Ichthyological ecoregions of Argentina

The Argentine Republic is situated in the southernmost portion of the American continent, occupying over 2,785,600 km2 not including the Antarctic territory. The country ranges from subtropical areas (21º46’S) to subantarctic regions (55º03’S), extending latitudinally over about 4,000 km. It possesses significant latitudinal and altitudinal variation (33º of latitudinal range, and heights from Bajo de San Julián in Santa Cruz province at 105 m below sea level, up to Mt. Aconcagua, 6,959 m over sea level), as well as two gradients of physical variability, extending in north-south and east-west directions. Owing to these features, the country presents a wide range of climates and soil types, being one of the countries with greatest diversity of biogeographical units (Lean et al., 1990, In: Bertonatti & Corcuera, 2000). There are four main hydrographic systems: Río de la Plata basin, the Atlantic and Pacific drainages, and several endorrheic systems. Within these basins, the ichthyofaunistic assemblage is well represented, with different magnitude in accordance with the different taxonomic groupings and regions considered. From an ichthyogeographic standpoint, and according to the works of Ringuelet (1975) and Arratia et al. (1983), Argentina is included in the Brasilic and Austral Subregions. The first of these is represented by two domains: the Andean Domain, comprising the southernmost portion of Titicaca Province, and the Paranensean Domain, including part of Alto Paraná and Paranoplatensean Provinces. The Austral Subregion is represented in Argentina by the Subandean-Cuyan and Patagonian Provinces. The present survey indicates that there are about 441 fish species in Argentina, distributed throughout the country; this number represents less than 10% of the total fish species occurring in the Neotropical Region. There is a recognizable trend of faunal impoverishment, both in North-South and East-West direction, reaching its maximum expression in the provinces of Tierra del Fuego (situated at approximately 52º30’S to 55ºS, and 65ºS to 68º50’W) and San Juan (approximately 28º50’S and 67ºW to 70º45’W), which have 4 and 5 fish species respectively. In north-south direction, one of the regional indicators of this phenomenon is the Salado river basin in Buenos Aires province, which constitutes the southern distributional boundary for the majority of the paranoplatensean ichthyofauna; 12 of the families occurring in the Paraná-Plata system are absent from this pauperized paranensean ichthyofaunal assemblage. Most of the continental fish fauna of Argentina belongs to the primary division of Myers (1949), while some elements are included in the secondary division and others in an amphibiotic or ‘marine penetration’ category. This ichthyofaunistic scope encompasses a wide range of morphological, biological, ecological and ethological types (benthic and pelagic, migrating and sedentary, haematophagous or parasites, annual species, inhabitants of plains or heights, estivation-adapted, etc.) inhabiting different regions within the national territory.

El Herbario: significado, valor y uso.

En la historia de la vida sobre la Tierra, el capítulo que trata sobre el almacenamiento y conservación de las plantas se escribe en los dominios del herbario. El herbario posee los ejemplares que documentan la exploración del hombre sobre la superficie terrestre, de manera que no sólo existe el documento escrito que narra la historia del explorador sino que tenemos el privilegio de tocar esos objetos o especímenes. Así, cada herbario en el mundo posee un tesoro escondido de especímenes históricos que son el fiel testigo de las hazañas de un investigador o de una exploración a algún lugar remoto. En las últimas dos décadas el medio en el que se desarrollan los herbarios y sus colecciones han subrido cambios muy significativos, los que a su vez han ejercido presiones sobre quienes manejan las colecciones. Algunos de estos cambios son la disminución de los aportes económicos a los herbarios, el cambio en el uso de la evidencia morfológica hacia la molecular en los estudios sistemáticos y la pérdida acelerada de la biodiversidad que trae aparejada la necesidad urgente de realizar inventarios florísticos. En una era de extinción de biotas, las colecciones valiosas como son hoy día, serán aún más valiosas en los años por venir. Las colecciones representan el testigo imprescindible para la ciencia y el vehículo para llegar a las posibles soluciones. Es por ello que el conocimiento del significado, valor y uso del herbario y sus colecciones reviste una vital importancia para la ciencia y para la sociedad.

Mercury in Florida Bay fish: spatial distribution of elevated concentrations and possible linkages to Everglades restoration

Health advisories are now posted in northern Florida Bay, adjacent to the Everglades, warning of high mercury concentrations in some species of gamefish. Highest concentrations of mercury in both forage fish and gamefish have been measured in the northeastern corner of Florida Bay, adjacent to the dominant freshwater inflows from the Everglades. Thirty percent of spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus Cuvier, 1830) analyzed exceeded Florida’s no consumption level of 1.5 μg g−1 mercury in this area. We hypothesized that freshwater draining the Everglades served as the major source of methylmercury entering the food web supporting gamefish. A lack of correlation between mercury concentrations and salinity did not support this hypothesis, although enhanced bioavailability of methylmercury is possible as freshwater is diluted with estuarine water. Stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur were measured in fish to elucidate the shared pathways of methylmercury and nutrient elements through the food web. These data support a benthic source of both methylmercury and nutrient elements to gamefish within the eastern bay, as opposed to a dominant watershed source. Ecological characteristics of the eastern bay, including active redox cycling in near-surface sediments without excessive sulfide production are hypothesized to promote methylmercury formation and bioaccumulation in the benthos. Methylmercury may then accumulate in gamefish through a food web supported by benthic microalgae, detritus, pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum Burkenroad, 1939), and other epibenthic feeders. Uncertainty remains as to the relative importance of watershed imports of methylmercury from the Everglades and in situ production in the bay, an uncertainty that needs resolution if the effects of Everglades restoration on mercury levels in fish are to be modeled and managed.

Zum tierschutzgerechten Betäuben und Töten von Aal

Slaughtering of eels should be done not only under animal welfare aspects but as well under consumer protection and economical aspects with respect to technical feasibility. Methods must be practicable for enterprises slaughtering quantities of several kilograms up to several tons per day. Most methods applied up to now in whole Europe were (are) not in accordance with animal welfare mainly due to lacking prescriptions and alternative methods. The great number of experiments carried out within the frame of this project demonstrates the difficulties to combine optimal welfare demands with economical and technical fesibility aspects in one method. Measurements of EEG (electroencephalogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram) have shown that the method laid down in the german legislation does not perfectly stun all eels. This method was improved by applying a „prestun“ with 220 V for 1sec., followed by a 5 min phase at 45 V to prolongue the time of unconsciousness after the stun. Inflating nitrogen gas into the stunning bath additionally causes asphyxia during the stun. By this method 93% of the eels were stunned or even killed. Applying 220 V for bigger batches of eels (~400 kg) will cause big problems with the energy supply. Therefore this method is restricted to batches of 20 - 50 kg. The method laid down in the german legislation probably can be improved. Eels were stunned successfully without water, avoiding the problems of regional differences in the conductivity of the water. Other types of current and other frequencies and a combination of both should be tested as well as alternative electrode geometries also with respect to blood spots which occasionally occurred in the muscles preferably of bigger eels (>800 g). For the time being the method laid down in the german legislation is a reasonable compromise and under animal welfare aspects represents a considerable improvement.

Neues Institut für Fischereitechnik und Fischqualität. Zusammenlegung der Institute für Fischereitechnik und Biochemie und Technologie

Entsprechend dem Rahmenkonzept für die Bundesforschungsanstalten im Geschäftsbereich des damaligen Bundesministeriums für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten vom 12. 6. 1996 ist an der Bundesforschungsanstalt für Fischerei in Hamburg die Anzahl der Institute von fünf auf vier zu reduzieren. Das ab 1. 1. 2001 neu gebildete Institut für Fischereitechnik und Fischqualität (IFF) nimmt die Forschungsaufgaben der beiden bisherigen Institute für Fischereitechnik (IFH) sowie Biochemie und Technologie (IBT) wahr. Damit bietet sich für das aus zweivergleichsweise kleinen Instituten hervorgegangene IFF die Möglichkeit, in einem integrierten Ansatz Fische, Krebse und Weichtiere auf verschiedenen Stufen der Produktions- und Verarbeitungskette zu untersuchen und zu bewerten. Fangprozess und Folgebehandlung der Fangobjekte werden dadurch ganzheitlich betrachtet, was sich nicht zuletzt in Maßnahmen zur Qualitätserhaltung und -verbesserung von Fischen und Fischereierzeugnissen niederschlagen soll.

Die Anteile von Sieb- und Futtergarnelen in deutschen Garnelenfängen im Jahre 2000

The German shrimp fisheries land different types of pro-duce. Besides cooked shrimp for human consumption small (undersized), raw shrimp (industrial shrimp) are landed regionally in the second half of each year for animal feedstuff purposes. They are dried in special plants and form sellable secession from sieving processes aboard shrimping vessels. Grading the cooked shrimp ashore gives the non-marketable fraction of too small shrimp, which is not meant for shelling. That fraction is produced all year alongside landings of shrimp and is used for feed-stuff as well. Both extra fractions are listed in the official statistics since 2000 for the first time. That year industrial shrimp made up 6 % of the total landings while the non-marketable, small cooked shrimp summed up to 7 %, respectively. Though being essential for specialised animal feeds they are commercially of very little value, making up to hardly 2 ‰ of the total turnover of the German shrimp fisheries.

Keine überdurchschnittlichen Nachwuchsjahrgänge bei den Nutzfischen der Nordsee

In January/February 2001, Germany participated with “Walther Herwig III” in the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS) of ICES by contributing 70 half hour tows with the Grande Ouverture Verticale Bottom Trawl (GOV), 78 hydrographic stations, and 88 catches with the Method-Isaac-Kidd net (MIK), mostly in the central and northern North Sea. In total, 368 fishing stations by means of the GOV were covered by the international fleet. Preliminary results indicate that only indices for herring, whiting, and – to some degree – haddock are in the long-term mean. In contrast, the index for cod gives reason to serious concern. In addition, indices for both mackerel and Norway pout do not show any signs for an increasing strength of these stocks. Oceanographic data show that in comparison with the data from 1995 onwards actual temperatures and salinities are in the normal range. However, mean water temperatures of this short period are about more than a half degree above the long-term means of the period 1961 to 1990.

Zusammenhang zwischen Schadstoffen aus der Elbe und missgebildeten Fischembryonen in der Deutschen Bucht.

The trends of malformation prevalence in embryos of dab, Limanda limanda, in the southern North Sea after the year 1990 mirrored the drop in major pollutants in the rivers draining into the German Bight. Despite this general decline we detected a pollution event in the southern North Sea in winter 1995/1996 employing the prevalence of malformations in dab embryos as an indicator. An abrupt rise in malformation prevalence in the embryos of dab, corresponded to a dramatic increase in DDT levels in parent fish from the same area, indicating a hitherto unnoticed introduction of considerable quantities of DDT into the system. This input could be traced back to discharges of unknown origen into the River Elbe.

Kritische Betrachtung der Begriffe Fischereiaufwand und Fangkraft mit dem Ansatz einer Neubewertung

In order to restore the balance between available fish res-sources and catch capacities in the marine waters of the EU, the European Commission has introduced so-called Multiannual Guidance Programmes (MAGPs) within the frame work of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). However, the non-quantified relation between fishing effort and fishing power of a vessel has proved to be one of the most difficult problems. The present contribution suggests to substitute traditional but non-quantifying methods by including the real catch results into the models.

Über Fischereiressourcen und ihre Nutzung

The reduction of discards will only be achieved, if more effective methods of catch selection will be developed and used. In principle, the unavoidable by catch of commercial fish should be used for human consumption, independent of the requirements for minimum length and existing catch quotas. The amount of such bycatch should be charged to the total catch quota and preferably be used for processing of fish portions with skin (carcasses with skin), because this kind of processing results in higher yields and nutrional advantages compared to fillet processing. Unfortunately, nowadays, in the German fishery and fish trade this traditional form of supply is only of minor importance because of the predominance of fillets and fillet products. However, cooperation between fishing industry and fish trade and a good advertising of processed fish portions with skin could overcome this problem. In the pelagic fishery of herring, mackerel and other similar pelagic species the bycatch of small sized specimen of these species can be a problem. These small sized fish can principally be processed to traditional fish products, but the processing costs for them are much higher. The prospects for processing of the bycatch into minced fish meat, fish protein concentrate or fish protein hydrolysate are very poor under the existing regime in the German fishing industry. A further way for processing of the bycatch, which can not be used for human consumption, is the production of fishmeal. However, only three German factory ships dispose of fish meal plants. Under the current economic conditions, i.e. because of limited storage capacity, the Ger-man trawler and cutter fleet is not able to transport the bycatch for fish meal production ashore.

Sensibilität von Seefischen an Bord. Teil 3: Untersuchungen an demersalen Fischarten der Barentssee

In previous papers the sensibility of pelagic and demersal fishes caught at depth of up to 80 m was reported. This paper deals with the sensitiveness of flatfishes, gadids, and redfish caught at depth between 260 and 450 m and with trawling times between 1 and 6 h. The sensitiveness of the fishes was tested according to the method described in previous publications (Münkner et. al. 1998) after 10 min keeping in running sea water and after 1h bulk storage respectively. The sensitiveness of the fishes increased from cod to saithe to haddock. Surprisingly American plaice and Greenland halibut turned out to be very sensitive, far more sensitive than plaice and dab caught at lower depths in the North Sea. This was indicated by the high amount of animals showing rigor already after a trawling time of 2 hand 10 min of keeping in seawater. After 1 h of bulk storage and increasing trawling time sensitiveness of all fishes decreased, as expected, significantly. Besides mechanical encroachments the main problem for the fishes caught at greater depths was the gas supersaturation in the blood and tissue causing blockage of the gill capillary vessels, exophthalmus, visible gas bubbles in the skin and eyes, and in some cases protusion of the intestines through the snout due to rapid dilatation of the swimbladder.

30. Jahrestagung der "WestEuropean Fish Technologists' Association" in Torshavn, Faroer

In der West European Fish Technologists’ Association (WEFTA) arbeiten zahlreiche europäische Institute zusammen, die sich mit Fisch als Lebensmittel oder mit Fischtechnologie befassen. Ziel der WEFTA ist es, einen Austausch von Informationen über Forschung und ihre Ergebnisse europaweit möglich zu machen. Die Jahrestagungen sind eine gute Gelegenheit, Einblick in die Arbeiten anderer Institutionen zu erhalten und europäische Kontakte zu knüpfen. Die Tagungen sind besonders interessant für junge Wissenschaftler, die hier ihre Ergebnisse einem grösseren Publikum vorstellen konnen.

Entwicklung und Lage ausgewählter Fischbestände - Einschätzung des Internationalen Rates für Meeresforschung Ende 2000

During the autumn session of the ICES Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management (ACFM) the stock of the Arctic, Northern and Southern Shelf, North Sea and Skagerrak have been analysed and assessed, as well as the mackerel and horse mackerel, sardine, anchovy and Pandalus, eel and harp and hooded seals. For a number of stocks ICES recommends a reduction in fishing mortality. Moreover, ICES recommends for many stocks to establish recovery and management plans, to safe guarda continuous development of the stocks towards safe biological limits.

Winterfischerei auf Garnelen. Die Anteile der europäischen Garnelenflotten an den Anlandungen von Crangon crangon im Zeitraum Januar bis März der Jahre 1990 bis 1999

„Winter fishery“ on brown shrimp does not imply a special type of fishery. It merely means the continuation of the standard fishing procedure of parts of the fleet during wintertime, when the majority of the mostly smaller vessels stay in harbour due to generally unfavourable weather conditions for their activity. During 1990 to 1999 mean European wide landings in January and February summedup to 854 tonnes making up to only 4 % of the mean annual landings (21 805 t). While German vessels landed0.7 % (68.7 t) of their mean annual landings during that period, the other countries caught about 7 % of their individual, mean annual landings at the same time. The Netherlands and Denmark contributed highest tonnages of 580and 110 tonnes, respectively, to the total European landings, making up 81 % of them. As about 70 % of brown shrimp may carry eggs in January, the winter fishery took a mean total of about 2.15 x 1012brown shrimp eggs out of the stocks in that period annually. As there is no reliable assessment available concerning the brown shrimp stocks, it is despite of these high losses of eggs not possible to trace a negative effect of the winter fishery in scientific terms. However, precautional catch reductions in winter would be in favour of higher survival rates of eggs, which are the carrying source for the recruitment of brown shrimp stocks and catches in forthcoming summer and autumn seasons according to Dutch investigations.

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.