Aquaculture Asia, Vol.13, No.1, pp.1-56, January-March 2008

Developing guidelines for sustainable freshwater aquaculture planning in Vietnam. Aquaculture production, certification and trade: Challenges and opportunities for the small-scale farmer in Asia. The successful development of backyard hatcheries for crustaceans in Thailand. Alternate carp species for diversification in freshwater aquaculture in India. Genetic and reproduction technologies for enhanced aquaculture and fisheries management of Murray cod. Effluent and disease management in traditional practices of shrimp farming: A case study on the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia. Status of sahar domestication and its development in the Himalayan Region of Nepal. Vaccination benefits highlighted as Schering-Plough reinforces commitment to Asian aquaculture. Comparative advantage analysis of shrimp production in Asia. Strategies to improve livelihood of the rural poor: A case study in two small reservoirs in Binh Phuoc Province, Vietnam. Cambodian Government ban on snakehead farming enforced. Marine finfish aquaculture developments at ‘Indonesian Aquaculture 2007’. Production update – marine finfish aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region. Body size of rotifers from estuaries in North Sulawesi. NACA Newsletter.

Sind die bestehenden Regulierungsmaßnahmen für die Flunderfischerei in der südwestlichen Ostsee sinnvoll?

The reliability of the international minimum landing size of 25 cm for the flounder stock of ICES Sub-divisions 24 and 25 as well as national bans on landing female flounder during the spawning time is investigated on German samples taken in Sub-division 24. The results of the analyses of growth, sex ratio, the proportion of mature flounder, and yield curves show that 25 cm is a convenient regulation measure but it would be reliable to have an international ban on landing female as well as male flounder during spawning time.

Zum Stellenwert von Fischmehl in der Aquakultur

The worldwide aquaculture production amounts to about one third of the world fishery catch. While the world fishery catch in the last years is stagnating and an increase is not to be expected, the aquaculture rose by about 10 % annually. This rate of growth is also predicted for the next years. Fish meal and oil forms a key position for the further development of aquaculture, specially for carnivorous fish species, of which the salmonids will gain an increasing economic importance, not only on the European, but also on the Japanese and American markets. Without an adequate supply of fish meal and oil for the production of these fish species, the expected product quality cannot be realized under economic conditions. Fish meal and oil are commonly produced from small pelagic fish species, which, at present and in the near future, have no importance for direct human consumption. Since December2000 the use of fish meal and oil in Germany is only allowed for use in aquaculture and petfood. However, conclusive arguments for a ban on the utilization for other animal feeds do not exist so far. The European Union continues to allows feeding of other animals – except ruminants – with fish meal under certain control measures.

An overview of the Clupeid fishing gear of Kainji Lake

Fishing gears and methods that target the Clupeids are atalla lift net, light attraction, midwater trawl and dala (Clupeid beach seine).Dala fisheries have been the most lucrative fishing gear on Clupeids within the recent past. However, it has been declared as 100% illegal gear having a mesh size of 0.1 mm, because it catches indiscriminately undersized (juveniles/larvae) commercial fish. The ban on the gear was therefore mounted through promulgation and implementation of special fisheries laws for Kainji Lake (Nigeria). Although, the use of Dala fishing gear and method has decreased due to this management approach, its use is currently increased again. It is therefore suggested that the ban on the use of Dala may not be the answer to indiscriminate fisheries, but modification of the gear and methods for harvesting Clupeids should be the main objective

Acute toxicity of Gammalin 20 to Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacepede)

The impact of acute exposure of Gammalin 20 (an organochlorine pesticide) was investigated in a static bioassay test over a 96-(4-day) period on the fingerlings of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (lacepede). The 96-hLC sub(50) of Gammalin 20 was determined as 2.31 Ug/l with lower and upper limits of toxicities as 2.10 and 4.44 Ug/l respectively. At higher concentrations, the colour of the exposed fish became darker, opercular movement slowed down while pigmentation pattern increased and respiratory distress was observed, erratic swimming, tonic convulsion and no response to gentle prodding, and finally death. The implications of these results were discussed with a suggestion of the total ban on the use of Gammalin 20 in capture fisheries due to its harmful and persistence nature in the aquatic environment

Frame survey of Kainji Lake, northern Nigeria, 1996

Since 1993, annual frame surveys have been conducted by the Nigerian-German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project to determine the distribution and number of fishing localities, fishing canoes and fishing gears around Kainji Lake, Nigeria. The total number of fishing localities has increased from 221 in 1993 to 286 in 1996. The fishing localities included 245 permanent fishing villages, 29 permanent fishing camps, 8 temporary fishing camps (with fishermen from Kainji Lake) and 4 temporary fishing camps (with fishermen from outside Kainji Lake area). There was an increase in the total number of fishing entrepreneurs, fishing assistants and fishing canoes over the years. A total number of 5,499 fishing entrepreneurs, 12,449 fishing assistants and 9,278 fishing canoes were recorded during the 1996 frame survey. From 1995 there was a decrease in the number of shoreline fisherfolk and a decrease in the number of transport canoes, the number of engines remained the same. During the 1996 survey, a total number of 18,655 gill nets, 1,560 drift nets, 753 beach seines, 5,548 cast nets, 7,400 longlines and 36,979 traps were recorded. The concentration of the gears (number per km shoreline) was highest in substrata 06 and 08. The total number of gill nets increased from 17,680 in 1995 to 18,655 in 1996. For the remaining 5 gear types a decrease in number was observed. Despite increasing numbers of gears on the lake, of concern is the decline recorded in all the fishing methods of the number of gears owned by individual entrepreneurs. This was most notable in the gill net and longline fisheries. These two fisheries have the lowest daily catch values and coupled with the problem of gear theft on the lake, ownership in future, may be expected to fall further. The number of larger fishing units also declined as did the number of gears new entrants enter the fishery with. The decline is particularly worrying for the beach seine fishery where diversification into other fishing methods would be beneficial in light of the present ban on seines. The group of not active fishing entrepreneurs (those who do not themselves participate in fishing activities) had the highest ownership of gears whilst the new entrants into the fishery had the lowest. There was evidence that these new entrants into the fishery were using cast nets which is worrying given the trend of using smaller mesh size of this gearSince 1993, annual frame surveys have been conducted by the Nigerian-German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project to determine the distribution and number of fishing localities, fishing canoes and fishing gears around Kainji Lake, Nigeria. The total number of fishing localities has increased from 221 in 1993 to 286 in 1996. The fishing localities included 245 permanent fishing villages, 29 permanent fishing camps, 8 temporary fishing camps (with fishermen from Kainji Lake) and 4 temporary fishing camps (with fishermen from outside Kainji Lake area). There was an increase in the total number of fishing entrepreneurs, fishing assistants and fishing canoes over the years. A total number of 5,499 fishing entrepreneurs, 12,449 fishing assistants and 9,278 fishing canoes were recorded during the 1996 frame survey. From 1995 there was a decrease in the number of shoreline fisherfolk and a decrease in the number of transport canoes, the number of engines remained the same. During the 1996 survey, a total number of 18,655 gill nets, 1,560 drift nets, 753 beach seines, 5,548 cast nets, 7,400 longlines and 36,979 traps were recorded. The concentration of the gears (number per km shoreline) was highest in substrata 06 and 08. The total number of gill nets increased from 17,680 in 1995 to 18,655 in 1996. For the remaining 5 gear types a decrease in number was observed. Despite increasing numbers of gears on the lake, of concern is the decline recorded in all the fishing methods of the number of gears owned by individual entrepreneurs. This was most notable in the gill net and longline fisheries. These two fisheries have the lowest daily catch values and coupled with the problem of gear theft on the lake, ownership in future, may be expected to fall further. The number of larger fishing units also declined as did the number of gears new entrants enter the fishery with. The decline is particularly worrying for the beach seine fishery where diversification into other fishing methods would be beneficial in light of the present ban on seines. The group of not active fishing entrepreneurs (those who do not themselves participate in fishing activities) had the highest ownership of gears whilst the new entrants into the fishery had the lowest. There was evidence that these new entrants into the fishery were using cast nets which is worrying given the trend of using smaller mesh size of this gear. (PDF contains 44 pages)

The resource appraisal survey of clupeids in Kainji Lake, Nigeria

This study includes an analysis of the trawl survey that was carried out by the Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project in May, 1997. The objective of the survey was to assess the biomass and the potential yield of clupeids and the carrying capacity of the beach seine fishery in the entire Kainji Lake (Nigeria). The biomass of the beach seine by-catch was also estimated. The density (kg /km super(3)) of the clupeids was higher in the Bussa and Foge than in the other stations. The lowest density of clupeids was in the Anfani station followed by Jetty, both in the southern basin. These stations were the deepest parts of all the areas trawled, measuring between 37-120 m of depth. There was an inverse correlation between depth trawled and the catch rates of clupeids, though the correlation was poor. The average annual biomass of the clupeids was estimated at 36,769.85 Mt in the entire Lake with an MSY of 11,705.95 Mt. The smaller species, Sierrathrissa leonensis, made up about 97% of the total clupeid population in the lake and occurred at a shallower depth than the larger species Pellonula afzeliusi. From the clupeid production statistics in 1996, it is estimated that the MSY is already overshot by 34%. Therefore, about 698 beach seines instead of the present 810 would be sufficient for sustainable exploitation of the clupeid stocks. Because of the substantial by-catch in the beach seines, this fishing method was banned from Kainji Lake in 1997. An offshore open water seine net is recommended to replace the beach seines on the lake. The number of these nets should not exceed 500. The current ban on beach seine is supported by this study. Nevertheless, and since the ban may not be 100% effective, effort should concentrate on maintaining that the number of beach seines must be kept at most at the present level. Recommendation is made against the introduction of the pair trawling not only from an economic point of view but also for resource conservation, legal and social reasons. The development of this fishery could pose a serious danger to continuity of stocks. It is proposed that priority be given to the development of an open water seine which is at the same level of exploitation as the beach seine and requires similar cost to acquire. (PDF contains 39 pages)

Predictions of fish yields and the status of the Kainji Lake fishery, 1998

Length frequency data was collected for the 6 main species from the Kainji Lake fishery for up to 16 months. Growth parameters were estimated and used for virtual - population and length based cohort analysis. The results from cohort analysis suggest that before the ban on beach seines the maximum economic yield from the fishery was overshot by 70%. Yield per recruit analysis showed that the fish are caught far below their optimum size. Fishing gears and the timing responsible for this early mortality have been identified. After the eradication of seines from the lake a 10% increase in total catch revenue can be expected from the fishery. This is equivalent to an increase in income of Naira 18,300 per annum for each fishing entrepreneur using other methods. A scenario for the regulation of cast net mesh size together with the ban of beach seines has been presented. A further increase of Naira 142 million (N25,500 per entrepreneur) can be anticipated if this is implemented by the Kainji Lake Fisheries Management and Conservation Unit. It is expected that the annual increase in fishing effort presently experienced will cause future yields to decline. The rate of the decline has been reduced by the eradication of the beach seine fishery and will further fall if the minimum mesh size for cast nets is implemented. A recommendation is made to the Kainji Lake Fisheries Management and Conservation Unit to first consolidate the beach seine ban and then to implement a ban of undersized cast nets. (PDF contains 70 pages)

Avaliação temporal da poluição por antiincrustantes organoestânicos no litoral do Estado do Rio de Janeiro: antes e após o banimento nacional e internacional

Tintas antifoulings são utilizadas para evitar a incrustação de organismos em estruturas submersas, especialmente casco de embarcações. Os compostos organoestânicos (OTs), utilizados nessas tintas, entre eles o tributilestanho, são desreguladores endócrinos e causaram diversos danos aos ecossistemas marinhos. No caso dos moluscos gastrópodes, esse tipo de poluição faz com que as fêmeas adquiram características masculinas, como vaso deferente e pênis, fenômeno esse conhecido como imposex. A Organização Marítima Internacional (IMO) estabeleceu o banimento de tintas à base de COEs nas embarcações, em 2008. No Brasil, a NORMAM 23, proibiu o uso em 2007, contudo a Marinha já havia suspendido seu uso desde 2003. Entretanto, efeitos deletérios destes compostos ainda são detectados em vários países, inclusive ao longo do litoral brasileiro. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo principal fazer uma avaliação temporal (1997-2012) da poluição por organestânicos na costa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro utilizando como bioindicador a espécie Stramonita haemastoma. A área de estudo abrangeu cinco regiões: Paraty, Ilha Grande, Baia de Ilha Grande, Baia de Guanabara e Arraial do Cabo. Análises químicas de butilestânicos foram feitas em sedimentos superficiais de mangues de Paraty (Mangue do Estaleiro e mangue do Saco do Mamanguá) e Ilha Grande (Mangue do Aventureiro) sendo os dois últimos considerados áreas de referência. Em cada estação de biomonitoramento foram coletados 30 indivíduos sexualmente adultos da espécie S. haemastoma, através de mergulho livre em apnéia e analisados através do método não destrutivo proposto por nosso grupo de pesquisa. Em todas as cinco áreas analisadas ao longo da costa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro foram registradas estações com altos índices de imposex. Apesar de muitas estações apresentarem diminuição nos índices, na maioria ocorreu um aumento ou conservação alta na porcentagem de imposex depois do banimento. As concentrações médias de butilestânicos no mangue (S1), perto de fontes locais, foram 205,7 16,8 ng (Sn) g-1 de TBT, 16,4 1,3 ng (Sn) g-1 de DBT e 10,0 2,9 ng (Sn) g-1 de MBT. Nas áreas de referência: mangue do Saco do Mamanguá (S2) foram 16,0 0,8 ng (Sn) g-1 de TBT, 10,1 1,4 ng (Sn) g-1 de DBT e 10,1 2,2 ng (Sn) g-1 de MBT e mangue do Aventureiro (S3) com 18,1 4,2 ng (Sn) g-1 de TBT, 15,3 0,5 ng (Sn) g-1 de DBT e 10,2 1,5 ng (Sn). g-1 de MBT. As taxas de degradação foram de 01, 1,3 e 1,4 respectivamente indicando inputs recentes desses compostos. Os resultados deste estudo indicam que carbono orgânico dissolvido e particulado, bem como xenoestrógenos podem estar interferindo no desenvolvimento da síndrome, levando a subestimação de avaliação do imposex. As concentrações de butilestânicos, além do aumento ou continuidade alta na incidência de imposex após o banimento na maioria das estações indicam que, apesar da proibição do uso do TBT em tintas antiiincrustantes no Brasil, elas ainda estão sendo utilizadas de forma ilegal, especialmente em pequenos barcos. Esse estudo é fundamental para se propor medidas de mitigação e controle dos compostos organoestânicos, até mesmo dos novos antifoulings TBT- free, que também possuem efeitos prejudiciais ao ambiente. Além disso, as áreas onde se registrou altos índices de imposex serão essenciais para o monitoramento dos efeitos desses novos antifoulings.

Participatory management of a reservoir fishery in northeastern Brazil

Consensus, compromise and cooperation. That was how more than 100 fishers reached agreement on how they would manage their own fishery in a small reservoir in northeastern Brazil. The long hard road that led to the agreement, the final congress in which fishers made minor history and the lessons that others may draw from the experience are described in this article. The fishers agreed on a nonfishing period of protected areas and a seasonal ban on certain nets in the face of a government department that told them the measures were non-building and essentially illegal.

Translocation as a strategy to rehabilitate the queen conch (Strombus gigas) population in the Florida Keys

Queen conch (Strombus gigas) stocks in the Florida Keys once supported commercial and recreational fisheries, but overharvesting has decimated this once abundant snail. Despite a ban on harvesting this species since 1985, the local conch population has not recovered. In addition, previous work has reported that conch located in nearshore Keys waters are incapable of spawning because of poor gonadal condition, although reproduction does occur offshore. Queen conch in other areas undergo ontogenetic migrations from shallow, nearshore sites to offshore habitats, but conch in the Florida Keys are prevented from doing so by Hawk Channel. The present study was initiated to determine the potential of translocating nonspawning nearshore conch to offshore sites in order to augment the spawning stock. We translocated adult conch from two nearshore sites to two offshore sites. Histological examinations at the initiation of this study confirmed that nearshore conch were incapable of reproduction, whereas offshore conch had normal gonads and thus were able to reproduce. The gonads of nearshore females were in worse condition than those of nearshore males. However, the gonadal condition of the translocated nearshore conch improved, and these animals began spawning after three months offshore. This finding suggests that some component of the nearshore environment (e.g., pollutants, temperature extremes, poor food or habitat quality) disrupts reproduction in conch, but that removal of nearshore animals to suitable offshore habitat can restore reproductive viability. These results indicate that translocations are preferable to releasing hatchery-reared juveniles because they are more cost-effective, result in a more rapid increase in reproductive output, and maintain the genetic integrity of the wild stock. Therefore, translocating nearshore conch to offshore spawning aggregations may be the key to expediting the recovery of queen conch stocks in the Florida Keys.

Consumption of fa cai Nostoc soup: A Potential for BMAA exposure from Nostoc cyanobacteria in China?

Grown in arid regions of western China the cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme - called fa cai in Mandarin and fat choy in Cantonese - is wild-harvested and used to make soup consumed during New Year's celebrations. High prices, up to $125 USD/kg, led to overharvesting in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. Degradation of arid ecosystems, desertification, and conflicts between Nostoc harvesters and Mongol herdsman concerned the Chinese environmental authorities, leading to a government ban of Nostoc commerce. This ban stimulated increased marketing of a substitute made from starch. We analysed samples purchased throughout China as well as in Chinese markets in the United States and the United Kingdom. Some were counterfeits consisting of dyed starch noodles. A few samples from California contained Nostoc flagelliforme but were adulterated with starch noodles. Other samples, including those from the United Kingdom, consisted of pure Nostoc flagelliforme. A recent survey of markets in Cheng Du showed no real Nostoc flagelliforme to be marketed. Real and artificial fa cai differ in the presence of beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). Given its status as a high-priced luxury food, the government ban on collection and marketing, and the replacement of real fa cai with starch substitutes consumed only on special occasions, it is anticipated that dietary exposure to BMAA from fa cai will be reduced in the future in China.

Experiences with mephedrone pre- and post-legislative controls: Perceptions of safety and sources of supply

Background: Drug scenes within several countries have changed in recent years to incorporate a range of licit psychoactive products, collectively known as “legal highs.” Hundreds of different legal high products have been described in the literature. Many of these products contain synthetic stimulants that allegedly
“mirror” the effects of some illicit drugs. In 2009–2010, growing concern by the UK and Irish governments focused on mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant that had become embedded within several drug scenes in Britain and Ireland. In April 2010, mephedrone and related cathinone derivatives were banned under
the UK’s Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Setting aside “worse case scenarios” that have been portrayed by UK and Irish media, little is known about mephedrone use from the consumer’s perspective. The purpose of this paper was to (1) explore respondents’ experiences with mephedrone, (2) examine users’ perceptions
about the safety of mephedrone, and primarily to (3) examine sources of mephedrone supply during the pre- and post-ban periods.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 adults who had used mephedrone during 2009–2010. Data collection occurred in May and June 2010, following the ban on mephedrone. A total of 20/23 respondents had used mephedrone during the post-ban period, and the vast majority had prior
experience with ecstasy or cocaine. Respondents’ ages ranged from 19 to 51, approximately half of the sample were female and the majority (19 of 23) were employed in full- or part-time work.
Results: Most respondents reported positive experiences with mephedrone, and for some, the substance emerged as a drug of choice. None of the respondents reported that the once-legal status of mephedrone implied that it was safe to use. Very few respondents reported purchasing mephedrone from street-based
or on-line headshops during the pre-ban period, and these decisions were guided in part by respondents’ attempts to avoid “drug user” identities. Most respondents purchased or obtained mephedrone from friends or dealers, and mephedrone was widely available during the 10-week period following the ban. Respondents reported a greater reliance on dealers and a change in mephedrone packaging following the criminalisation of mephedrone.
Conclusion: The findings are discussed in the context of what appears to be a rapidly changing mephedrone market. We discuss the possible implications of criminalising mephedrone, including the potential displacement effects and the development of an illicit market.

Combining biomarker screening and mass-spectrometric analysis to detect hormone abuse in cattle

Since the introduction of the European ban on hormones in 1989, its implementation has proved to be an enormous challenge to regulatory authorities, because the great economic benefits that result from illegal misuse of growth promoters in animal production encourage their continued use. In efforts to challenge black-market trade in hormones, there have been many analytical advances. Recently, both effect-based bioanalysis for screening to target illegal misuse and improved mass-spectrometry-based confirmatory analysis have greatly increased the likelihood of detecting hormone abuse. This review outlines analytical methods currently used for detecting hormone abuse and presents advances in new approaches based on biological determinants that may complement these techniques in the future. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Two Minds? Parental Attitudes toward Physical Punishment in the UK

Since the Millennium, the use of physical punishment in the home has been a widely debated topic across the UK. Reliance on public opinion has been an important feature of this debate with a variety of UK surveys showing that many find physical punishment acceptable and do not support a complete ban on smacking. Drawing on the results from a comprehensive review of the literature, this article highlights that public/parental opinion is less than straightforward. Parents are often ambivalent about physical discipline, do not view it as an optimal method of behaviour management and are more prone to smack when stressed or angry. Likewise, a survey of the disciplinary practices and attitudes of 1000 parents in Northern Ireland shows that majority of parents have negative attitudes towards physical discipline. Nonetheless, many parents continue to smack despite the fact they do not believe it to be effective. Lack of parental support for legislative reform should be reconsidered in the light of this ambivalence. Most important, the UK Government needs to reframe the smacking debate in terms of children's rights rather than relying on public opinion if it is to fulfil its commitment to protect children from harm as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.