orientarse direccionalmente.

Artisanal canoe fishing industry of the Rivers State: its economic viability and investment potentials

Consequent upon the present national call in Nigeria for all to go back to agriculture including fishing, most retrenched workers and unemployed youths from the riverine areas are taking up fishing as a legitimate and gainful livelihood. To sustain this tempo and attract more investment, the economic viability of such projects must be known. This study is an attempt to document the profitability and investment potential of artisanal canoe fishing. Socio-economic information including catches, operational cost and returns were obtained through a personal interview questionnaire survey of 240 randomly selected artisanal canoe fishermen from Bonny, Brass and Degema Local Government Areas (LGA) of the State and analyzed. With an investment cost of about 8,135, 8,490 and 6,571 and operation cost of 750, 776 and 627, the analysis showed an average monthly gross income of 1,869, 3,221 and 1,775 for the three local government areas respectively. A benefit-cost-ratio of 1:8, net present value of 400, 603 and internal rate of return greater than 50% were obtained. Since capital invested in fisheries is not tied up for long before benefits start flowing, coupled with the high IRR, it is concluded that artisanal canoe fishing would be an economically viable venture if well managed

Investment prospects in inland capture fisheries -- revolving loan scheme to artisanal fishermen

Fishing inputs in the form of the netting materials, boats and outboard engines were issued to 20 fishermen on revolving loan basis at 2 centres - Shagunu. and Monai along the western bank of Kainji Lake, Nigeria. The agreement was that the recipients should sell all their catches to the Institute and surrender 20% as part payment of the loan, until they offset the loan after which the inputs would become theirs'. The scheme was monitored for 5 years during which time most recipients had completed payment. It was observed that adequate revenue could be made from the scheme provided there was effective supervision. A proposal has been made for large scale supply of fishing inputs to one hundred fishermen. The scheme is laudable as a means of improving the lot of the fishermen and implementing management proposals in water bodies through the recipients

Growth, movement, and attrition of northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, in the Pacific Ocean, as determined by tagging

ENGLISH: The growth of northern bluefin tuna is described by a two-stanza model. For fish between 191 and 564 mm in length the Gompertz curve, with values of 581 mm and 4.32 for Loo and K (annual), respectively, is used. The fish between 564 and 1530 mm grow linearly, at the rate of 0.709 mm per day. Age-O fish tagged and released in the western Pacific Ocean have been recaptured in the western, central, and eastern Pacific. The minimum time between release in the western Pacific and recapture in the eastern Pacific is 215 days. Older fish, mostly Land 2-year olds, tagged and released in the eastern Pacific have been recaptured in the eastern and western Pacific. The minimum time between release in eastern Pacific and recapture in the western Pacific is 674 days. The coefficient of natural mortality is estimated from data on growth and ambient temperature to be 0.276 on an annual basis, with 90-percent confidence limits of 0.161 and 0.47L Spawning of northern bluefin takes place only in the western Pacific. Some of the juveniles migrate to the eastern Pacific, where they reside for several months to several years before returning to the western Pacific. The portion of fish which migrate to the eastern Pacific varies among years, and this appears to be an important cause of the annual variation in the catches in the eastern Pacific Ocean. SPANISH: El crecimiento del atún aleta azul del norte es descrito por un modelo de dos estadios. Para los peces de entre 191 y 564 mm de talla se usa la curva de Gompertz, con valores de 581 mm y 4.32 para Loo y K (anual), respectivamente. Los peces de entre 564 y 1530 mm crecen de forma lineal, a 0.709 mm por día. Peces de edad Omarcados y liberados en el Pacífico occidental han sido recapturados en el Pacífico occidental, central, y oriental. La demora mínima entre la liberación en el Pacífico occidental y la recaptura en el Pacífico oriental es de 215 días. Peces mayores, principalmente de 1 ó 2 años de edad, marcados y liberados en el Pacífico oriental han sido re capturados en el Pacífico occidental y oriental. La demora mínima entre la liberación en el Pacífico oriental y la recaptura en el Pacífico occidental es de 674 días. Se estima el coeficiente de mortalidad natural a partir de los datos de crecimiento y temperatura ambiental en un 0.276 anual, con límites de confianza al 90% de 0.161 y 0.471. El aleta azul del norte desova únicamente en el Pacífico occidental. Algunos de los juveniles migran al Pacífico oriental, donde permanecen entre varios meses y varios años antes de regresar al Pacífico occidental. La porción de los peces que migran al Pacífico oriental varía entre años, y ésto parece ser una causa importante de la variación anual en las capturas en el Océano Pacífico oriental. (PDF contains 94 pages.)

Length-frequency estimation for yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) caught by commercial fishing gear in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

ENGLISH: Methods of collecting samples for the purpose of estimating the numbers and weights of fish caught, by length interval, are described. Several models for two-stage sampling are described, and the equations for the estimators and their variances are given. The results from a brief simulation study are used to show the differences between estimates made with the different models. Estimators for the average weights of fish in the catch and their variances are also described. These average weights are used to provide improved estimates of the total annual catches of yellowfin taken from the eastern Pacific Ocean, east of 150°W, between 1955 and 1990. SPANISH: Se describen los métodos de recoger de muestreo para estimar el número o peso de peces capturados, por intervalo de talla. Se describen varios modelos para el muestreo de dos etapas, y se presentan las ecuaciones para los estimadores y sus varianzas. Se usan los resultados de un breve estudio de simulación para indicar las diferencias entre estimaciones realizadas con los distintosmodelos. También se describe un estimador para el peso promedio de peces en la captura y su varianza. Se usan estos estimadores para calcular estimaciones mejoradas de las capturas anuales totales de aleta amarilla tomadas del Océano Pacífico oriental, al este de 150°W, entre 1955 y 1990. (PDF contains 41 pages.)

Growth and age composition of northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, caught in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, as estimated from length-frequency data, with comments on trans-Pacific migrations

ENGLISH: The spawning of Pacific northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, takes place only in the western Pacific Ocean (WPO), but substantial numbers of the juveniles migrate to the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO), where they remain for several months, or longer, and the.n return to the WPO. Lengthfrequency and tagging data show that many bluefin arrive in the EPO as 1-and 2-year olds, and remain there for one or two fishing seasons before returning to the WPO. The proportion of the fish which make the west-to-east migration varies among years. The numbers of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4, and >4 –year olds in the catches of the EPO are estimated for most years of the 1952-1991 period. SPANISH: EI desove del atun aleta azul del norte del Pacifico, Thunnus thynnus, ocurre solamente en el Océano Pacifico occidental (WPO), pero números substanciales de los juveniles migran al Océano Pacifico oriental (OPO), donde permanecen unos meses, 0 mas, antes de regresar al WPO. Datos de marcado y frecuencia de talla indican que muchos aletas azules llegan al OPO a 1 o 2 anos de edad, y permanecen alIi una 0 dos temporadas de pesca antes de regresar al WPO. La proporcion de los peces que migra del oeste al este varia entre anos. Se estima el numero de peces de 1, 2, 3, 4, Y>4 anos de edad en las capturas del OPO para la mayoria de los anos del periodo de 1952-1991. (PDF contains 40 pages.)

An evaluation of length-frequency sampling procedures and subsequent data analysis for purse seine-caught yellowfin tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

ENGLISH: A two-stage sampling design is used to estimate the variances of the numbers of yellowfin in different age groups caught in the eastern Pacific Ocean. For purse seiners, the primary sampling unit (n) is a brine well containing fish from a month-area stratum; the number of fish lengths (m) measured from each well are the secondary units. The fish cannot be selected at random from the wells because of practical limitations. The effects of different sampling methods and other factors on the reliability and precision of statistics derived from the length-frequency data were therefore examined. Modifications are recommended where necessary. Lengths of fish measured during the unloading of six test wells revealed two forms of inherent size stratification: 1) short-term disruptions of existing pattern of sizes, and 2) transition zones between long-term trends in sizes. To some degree, all wells exhibited cyclic changes in mean size and variance during unloading. In half of the wells, it was observed that size selection by the unloaders induced a change in mean size. As a result of stratification, the sequence of sizes removed from all wells was non-random, regardless of whether a well contained fish from a single set or from more than one set. The number of modal sizes in a well was not related to the number of sets. In an additional well composed of fish from several sets, an experiment on vertical mixing indicated that a representative sample of the contents may be restricted to the bottom half of the well. The contents of the test wells were used to generate 25 simulated wells and to compare the results of three sampling methods applied to them. The methods were: (1) random sampling (also used as a standard), (2) protracted sampling, in which the selection process was extended over a large portion of a well, and (3) measuring fish consecutively during removal from the well. Repeated sampling by each method and different combinations indicated that, because the principal source of size variation occurred among primary units, increasing n was the most effective way to reduce the variance estimates of both the age-group sizes and the total number of fish in the landings. Protracted sampling largely circumvented the effects of size stratification, and its performance was essentially comparable to that of random sampling. Sampling by this method is recommended. Consecutive-fish sampling produced more biased estimates with greater variances. Analysis of the 1988 length-frequency samples indicated that, for age groups that appear most frequently in the catch, a minimum sampling frequency of one primary unit in six for each month-area stratum would reduce the coefficients of variation (CV) of their size estimates to approximately 10 percent or less. Additional stratification of samples by set type, rather than month-area alone, further reduced the CV's of scarce age groups, such as the recruits, and potentially improved their accuracy. The CV's of recruitment estimates for completely-fished cohorts during the 198184 period were in the vicinity of 3 to 8 percent. Recruitment estimates and their variances were also relatively insensitive to changes in the individual quarterly catches and variances, respectively, of which they were composed. SPANISH: Se usa un diseño de muestreo de dos etapas para estimar las varianzas de los números de aletas amari11as en distintos grupos de edad capturados en el Océano Pacifico oriental. Para barcos cerqueros, la unidad primaria de muestreo (n) es una bodega de salmuera que contenía peces de un estrato de mes-área; el numero de ta11as de peces (m) medidas de cada bodega es la unidad secundaria. Limitaciones de carácter practico impiden la selección aleatoria de peces de las bodegas. Por 10 tanto, fueron examinados los efectos de distintos métodos de muestreo y otros factores sobre la confiabilidad y precisión de las estadísticas derivadas de los datos de frecuencia de ta11a. Se recomiendan modificaciones donde sean necesarias. Las ta11as de peces medidas durante la descarga de seis bodegas de prueba revelaron dos formas de estratificación inherente por ta11a: 1) perturbaciones a corto plazo en la pauta de ta11as existente, y 2) zonas de transición entre las tendencias a largo plazo en las ta11as. En cierto grado, todas las bodegas mostraron cambios cíclicos en ta11a media y varianza durante la descarga. En la mitad de las bodegas, se observo que selección por ta11a por los descargadores indujo un cambio en la ta11a media. Como resultado de la estratificación, la secuencia de ta11as sacadas de todas las bodegas no fue aleatoria, sin considerar si una bodega contenía peces de un solo lance 0 de mas de uno. El numero de ta11as modales en una bodega no estaba relacionado al numero de lances. En una bodega adicional compuesta de peces de varios lances, un experimento de mezcla vertical indico que una muestra representativa del contenido podría estar limitada a la mitad inferior de la bodega. Se uso el contenido de las bodegas de prueba para generar 25 bodegas simuladas y comparar los resultados de tres métodos de muestreo aplicados a estas. Los métodos fueron: (1) muestreo aleatorio (usado también como norma), (2) muestreo extendido, en el cual el proceso de selección fue extendido sobre una porción grande de una bodega, y (3) medición consecutiva de peces durante la descarga de la bodega. EI muestreo repetido con cada método y distintas combinaciones de n y m indico que, puesto que la fuente principal de variación de ta11a ocurría entre las unidades primarias, aumentar n fue la manera mas eficaz de reducir las estimaciones de la varianza de las ta11as de los grupos de edad y el numero total de peces en los desembarcos. El muestreo extendido evito mayormente los efectos de la estratificación por ta11a, y su desempeño fue esencialmente comparable a aquel del muestreo aleatorio. Se recomienda muestrear con este método. El muestreo de peces consecutivos produjo estimaciones mas sesgadas con mayores varianzas. Un análisis de las muestras de frecuencia de ta11a de 1988 indico que, para los grupos de edad que aparecen con mayor frecuencia en la captura, una frecuencia de muestreo minima de una unidad primaria de cada seis para cada estrato de mes-área reduciría los coeficientes de variación (CV) de las estimaciones de ta11a correspondientes a aproximadamente 10% 0 menos. Una estratificación adicional de las muestras por tipo de lance, y no solamente mes-área, redujo aun mas los CV de los grupos de edad escasos, tales como los reclutas, y mejoró potencialmente su precisión. Los CV de las estimaciones del reclutamiento para las cohortes completamente pescadas durante 1981-1984 fueron alrededor de 3-8%. Las estimaciones del reclutamiento y sus varianzas fueron también relativamente insensibles a cambios en las capturas de trimestres individuales y las varianzas, respectivamente, de las cuales fueron derivadas. (PDF contains 70 pages)

Application of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques in the verification of fisheries data and trend on Lake Kainji

After several years of surveys on the Kainji Lake fisheries activities by the Nigerian German Kainji Lake Fish promotion Project (KLFPP) trends regarding catches, yield and other parameter begin to emerge. However, it became obvious that some of the data were not quite as accurate as they were believed to be. Looking at the different editions of the statistical bulletin of Kainji Lake, concerning one given fisheries parameter, sometimes it is possible to reveal inconsistencies and unexplained trends. As compared to the survey method, PRA is primarily for analysis of differences in local phenomenon and processes. Therefore, PRA was used as a complementary tool to enhance the knowledge on issues like fisher women, entrepreneurs, gear ownership structure, mode of operation by owners of large gear number, preference in the use of twine and nylon gill nets, and reasons for misinformation on the number of fishing equipment owned by entrepreneurs, which cannot be done with frame survey. PRA techniques like timeline, mapping, seasonal calendar, transect walk and key informant interviews were utilized in the study process

Fishing gears survey of Lake Chad

The paper reports on a survey on gear assessment for the three intensive fishing seasons in Lake Chad (Nigeria). These seasons coincide with the flood period (Nov-Feb), the receding (March-June)and the recession period (July-September 2001). During this year the questionnaires were requested to ten fishers in each of the selected fishing islands. In the flood season, identified fishing gears on the lake included baited and un-baited Malian traps which constituted about 35% of the total gears recorded. While Ndurutu and Heri (Kung)traps represented, each, 3.2% of the total. About 15.9% of fishers employed hook lines of various length and sizes: Another 15.9% of fishers mounted fish fences (Dumba) during the season. Those that employ seine net accounted for about 11.1% while 9.5% use gill nets.The species belonging to the Cichilidae, Claridae and Osteoglossidae families dominated fish catches. During the receding period, hook lines and fences (Dumba) (6.20%) were found to be predominantly used on the lake due to reducing water level, followed by gill net and draw net which accounted for 17.9% and 16.1 % respectively. During the lake recession only two groups of active gears were recorded. Sixty percent of fishers use combined seine net with cutlass and scoop net, while 40% use to combine only cutlass with kabara net. Fish fences (Dumma)during the flood season were mounted with giant Malian traps of abut 1.5m by 0.5m diameter, covered with net of mesh size (6.3mm-25mm).Each Dumba contained between 150 and 2000 of such traps. Larger number of species was recorded from seine net followed by gill nets and the l kilometre multi mesh fleet drift net. The use of seine net and cutlass known as Genima was predominant during the lake recession