Desirability of a standard notation for fisheries assessment

The worldwide increase of the publications concerning the assessment of marine renewable living resources is highlighting long-standing problems with symbols and annotations. Starting from the symbols presented within the classic fisheries masterpieces produced, mainly in the fifty of the last century, a first “Milestone” list was organised. Thereafter, the pertinent literature was (not exhaustively) browsed in order to integrate this Milestone list on the base of a set of decisional criteria. The present contribution consists in using the Latin letters as well established symbols for the corresponding parameters, leaving free to specific use (with few historical exceptions) the Greek letters in view to open a discussion among all the fisheries scientists and bodies in order to move towards a common language and better communication standards.

Constructing a raster-based spatio-temporal hierarchical data model for marine fisheries application

Marine information has been increasing quickly. The traditional database technologies have disadvantages in manipulating large amounts of marine information which relates to the position in 3-D with the time. Recently, greater emphasis has been placed on GIS （geographical information system）to deal with the marine information. The GIS has shown great success for terrestrial applications in the last decades, but its use in marine fields has been far more restricted. One of the main reasons is that most of the GIS systems or their data models are designed for land applications. They cannot do well with the nature of the marine environment and for the marine information. And this becomes a fundamental challenge to the traditional GIS and its data structure. This work designed a data model, the raster-based spatio-temporal hierarchical data model （RSHDM）, for the marine information system, or for the knowledge discovery fi＇om spatio-temporal data, which bases itself on the nature of the marine data and overcomes the shortages of the current spatio-temporal models when they are used in the field. As an experiment, the marine fishery data warehouse （FDW） for marine fishery management was set up, which was based on the RSHDM. The experiment proved that the RSHDM can do well with the data and can extract easily the aggregations that the management needs at different levels.

Application of a catch-based method for stock assessment of three important fisheries in the East China Sea

Most fisheries in China do not have maximum sustainable yield（MSY） estimates due to limited and poor data.Therefore, finding a common method to estimate MSY or total allowable catch（TAC） for fishery management is necessary. MSYs of three important fisheries in the East China Sea were evaluated through a catch-based model.Estimates for intrinsic rate of increase（r） and five levels of process error were considered. Results showed hairtail Trichiurus japonicas（Temminck and Schlegel） and small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis（Bleeker） fisheries experienced overfishing from the mid-1990 s to the early 2000 s, and the suggested TACs were 55.8×10^4 t and9.06×10^4 t, respectively. Decades of overfishing in wintering and spawning grounds of large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea（Richardson） caused the fishery＇s collapse in the 1980 s, and it has not recovered until today.The Catch–MSY model generated similar estimated MSYs with other methods and may be a useful choice for the assessment of regional stocks in China.

Abrupt Climate Regime Shifts, Their Potential Forcing and Fisheries Impacts

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a logical chain of events can be established to explain the abrupt climatic regime shift changes in the Pacific that link the atmosphere to the ocean to fisheries impacts. The investigation endeavors to identify synchronous abrupt changes in a series of data sets to establish the feasibility of abrupt of climate change often referred to as regime shifts. The study begins by using biological (fish catch/stock) markers to mathematically identify the dates of abrupt change. The dates are confirmed by a literature search of parameters that also show abrupt changes on the same dates. Using the biological date markers of abrupt change, analyses are performed to demonstrate that the interactions between the atmosphere, ocean, ecosystems and fisheries are a plausible approach to explaining abrupt climate change and its impacts.

The impact of spatial autocorrelation on CPUE standardization between two different fisheries

Catch per unit of eff ort(CPUE) data can display spatial autocorrelation. However, most of the CPUE standardization methods developed so far assumes independency of observations for the dependent variable, which is often invalid. In this study, we collected data of two fisheries, squid jigging fishery and mackerel trawl fishery. We used standard generalized linear model(GLM) and spatial GLMs to compare the impact of spatial autocorrelation on CPUE standardization for different fisheries. We found that spatialGLMs perform better than standard-GLM for both fisheries. The overestimation of precision of CPUE estimates was observed in both fisheries. Moran's I was used to quantify the level of autocorrelation for the two fisheries. The results show that autocorrelation in mackerel trawl fishery was much stronger than that in squid jigging fishery. According to the results of this paper, we highly recommend to account for spatial autocorrelation when using GLM to standardize CPUE data derived from commercial fisheries.

Case Study: A Simulation Model of the Spawning Stock Biomass of Pacific Bluefin Tuna and Evaluation of Fisheries Regulations

This study proposes a simulation model that well reproduces the spawning stock biomass of Pacific bluefin tuna. Environmental factors were chosen to estimate the recruitment per spawning stock biomass, and a simulation model that well reproduced the spawning stock biomass was developed. Then, effects of various fisheries regulations were evaluated using the simulation study. The results were as follows: 1) arctic oscillations, Pacific decadal oscillations and the recruitment number of the Pacific stock of Japanese sardine were chosen as the environmental factors that determined the recruitment per spawning stock biomass;2) spawning stock biomass could be well reproduced using a model that reproduced the recruitment per spawning stock biomass and the survival process of the population that included the effect of fishing;and 3) the effects of various fisheries regulation could be evaluated using the simulation model mentioned above. The effective regulation in the simulations conducted in this paper was a prohibition of fishing for 0- and 1-year-old fish in terms of recovering the spawning stock biomass. The reduction of fishing mortality coefficients for all age fish to 50% of actual values also showed a good performance. The recent reductions of the recruitment and spawning stock biomass were likely caused by heavy harvesting, especially of immature fish, since 2004.

The Importance of Involving Stakeholders and Scientists in the Management of Marine Fisheries

In recent years there has been increasing concern over the state of fish stocks,especially those that support key fisheries and supply food to many consumers.There is also concern over the state of aquatic environments,and the effects of climate change.Fisheries management is controlled by government agencies,often cooperating with similar agencies from other nations.This paper deals with the need for expert advice on fisheries,involving fishers as well as scientists.Mention is made of a Fisheries Partnership set up in Europe,bringing fishers and scientists together with other stakeholders to discuss the problems of managing fish stocks.The partnership was especially successful in improving relationships between fishers and scientists,and made significant improvements to some fish stock assessments.European Regional Advisory Councils were later established to play a similar role.They are providing significant advice on fisheries,but they do not yet play a key role in actual management.It is important to consider how stakeholders and scientists can become more actively involved in fisheries management.There is a crucial need to develop new,more participatory ways of managing fisheries.

The Human Dimension in the UNESCO Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve:Integrating Livelihood Issues of Small-Scale Fisheries with the Conservation of Natural Resources

Fisheries management worldwide struggles to strike a balance between protecting resources,ensuring fair access to resources and promoting economic effectiveness and stability.The transition to a participatory democracy in South Africa in 1994 resulted in the transformation of government institutions and an extensive process of legislative reform regarding

Perspectives:Gene expression in fisheries management

Functional genes and gene expression have been connected to physiological traits linked to effective production andbroodstock selection in aquaculture, selective implications of commercial fish harvest, and adaptive changes reflected innon-commercial fish populations subject to human disturbance and climate change. Gene mapping using single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) to identify functional genes, gene expression (analogue microarrays and real-time PCR), and digital sequencingtechnologies looking at RNA transcripts present new concepts and opportunities in support of effective and sustainable fisheries.Genomic tools have been rapidly growing in aquaculture research addressing aspects of fish health, toxicology, and earlydevelopment. Genomic technologies linking effects in functional genes involved in growth, maturation and life history developmenthave been tied to selection resulting from harvest practices. Incorporating new and ever-increasing knowledge of fish genomesis opening a different perspective on local adaptation that will prove invaluable in wild fish conservation and management.Conservation of fish stocks is rapidly incorporating research on critical adaptive responses directed at the effects of human disturbanceand climate change through gene expression studies. Genomic studies of fish populations can be generally grouped intothree broad categories: 1) evolutionary genomics and biodiversity; 2) adaptive physiological responses to a changing environment;and 3) adaptive behavioral genomics and life history diversity. We review current genomic research in fisheries focusing on thosethat use microarrays to explore differences in gene expression among phenotypes and within or across populations, informationthat is critically important to the conservation offish and their relationship to

An Analysis on Antarctic Fisheries Management Regime and China's Response

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living R esources acts as the executive body for Antarctic fisheries management with Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living R esources( CAMLR Convention) as the legal framework. As the only multilateral agreement for the comprehensive management of Antarctic marine living resources,CAMLR Convention has received a wide international recognition. This paper analyzes the highlights of CAMLR Convention in Antarctic fisheries management,namely,open access to membership,sophisticated institutional structure,capability of keeping pace with the times,diplomatic wisdom,measures against IU U,advanced fisheries management philosophies,etc. Meanwhile,Antarctic fisheries management also encounters challenges,which should be addressed in the process of exploration. China is an important fishing state at Antarctic O cean.Investigation for Antarctic fisheries resources and research into its exploitation are of significant importance for China,which calls for the establishment of China's Antarctic fisheries policy.

Ecosystem Health Assessment of the Egong Bay Fisheries Area in Shenzhen Based on Index of Biological Integrity of Fish

[Objective] The ecosystem health of the Egong Bay fisheries area in Shenzhen was assessed,based on the index of biological integrity of fish( F-IBI),for the reference of ecological restoration in typical fisheries area in the coast of South China Sea. [Method]Based on four seasons survey from August( summer) and November( autumn) in 2012 to February( winter) and May( spring) in 2013,six indicators including total species number of fish,percentage of Sciaenidae species,percentage of Sparidae species,percentage of planktivorous species,percentage of benthic-feeding species and percentage of benthic-feeding and piscivorous species,were used in computing F-IBI of Egong Bay. The suitability of F-IBI was tested by principal component analysis( PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis. [Result]Total species number of fish,percentage of Sciaenidae species,percentage of Sparidae species,percentage of planktivorous species and percentage of benthic-feeding species were major assessment indicators for Egong Bay fisheries area. F-IBI of Egong Bay fisheries area was correlated with water temperature,salinity,chemical oxygen demand( COD) and petroleum,and was negative correlation to p H,dissolved oxygen( DO),dissolved inorganic nitrogen( DIN),reactive phosphate( PO_4^(3-)-P),and suspended matters. There were significant correction between the F-IBI with the salinity,COD,and suspended matters.[Conclusion]F-IBI system,based on total species number of fish,percentage of Sciaenidae species,percentage of Sparidae species,percentage of planktivorous species,percentage of benthic-feeding species and percentage of benthic-feeding and piscivorous species was feasible in Egong Bay fisheries area.

Self-organization: the governance of CAO fisheries from perspective of the global commons

The Central Arctic Ocean （CAO） is a global commons, and fishes in the CAO are common property resources. If humanity does not manage this region well, then this will lead to a ＂Tragedy of the Commons,＂ an old problem in human society. However, the two existing means of commons governance, privatization and government control, are not appropriate for the CAO. This study＇s findings indicate that CAO fisheries management will most likely result from a process of self-organization. The openness of the CAO and the imbalance of powers, interests and responsibilities among the states that are involved will lead to a process of self-organized governance of CAO fisheries. There are four stages in this process： competition, synergy, establishment of governing principles and mechanisms, and expansion and evolution of influence. The outcome of CAO fisheries governance will be the result of compromise among the parties as no one actor is in a dominant position.

Recent Advances in Japanese Fisheries Science in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Region through Development of the FRA-ROMS Ocean Forecast System: Overview of the Reproducibility of Reanalysis Products

To address various fisheries science problems around Japan, the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA) has developed an ocean forecast system by combining an ocean circulation model based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) with three-dimensional variational analysis schemes. This system, which is called FRA-ROMS, is a basic and essential tool for the systematic conduct of fisheries science. The main aim of FRA-ROMS is to realistically simulate mesoscale variations over the Kuroshio-Oyashio region. Here, in situ oceanographic and satellite data were assimilated into FRA-ROMS using a weekly time window. We first examined the reproducibility through comparison with several oceanographic datasets with an Eulerian reference frame. FRA-ROMS was able to reproduce representative features of mesoscale variations such as the position of the Kuroshio path, variability of the Kuroshio Extension, and southward intrusions of the Oyashio. Second, using a Lagrangian reference frame, we estimated position errors between ocean drifters and particles passively transported by simulated currents, because particle tracking is an essential technique used in applications of reanalysis products to fisheries science. Finally, we summarize recent and ongoing fisheries studies that use FRA-ROMS and mention several new developments and enhancements that will be implemented in the near future.

The Development and Operational Testing of an Underwater Bait Setting System to Prevent the Mortality of Albatrosses and Petrels in Pelagic Longline Fisheries

Longline fisheries for tunas and tuna-like species present an existential threat to many populations of albatrosses and petrels worldwide. To prevent this form of mortality we developed a new technology designed to deploy baited hooks underwater beyond the dive depths of?seabirds (6 - 10 m for the species most commonly caught). The underwater bait setter is a stern-mounted, hydraulically-operated and computer-controlled?device that catapults?baited hooks underwater in a steel capsule?connected to hydraulic winches by Spectra®rope. Baits are flushed from the capsule by water pressure through a spring-loaded bait release door. The chief engineering challenges in the developmental stageswere ensuring:?1) bait delivery?to target depths with cycle times (time from release to recovery) that were practical for fishing operations;?2) bait retention in the capsule (no drop-outs) on the descent phase of the cycle;?3) baits, upon?release at target depth, were not drawn up the water column on the capsule recovery phase (from possible hook-ups and/or suction);and?4) the retention of baits?on?hooks post-release from the capsule was not affected by the mechanical release underwater. Operational trials with the final version of the capsule yielded?satisfactory cycle times to depths of 6 - 10 m. All baits were retained?in the capsule on the descent and?released as required?at target depths (n = 606 deployments). Bait retention on hooks post release from the capsule and retention on hooks hand-set at the surface (the conventional method) were statistically indistinguishable.?The underwater bait setter is modular in construction and can be fitted to all types of vessel sterns.

Problems and Countermeasures of Logistics in the Marine Fisheries Industry

Based on the connotation of marine fisheries logistics,the thesis gives a brief account of its features:firstly,it is more susceptible to natural conditions;secondly,the aquatic logistics is with strong specialized assets;thirdly,the aquatic products market has relative greater uncertainties;fourthly,it calls for higher logistics technology;fifthly,it is difficult to conduct supply chain management.Then the thesis analyzes the problems in the marine fisheries industry:the first problem is the imperfect standardization system of the aquatic logistics;the second is the backward development in the cold storage of the marine fisheries;the third is low information-based degree of marine fisheries logistics system;the fourth one is the low level of the value-added services;the fifth problem is the immature participants in logistics.In order to solve these problems,this thesis further proposes some countermeasure to develop the logistics in the marine fisheries industry:at first,to build various forms of logistics organization entities;secondly,to gradually realize the integration of logistics functions and performance;thirdly,to strengthen the information construction of marine fisheries logistics;at last,to reinforce the government roles in developing the logistics industry of aquatic products.

Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emission of Korean Offshore Fisheries

This paper presents the energy and greenhouse gas(GHG) emission assessments of Korean offshore fisheries. The consumption of energy by fisheries is a significant concern because of its attendant environmental effect, as well as the cost of the fuel consumed in fishing industry. With the global attention of reducing GHG emission and increasing energy efficiency of fuel, the seafood industry needs to further understand its energy use and reduce its GHG emission. In the present study, the amount of energy consumed and the GHG emission of Korean offshore fisheries in a period from 2009 to 2013 were examined. Offshore fisheries accounted for 24% of Korean production in 2013 and 60% of fuel consumption related GHG emission. Whereas the total GHG emission intensity of this sector improved slightly between 2009 and 2012; as such emission decreased by approximately 1.9%, which increased again in 2013. The average amount of total GHG emission in this five years period was 1.78 × 10~6 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent/year(tCO_2eq. y^(-1)). Active fishing gear was found to consume 20% more fuel than passive gear. However, the production from passive gear was 28%, lower than 72% from active gear. The reason for this is that less abundant stationary resources are harvested using passive gear. Furthermore, the consumption of fuel was significantly influenced by the fishing method. Implementation and development of new fishing technologies and methods are important for improving energy efficiency and reducing the climate impact on fisheries. To realize these purposes, the fishery management system needs to be established by centralizing on energy efficiency and climate effect.

Evaluation of Three Harvest Control Rules for Bigeye Tuna(Thunnus obesus) Fisheries in the Indian Ocean

The stock of Bigeye tuna(Thunnus obesus) in the Indian Ocean supports an important international fishery and is considered to be fully exploited. The responsible management agency, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission(IOTC), does not have an explicit management decision-making framework in place to prevent over-fishing. In this study, we evaluated three harvest control rules, i) constant fishing mortality(CF), from 0.2 to 0.6, ii) constant catch(CC), from 60000 to 140000 t, and iii) constant escapement(CE), from 0.3 to 0.7. The population dynamics simulated by the operating model was based on the most recent stock assessment using Stock Synthesis version Ⅲ(SS3). Three simulation scenarios(low, medium and high productivity) were designed to cover possible uncertainty in the stock assessment and biological parameters. Performances of three harvest control rules were compared on the basis of three management objectives(over 3, 10 and 25 years): i) the probability of maintaining spawning stock biomass above a level that can sustain maximum sustainable yield(MSY) on average, ii) the probability of achieving average catches between 0.8 MSY and 1.0 MSY, and iii) inter-annual variability in catches. The constant escapement strategy(CE=0.5), constant fishing mortality strategy(F=0.4) and constant catch(CC=80000) were the most rational among the respective management scenarios. It is concluded that the short-term annual catch is suggested at 80000 t, and the potential total allowable catch for a stable yield could be set at 120000 t once the stock had recovered successfully. All the strategies considered in this study to achieve a ‘tolerable' balance between resource conservation and utilization have been based around the management objectives of the IOTC.

Ecological footprint and vulnerability of marine capture fisheries in China

China(herein referred as China’s mainland,and excluding Hong Kong,Macao and Taiwan)ranks as the world’s leading fishing nation,with approximately 11.1 million tons of domestic marine catch acquired in 2017.Marine fisheries resources in China are mainly exploited by its 11 coastal provinces and municipalities,and the development of fishing industry varies among them.However,few studies have examined the exploitation history of the 11 coastal provinces and municipalities.In this paper,we systematically quantified the exploitation history of marine fishery resources in China and then measured the vulnerability of the 11 coastal provinces and municipalities of China to a reduction in marine catches.Our analysis suggested that Chinese marine fisheries experienced rapid growth from the mid-1980 s to the end of the 20 th century,and this rapid increase in marine catches were mainly promoted by increased fishing effort.The total primary production required level amounted to approximately 80%of the average primary productivity in 2017,and Zhejiang,Fujian,Shandong,Hainan and Guangdong provinces were the main fishing provinces in China.By assessing three dimensions of vulnerability(exposure,sensitivity and adaptive capacity)to the impacts of a reduction in marine catches in the 11 coastal provinces and municipalities,we found that Hainan,Guangxi,Zhejiang and Fujian provinces had high or very high vulnerability,while the municipalities of Shanghai and Tianjin had low vulnerability.Identifying suitable adaptation policies and management plans based on the differences in vulnerability among coastal provinces is important in sustainable fisheries management.

Fisheries Management under Ecological Interdependence: The Case of European Hake and Blue Whiting Fishery

In mixed fisheries where there is an increased ecological interdependence between two or more target species, the possibilities of fishing these species must be determined jointly, since catches of one species will impact the natural growth not only of that species but of the others, as well. The objective of this paper is to develop a predator-prey model for two major species caught by the EU fishing fleet on European Union fishing grounds. The predator and prey’s population dynamics follow the Lotka-Volterra equation and are assumed to be logic-based, and a lineal interaction between the predator and prey populations is assumed. Optimal single owner multispecies fishery management is analysed, and the applied model is solved, obtaining the equilibrium value of biomasses, catches, and net benefits of the mixed fishery. The results show that the MSY of the predator is higher than that estimated by ICES, while MSY for prey is lower. The sensitivity analysis of the results reveals that the biomass levels of both species decrease as the discount rate increases, while catches increase.