Women in the December 26 Tsunami: how have they coped; how can we help?

Fishing communities around the Indian Ocean were severely affected by the December 2004 tsunamis. Programs for rebuilding coastal fisheries livelihoods need to address the pre-tsunami situation that was characterized by overfishing and degraded natural resources. Adopting appropriate strategies to ensure sustainable livelihoods will require community involvement, as well as cross-sectoral, integrated planning and management at ascending government levels. Key recommendations from the WorldFish Center study Sustainable Management of Coastal Fish Stocks in Asia are presented to encourage discussion and debate.

Rebuilding coastal fisheries livelihoods after the Tsunami: key lessons from past experience

Fishing communities around the Indian Ocean were severely affected by the December 2004 tsunamis. Programs for rebuilding coastal fisheries livelihoods need to address the pre-tsunami situation that was characterized by overfishing and degraded natural resources. Adopting appropriate strategies to ensure sustainable livelihoods will require community involvement, as well as cross-sectoral, integrated planning and management at ascending government levels. Key recommendations from the WorldFish Center study Sustainable Management of Coastal Fish Stocks in Asia are presented to encourage discussion and debate.

The effect of intensive line fishing on the virgin biomass of a tropical deepwater snapper, the crimson jobfish (Pristipomoides filamentosus)

An intensive commercial hook-and-line fishing operation targeted the demersal fisheries resources at Saya de Malha Bank in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Fishing was conducted with 12 dories that were equipped with echo sounders and electric fishing reels and supported by a refrigerated mothership. Over a 13-day period in the 55–130 m depth range, a total of 74.3 metric tons (t) of fish were caught, of which the crimson jobfish (Pristipomoides filamentosus) represented 80%. Catch rates decreased with time and could not be attributed to changes in location, climatic conditions, fishing depth, fishing method, or bait type. The initial virgin biomass of P. filamentosus available to a line fishery at the North Western promontory of Saya de Malha Bank was estimated at 72.6 t through application of the Leslie model to daily catch and effort data. Biomass densities of 2364 kg/km2 and 1206 kg/km were obtained by applying the initial biomass estimates to the surface area and to the length of the dropoff that was fished. The potential sustainable yield prior to exploitation was estimated at 567 kg/km2 per year. The quantity of P. filamentosus caught by the mother-ship-dory fishing operation represented 82% of the initial biomass available to a hook-and-line fishery, equivalent to more that three times the estimated maximum sustainable yield. The results of the study are important to fisheries managers because they demonstrate that intensive line fishing operations have the potential to rapidly deplete demersal fisheries resources.

O desenvolvimento pesqueiro mundial, a variabilidade dos recursos e a gestão

FAO regularly releases studies on the state of fish resources exploitation (The state of world fisheries and aquaculture)and the development of fisheries by geographic areas. The 1983 and 1985 editions provided interesting discussions on fisheries development trends in the world: the majority of sea-facing countries adopted legislation that extends the national jurisdiction on the waters off their coasts (usually indicated within 200 miles) and establishes exclusive economic zones (EEZs). The huge fluctuations in the abundance of some fish stocks are obstacles to fisheries development. This issue, as well as the need to improve research activities and management of fish stocks is also analyzed in this work. The author highlighted the situation of fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean, with particular attention to tuna fisheries and to inland water resources of Mozambique.

Contribution of zooplankton to the fishery potential of some environments

Difference in zooplankton production in estuarine, coastal and oceanic realms of the Indian Ocean has been correlated to the fishery potential of the concerned area. In the estuarine habitat the estimated rate of secondary production can not sustain a fishery of the present magnitude. Direct correlation between fish landing and zooplankton is observed in the coastal waters. Compared to coastal waters zooplankton standing stock is low in the open ocean and this low production is compensated by a wider area. The estimated fishery potential of the ocean is much more than what is being exploited.

A study on the trend of sports fishery of Mafia Island (Tanzania) along the East African coast from 1961-1972

Mafia waters in the western Indian Ocean on the east coast of Africa is a natural attractive area for fishing. It has extensive coral beds which harbour good fish life and attracts sport fishery in the area. About 12 commercially important fishes listed are caught by sports fishermen. The data indicates that this area can become an attractive centre for sports fishery almost throughout the year with peak season from November to February. Long-term planning of the fishery is necessary. The conservation measures should be evolved and gan fishing, dynamiting or any other kind of distructive fishing should be prohibited. This area has natural potential to become a sports fishing centre in the future and a great attraction for tourists and anglers.

Developmental characters of Psettina Iijimae (Jordan and Starks), bothid flat fishes - Pisces

Post larval stages of Psettina Iijimae ranging from 1.8 mm NL to 44.6 mm SL collected during Naga Expedition and International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) are described. The characteristics which help to identify larval stages of Psettina are: the presence of pigmented urohyal appendage in early stages which is progressively reduced during flexion stages and which disappears in later postflexion stages, the meristics, the spines on urohyal and posterior basipterygial processes and the absence of spines on cleithra. The P. iijimae can be distinguished by the presence of spines on the median fin rays which differentiate near the baseosts along the dorsal and ventral body wall much before the fin rays. The larvae of P.iijimae were more abundant in the Gulf of Thailand compared to South China Sea and Indian Ocean.

A new deep-sea crab, genus Chaceon, from the Arabian Sea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Geryonidae)

The sixth nominal species of Chaceon to be recorded from the western Indian Ocean is named from a specimen collected off Somalia in 504-506 meters. Chaceon somaliensis, n. sp., resembles C. macphersoni (Manning and Holthuis, 1988) and differs from the other four species known from the area in having the dactylus of the walking legs dorsoventrally depressed. It differs from C. macphersoni in having slenderer legs, a smoother body, and a much deeper, evenly curved orbit.