Lune - 1992 surveys. Summary of results

This report summarises the routine monitoring surveys carried out in the River Lune and River Duddon estuaries during 1992. Data includes salinity, chloride, pH, nutrients and heavy metals.

Annual report 1989

The report describes the activities of the Institute during the year 1989, which include the following: The Zambia/Zimbabwe Lake Kariba Fisheries Research and Development Project; the pilot cage culture project; cooperative development; an economic evaluation of the Kariba International Tiger Fish Tournament; hydroacoustic surveys in Lake Kariba; and, the age structure and population dynamics of the sardine Limnothrissa miodon in Lake Kariba.

Design and implementation of fishery modules in integrated household surveys in developing countries

Fish and other aquatic animals contribute to the food security of citizens of developing countries, both as a source of income and as a component of healthy diets, yet fishing is not currently captured in most integrated household surveys. This sourcebook provides essential technical guidance on the design of statistical modules and questionnaires aimed at collecting fishery data at the household level. Background on the main policies important to the fishery sector, information on the data needed to analyze issues of policy relevance, and methodology on the construction of survey questions to collect necessary data are also provided. The document is organized to provide essential technical guidance on how to design statistical modules and questionnaires aimed at collecting fishery data at the household level. It includes an overview of the main technical and statistical challenges related to sampling fishery-dependent households. The document starts with an introductory section identifying the potential reasons why fisheries and in particular small-scale fisheries have not been adequately included in national statistical systems in a large number of countries. The report then proposes a succinct review of what is known (and what remains unknown) about small-scale fisheries and their contribution to the livelihoods of households in sub-Saharan Africa. It also provides readers with background on the main policies that are important to the fishery sector, information on the data needed to analyze issues of policy relevance, and methodology on the construction of survey questions to collect necessary data.

Comparison of habitat-based indices of abundance with fishery-independent biomass estimates from bottom trawl surveys

Rockfish species are notoriously difficult to sample with multispecies bottom trawl survey methods. Typically, biomass estimates have high coefficients of variation and can fluctuate outside the bounds of biological reality from year to year. This variation may be due in part to their patchy distribution related to very specific habitat preferences. We successfully modeled the distribution of five commercially important and abundant rockf ish species. A two-stage modeling method (modeling both presence-absence and abundance) and a collection of important habitat variables were used to predict bottom trawl survey catch per unit of effort. The resulting models explained between 22% and 66% of the variation in rockfish distribution. The models were largely driven by depth, local slope, bottom temperature, abundance of coral and sponge, and measures of water column productivity (i.e., phytoplankton and zooplankton). A year-effect in the models was back-transformed and used as an index of the time series of abundance. The abundance index trajectories of three of five species were similar to the existing estimates of their biomass. In the majority of cases the habitat-based indices exhibited less interannual variability and similar precision when compared with stratified survey-based biomass estimates. These indices may provide for stock assessment models a more stable alternative to current biomass estimates produced by the multispecies bottom trawl survey in the Gulf of Alaska.

Distributions and abundances of Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) and other pelagic fishes in the California Current Ecosystem during spring 2006, 2008, and 2010, estimated from acoustic–trawl surveys

The abundances and distributions of coastal pelagic fish species in the California Current Ecosystem from San Diego to southern Vancouver Island, were estimated from combined acoustic and trawl surveys conducted in the spring of 2006, 2008, and 2010. Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus), and Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus) were the dominant coastal pelagic fish species, in that order. Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) were sampled only sporadically and therefore estimates for these species were unreliable. The estimates of sardine biomass compared well with those of the annual assessments and confirmed a declining trajectory of the “northern stock” since 2006. During the sampling period, the biomass of jack mackerel was stable or increasing, and that of Pacific mackerel was low and variable. The uncertainties in these estimates are mostly the result of spatial patchiness which increased from sardine to mackerels to anchovy and herring. Future surveys of coastal pelagic fish species in the California Current Ecosystem should benefit from adaptive sampling based on modeled habitat; increased echosounder and trawl sampling, particularly for the most patchy and nearshore species; and directed-trawl sampling for improved species identification and estimations of their acoustic target stren

Using experiments and expert judgment to model catchability of Pacific rockfishes in trawl surveys, with application to bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis) off British Columbia

The time series of abundance indices for many groundfish populations, as determined from trawl surveys, are often imprecise and short, causing stock assessment estimates of abundance to be imprecise. To improve precision, prior probability distributions (priors) have been developed for parameters in stock assessment models by using meta-analysis, expert judgment on catchability, and empirically based modeling. This article presents a synthetic approach for formulating priors for rockfish trawl survey catchability (qgross). A multivariate prior for qgross for different surveys is formulated by using 1) a correction factor for bias in estimating fish density between trawlable and untrawlable areas, 2) expert judgment on trawl net catchability, 3) observations from trawl survey experiments, and 4) data on the fraction of population biomass in each of the areas surveyed. The method is illustrated by using bocaccio (Sebastes paucipinis) in British Columbia. Results indicate that expert judgment can be updated markedly by observing the catch-rate ratio from different trawl gears in the same areas. The marginal priors for qgross are consistent with empirical estimates obtained by fitting a stock assessment model to the survey data under a noninformative prior for qgross. Despite high prior uncertainty (prior coefficients of variation ≥0.8) and high prior correlation between qgross, the prior for qgross still enhances the precision of key stock assessment quantities.

Ingestão de nutrientes segundo variáveis demográficas e socioeconômicas em adultos brasileiros: Inquérito Nacional de Alimentação - Brasil, 2008-2009

A tese descreve a ingestão de nutrientes segundo variáveis demográficas e socioeconômicas em adultos brasileiros, com base nos dados da primeira avaliação nacional do consumo alimentar individual, o Inquérito Nacional de Alimentação (INA), realizado entre 2008 e 2009. Um total de 34.003 indivíduos com pelo menos 10 anos de idade participaram do estudo. O presente estudo incluiu 21.003 indivíduos adultos, de 20 a 59 anos de idade, com exceção das mulheres gestantes e lactantes (n=1.065). O consumo alimentar individual foi estimado utilizando dois dias de registros alimentares não consecutivos. O consumo usual de nutrientes foi estimado pelo método do National Cancer Institute que permitiu a correção da variabilidade intraindividual. As prevalências de ingestão inadequada de nutrientes foram estimadas segundo o sexo e faixas etárias utilizando o método da necessidade média estimada como ponte de corte. A inadequação de sódio foi avaliada pelo consumo acima do nível de ingestão máximo tolerável. Os resultados são apresentados na forma de dois artigos. No primeiro artigo, estimaram-se as prevalências de inadequação segundo as cinco grandes regiões (Norte, Nordeste, Sudeste, Sul e Centro-Oeste) e a situação do domicílio (urbano e rural). Observaram-se prevalências de inadequação maiores ou iguais a 70% para cálcio entre os homens e magnésio, vitamina A, sódio em ambos os sexos. Prevalências maiores ou iguais a 90% foram encontradas para cálcio entre as mulheres e vitaminas D e E em ambos os sexos. No geral, os grupos com maior risco de inadequação de micronutrientes foram as mulheres e os que residem na área rural e na região Nordeste. No segundo artigo, estimaram-se as prevalências de inadequação do consumo segundo renda e escolaridade. A renda foi caracterizada pela renda mensal familiar per capita e a escolaridade definida pelo número de anos completos de estudo. Ambas variáveis foram categorizadas em quartis. Modelos de regressão linear simples e mutuamente ajustados foram estimados para verificar a associação independente entre o consumo de nutrientes e as variáveis socioeconômicas. Foram testadas as interações entre renda e escolaridade. Verificou-se que a inadequação da maioria dos nutrientes diminuiu com o aumento da renda e escolaridade; porém, o consumo excessivo de gordura saturada e o baixo consumo de fibra aumentaram com ambas variáveis. Grande parte dos nutrientes foi independentemente associada à renda e escolaridade, contudo, o consumo de ferro, vitamina B12 e sódio entre mulheres foi associado somente com a educação. Observou-se interação entre renda e escolaridade na associação com o consumo de sódio em homens, fósforo em mulheres e cálcio em ambos os sexos. Os achados indicam que melhorar a educação é um passo importante na melhoria do consumo de nutrientes no Brasil, além da necessidade de formulação de estratégias econômicas que permitam que indivíduos de baixa renda adotem uma dieta saudável. Nossos resultados mostram também um grande desafio das ações de saúde pública na área de nutrição, com importantes inadequações de consumo em toda população adulta brasileira e particularmente em grupos populacionais e regiões mais vulneráveis do país.

Evidence of hook competition in longline surveys

Catch rates from surveys are used as indices of abundance for many fish species. Relative abundance estimates from surveys with longline gear do not usually account for possible effects of gear saturation, which potentially creates competition among fish for baited hooks and misrepresentations of abundance trends. We examined correlations between catch rates of sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) and giant grenadier (Albatrossia pectoralis) and between sablefish and shortraker (Sebastes borealis) and rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus) from 25 years of longline surveys in Alaska waters for evidence of competition for hooks. Sablefish catch rates were negatively correlated with giant grenadier catch rates in all management areas in Alaskan waters, and sablefish and rockfish were negatively correlated in five of the six areas, indicating that there is likely competition for hooks during longline surveys. Comparative analyses were done for trawl survey catch rates, and no negative correlations were observed, indicating that the negative correlations on the longline surveys are not due to differing habitat preferences or direct competition. Available adjustments for gear saturation may be biased if the probability of capture does not decrease linearly with baited hooks. A better understanding of each fish species’ catch probabilities on longline gear are needed before adjustments for hook competition can be made.

Age composition and distribution of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in offshore waters of the north central Gulf of Mexico: an evaluation of a stock under a federal harvest moratorium

Because of a lack of fishery-dependent data, assessment of the recovery of fish stocks that undergo the most aggressive form of management, namely harvest moratoriums, remains a challenge. Large schools of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) were common along the northern Gulf of Mexico until the late 1980s when increased fishing effort quickly depleted the stock. After 24 years of harvest moratorium on red drum in federal waters, the stock is in need of reassessment; however, fisherydependent data are not available in federal waters and fishery-independent data are limited. We document the distribution, age composition, growth, and condition of red drum in coastal waters of the north central Gulf of Mexico, using data collected from a nearshore, randomized, bottom longline survey. Age composition of the fishery-independent catch indicates low mortality of fish age 6 and above and confirms the effectiveness of the federal fishing moratorium. Bottom longline surveys may be a cost-effective method for developing fishery-independent indices for red drum provided additional effort can be added to nearshore waters (<20 m depth). As with most stocks under harvest bans, effective monitoring of the recovery of red drum will require the development of fishery-independent indices. With limited economic incentive to evaluate non-exploited stocks, the most cost-effective approach to developing such monitoring is expansion of existing fishery independent surveys. We examine this possibility for red drum in the Gulf of Mexico and recommend the bottom longline survey conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service expand effort in nearshore areas to allow for the development of long-term abundance indices for red drum.

Estimating species and size composition of rockfishes to verify targets in acoustic surveys of untrawlable areas

Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) biomass is difficult to assess with standard bottom trawl or acoustic surveys because of their propensity to aggregate near the seafloor in highrelief areas that are inaccessible to sampling by trawling. We compared the ability of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), a modified bottom trawl, and a stereo drop camera system (SDC) to identify rockfish species and estimate their size composition. The ability to discriminate species was highest for the bottom trawl and lowest for the SDC. Mean lengths and size distributions varied among the gear types, although a larger number of length measurements could be collected with the bottom trawl and SDC than with the ROV. Dusky (S. variabilis), harlequin (S. variegatus), and northern rockfish (S. polyspinis), and Pacific ocean perch (S. alutus) were the species observed in greatest abundance. Only dusky and northern rockfish regularly occurred in trawlable areas, whereas these two species and many more occurred in untrawlable areas. The SDC was able to resolve the height of fish off the seafloor, and some of the rockfish species were observed only near the seafloor in the acoustic dead zone. This finding is important, in that fish found exclusively in the acoustic dead zone cannot be assessed acoustically. For these species, methods such as bottom trawls, long-lines, or optical surveys using line transect or area swept methods will be the only adequate means to estimate the abundance of these fishes. Our results suggest that the selection of appropriate methods for verifying targets will depend on the habitat types and species complexes to be examined.

Economic assessment of shrimp (Penaeus monodon) hatchery industry in Panay Island, Philippines

Results of the economic assessment of shrimp hatchery industry in Panay Island, Philippines are presented. In order to ensure continuous viability of hatcheries, the critical areas of concern are: financing of operating capital and improvement of facilities; collective marketing efforts through cooperatives; updating of technology especially in disease prevention and control; and diversification strategies.

Violência entre parceiros íntimos: um fator de risco para a insegurança alimentar domiciliar?

O primeiro objetivo da Tese consistiu na identificação e caracterização dos instrumentos de aferição epidemiológicos que vêm sendo propostos para a abordagem de IA domiciliar, bem como na síntese de suas propriedades psicométricas. Para tal, realizou-se busca sistemática em três bases de dados eletrônicas: MEDLINE, LILACS e SciELO. Não houve delimitação do período de publicação. Os resultados são apresentados no artigo intitulado Household food insecurity: a systematic review of the measuring instruments used in epidemiological studies. Foram identificados 24 instrumentos, todos breves e de fácil aplicação. A maioria foi desenvolvida nos Estados Unidos. O instrumento HFSSM apresentou o maior número de estudos de utilização e psicométricos, podendo ser recomendado sem hesitação. O segundo e principal objetivo desta Tese foi avaliar se a ocorrência de violência psicológica e física entre parceiros íntimos pode ser considerada um fator de risco para a ocorrência de Insegurança Alimentar (IA) domiciliar. As informações que subjazem a pesquisa originaram-se de um inquérito domiciliar realizado no Distrito de Campos Elíseos, Município de Duque de Caxias, entre abril a novembro de 2010. A população de estudo foi selecionada por meio de amostragem por conglomerados em três estágios (setor censitário, domicílio, indivíduo) com técnicas de amostragem inversa para a seleção dos domicílios. A amostra do estudo incluiu 849 mulheres que no período da entrevista relataram possuir algum relacionamento amoroso nos 12 meses anteriores. As informações foram obtidas por meio de entrevista utilizando-se um questionário estruturado, contendo instrumentos previamente validados, como a Revised Conflict Tatics Scales (CTS2) para a mensuração das violências e a Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar (EBIA) para a IA domiciliar. Utilizou-se a análise de caminhos (Path Analysis) na análise de dados o que permitiu explorar as relações entre as violências, entre estas e o Transtorno Mental Comum (TMC), este último e a IA, bem como as relações mais distais do modelo teórico. Os resultados são apresentados no artigo intitulado Violência entre parceiros íntimos, transtornos mentais comuns e insegurança alimentar: modelagem de equações estruturais. A hipótese central deste estudo foi corroborada, na medida em que tanto a violência psicológica, como a violência física se mostraram importantes fatores de risco para a IA, via a ocorrência de TMC. Contrariamente ao esperado, notou-se um maior efeito da violência psicológica do que da violência física na ocorrência do desfecho. Espera-se que a divulgação dos resultados desta Tese auxilie os profissionais e gestores na área de segurança alimentar e nutricional, bem como pesquisadores da área na tomada de decisões em relação ao instrumento de aferição a ser utilizado para a caracterização das situações e ampliem o olhar sobre o problema, incorporando outros fatores de risco, tais como as violências entre parceiros íntimos, aqueles estritamente econômicos, habitualmente considerados no debate sobre os determinantes e estratégias de enfrentamento da IA.