Occurrence and distribution of fish species off Yemen (Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea)

The species list is drawn from an analysis of catches taken by Sumalian and Russian trawlers in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea between 1985 and 1990. The southern coastline of the Republic of Yemen has been divided into 7 areas, including waters around Socotra Island. The average depth of each trawl was recorded in 50 m increments. Non-appearance of the species in the area does not mean that the species do not occur in that area or depth, merely that it was not recorded in any of the samples analyzed. Specimens that could not be identified to species level have been excluded. A total of 195 species from 75 families was recorded and is summarized. Most of the identification of species was from FAO species identification literature. Confirmation of some species and usage of common names is from ICLARM's FishBase and Al Sedfy, et al. (1982).

Culture of tropical sea cucumbers for stock restoration and enhancement

Severe overfishing of sea cucumbers has occurred in most countries of the tropical Indo-Pacific. The release of juveniles is being examined at the ICLARM Coastal Aquaculture Centre in the Solomon islands as a means of restoring and enhancing tropical sea cucumber stocks. Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) are the tropical species that show the best potential for stock enhancement. Sandfish are of high value, widely distributed and relatively easy to culture in simple systemss at a low cost. This paper summarizes information about the culture of H. scabra and compares it to that of the temperate species Stichopus japonicus.

The South China Sea: analyzing fisheries catch data in an ecosystem context

The South China Sea is an important fishing area with an annual harvest of some 5 million tonnes, or 10% of the catches jointly taken by the developing nations of the world. Details are given of a model of the area describing fisheries catches and biological interactions. The area, viewed as a large marine ecosystem, was divided into 10 subsystems; each subsystem was then linked with adjacent subsystems by predatory links, and detritus flows. An analysis was then made of catch statistics for each of the subsystems. It is believed that if all systems could be harvested at around the highest efficiency, an additional 5-6 million tonnes could be taken annually from the South China Sea; however, more refined analyses are needed to further investigate these possibilities. If linked with careful studies of the economic and human aspects of fishing, such analyses will provide guidelines for integrated fisheries management advice.

Fisheries of the Farasan Islands (Red Sea)

The fisheries of the Farasan Islands (Saudi Arabia, Red Sea) are described. The fishery resources are exploited by artisanal, investor and industrial sectors. The artisanal fishery consists mostly of line fishing around coral reefs and about half the fishing effort occurs within the proposed marine protected area (MPA). Activities by investor and industrial fisheries sector include line fishing, gill netting, fish trapping and demersal fish trawling. The relevant resource management issues that need to be addressed as part of a planning study for the establishment of a MPA are also presented. The major issues are: (1) the decline in the catch of the artisanal fishery; (2) by catch and habitat degradation; (3) sustainability in the collection of giant clams and pearl shells; and (4) the lack of information such as the importance of MPA to fisheries, stock assessment and catch and effort data. A significant role in the future management of the fisheries has been identified for the traditional representatives of the artisanal sector.

Relationship between sea surface temperatures and dolphin-associated fishing activities by the Mexican tuna fleet

Data from the Mexican purse seiner fleet operating in the eastern Tropical Pacific, for the year 1985-1990, are used to show that the fraction of surface schools of yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares associated with dolphins (Stenella attenuata and others) increases with sea surface temperature. Possible reasons for this correlation are briefly discussed.

A program for the identification of the pelagic eggs of Black Sea fishes

A computer program was developed for the identification of the teleost fish eggs that may be found in the pelagic zone of the Black Sea. The program identifies eggs of 70 species, using up to 28 descriptive characters, and may be adapted for use outside of the Black Sea.

Community-based marine protected areas in the Bohol (Mindanao) Sea, Philippines

This paper discusses the status, direction and management issues in the marine protected areas (MPAs) of the Bohol (Mindanao) Sea, Philippines. The MPAs in the study area have increased through the years. Many of them were established and managed by the local government units (LGUs) in collaboration with national government agencies (NGAs), academic institutions, people’s and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Several management issues and problems were cited by the MPA managers such as insuffi cient funds and facilities, lack of support from NGAs/NGOs and lack of education among the people. Nevertheless, lessons for sustainability can be learned from the experience of some wellmanaged MPAs in the Bohol Sea. These include strong support from the political leadership, community participation and networking among the concerned sectors. Although the best practices are being followed in a number of MPAs in the Bohol Sea, success is still fragmented. The MPAs are currently managed independently although there are ongoing initiatives to network their efforts. However, it can be observed that, as a management tool, MPAs are gaining popularity and support, not only among the fisherfolk but also among local communities and LGUs in the Bohol Sea area.

Hatchery and culture technology for the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra Jaeger, in India

The seed of the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra jaeger is being produced at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in India. This article describes the techniques being used in the production of seed and the experiments being carried out for the rearing of juveniles. Trials to grow juveniles in hatcheries on prawn farms have shown spectabular results that are both cost efficient and environmentally friendly.

Twenty sea cucumbers from seas around India

Twenty species of sea cucumbers from India are described briefly, with photographs which will enable research workers and farmers to identify them.

The Samar Sea, Philippines: a decade of devastation

Some of the major problems observed after 10 years that lead to resource degradation in Samar Sea are enumerated and discussed.

A preliminary study on the feeding regime of European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum 1792) in Izmir Bay, Turkey, Eastern Aegean Sea

The gut contents of Sardina pilchardus specimens captured in Izmir Bay were examined in order to determine their feeding regimes. Of the 365 stomachs examined, 321 (87.95%) contained food and 44 (12.05%) were empty. Analysis of gut contents verified that S. pilchardus feeds on zooplankton. The most important group in the diet of S. pilchardus was copepods (79.79%). Decapod crustacean larvae (8.17%) and bivalves (3.18%) were second and third, respectively, in order of importance. The application of analysis of variance to monthly data of numerical percentage, weight percentage, frequency of occurrence and index of relative importance indicated that there was no significant difference between months. Oncaea media was the most dominant species for six months of the year. Euterpina acutifrons, Centropages typicus, Calanoida, Oncaea sp. and Corycaeus sp. were the most dominant for March, April, May, September, October and December.

Decision analysis applied to the fishery of the sea snail Concholepas concholepas from central northern coast of Chile

Formal decision analysis was applied to the management of loco (Concholepas concholepas, Fam. Muricidae) in Chile, 29-35 degrees S. Four interested groups were considered "Fishers", "Scientists", "Buyers" and the "State", along with three fishing effort levels and four subobjectives. The method was found to encourage the emergence of a consensus (here: halving of effort), and is recommended for use in other fisheries.

Length-weight relationship of some deep-sea fish inhabiting the continental slope beyond 250m depth along the west coast of India

The length–weight relationships of 22 species of deep-sea fishes inhabiting the continental slopes beyond 250 m depth along the West Coast of India are presented. The parameters a and b of the equation W=a Lb were estimated. The fish samples were collected from trawl surveys during 1999 to 2001 on board the FORV Sagar Sampada at a depth range of 250 to 600 m in the area between 7°N and 20°N latitude. The value of b ranged from 1.94 to 3.36.

Implications of sea ranching in developing countries

Sea ranching refers to the system under which marine species are artificially reared to fingerlings, released directly into the open sea, then later recaptured after growing to market size. Implications of sea ranching in developing countries are presented in this article.