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

Editorial: Marine protected areas and small-scale fisheries

Marine Protected Areas(MPAs)have long been recognized to be effective tools for spatial management,conservation of biodiversity and fisheries enhancement(Rodríguez-Rodríguez,2016;Claudet et al.,2020),leading Member States Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)in 2010 to agree to cover 10%of their coastal and marine areas with MPAs by 2020(Aichi Target 11).In 2020 MPAs cover 5.3%world’s oceans,with 2.5%in no-take marine reserves offering protection,even though a global no-take coverage of at least 30%of the world’s oceans by 2030 has been proposed(Marine Conservation Institute;http://www.mpatlas.org/progress/proposals/).

Analysis and Innovative Strategies of Tax Preferential Policies to Promote the Sustainable Development of Small-Scale Individual Businesses

This study conducted an in-depth analysis of the current tax preferential policies for small-scale individual businesses and compared them with similar policies both domestically and internationally,aiming to reveal the advantages and disadvantages of the current system.After examining the impact of these tax preferential policies on the economic status of individual business owners and the broader social economy,this article proposes a set of innovative tax preferential strategies based on theoretical foundations.By developing these innovative strategies and clarifying their implementation paths,the aim is to promote the sustainable and healthy development of small-scale individual businesses,thereby fostering comprehensive socio-economic progress.The conclusion of this study not only summarizes policy recommendations with practical significance but also provides theoretical support for the optimization and innovation of future related systems.

Mapping fisheries hot-spot and high-violated fishing areas in professional and recreational small-scale fisheries

The present study deals with the monitoring for a real implementation of management policies in marine environments and the potential conflicts between professional and recreational fishery in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea.A comprehensive database of fishing effort and fisheries infringements from professional small-scale and recreational fisheries was screened to identify hotspots areas of fishing pressure in the coastal zones of Ionian Sea.Mapping points showed that the number of the recorded infringements conducted both by professional and recreational fishers are too low(1 and 6 recorded infringements per 104 km2 of vessel days per year)and that fishing effort,and subsequently the recorded infringements,are not evenly distributed but concentrated on specific fishing grounds.These revealed high-risk areas prone to illegal fishing activities and are implying problems in the implementation of the fisheries regulations rather than a low delinquency of the fishers to comply with the rules.Findings represents a step forward in applying tracking technology to the surveillance of small-scale fishery and are crucial towards the specification of the critical zones for setting an efficient control system.

An analytical model for estimating rock strength parameters from small-scale drilling data

The small-scale drilling technique can be a fast and reliable method to estimate rock strength parameters. It needs to link the operational drilling parameters and strength properties of rock. The parameters such as bit geometry, bit movement, contact frictions and crushed zone affect the estimated parameters.An analytical model considering operational drilling data and effective parameters can be used for these purposes. In this research, an analytical model was developed based on limit equilibrium of forces in a Tshaped drag bit considering the effective parameters such as bit geometry, crushed zone and contact frictions in drilling process. Based on the model, a method was used to estimate rock strength parameters such as cohesion, internal friction angle and uniaxial compressive strength of different rock types from operational drilling data. Some drilling tests were conducted by a portable and powerful drilling machine which was developed for this work. The obtained results for strength properties of different rock types from the drilling experiments based on the proposed model are in good agreement with the results of standard tests. Experimental results show that the contact friction between the cutting face and rock is close to that between bit end wearing face and rock due to the same bit material. In this case,the strength parameters, especially internal friction angle and cohesion, are estimated only by using a blunt bit drilling data and the bit bluntness does not affect the estimated results.

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.

Weak wide-band signal detection method based on small-scale periodic state of Duffing oscillator

The conventional Duffing oscillator weak signal detection method, which is based on a strong reference signal, has inherent deficiencies. To address these issues, the characteristics of the Duffing oscillator＇s phase trajectory in a small- scale periodic state are analyzed by introducing the theory of stopping oscillation system. Based on this approach, a novel Duffing oscillator weak wide-band signal detection method is proposed. In this novel method, the reference signal is discarded, and the to-be-detected signal is directly used as a driving force. By calculating the cosine function of a phase space angle, a single Duffing oscillator can be used for weak wide-band signal detection instead of an array of uncoupled Duffing oscillators. Simulation results indicate that, compared with the conventional Duffing oscillator detection method, this approach performs better in frequency detection intervals, and reduces the signal-to-noise ratio detection threshold, while improving the real-time performance of the system.

Shock-induced fracture of dolomite rock in small-scale blast tests

This paper attempts to study dolomite failure using small-scale blast tests.The experimental setup consisted of a cylindrical specimen with a central borehole fitted with a detonation cord inside a copper pipe.The specimen was confined using lead material.During the test,acceleration histories were recorded using sensors placed on the lead confinement.The results showed that heterogeneity and initial cracks significantly influenced the observed failure and cracking patterns.The tests were numerically represented using the previously validated Johnson-HolmquistⅡ(JH-2)constitutive model.The properties of the detonation cord were first determined and verified in a special test with a lead specimen to compare the deformation in the test with that of numerical simulation.Then,the small-scale blast test was simulated,and the failure of the dolomite was compared with the test observations.Comparisons of acceleration histories,scabbing failure,and number of radial cracks and crack density confirmed the overall repeatability of the actual testing data.It is likely that the proposed model can be further used for numerical studies of blasting of dolomite rock.

Study on the Roles of FWUA in Construction, Management and Maintenance of Small-Scale Irrigation and Water Conservancy

In recent years, China has been frequented by floods and droughts which has greatly evoked much concern from the Central Government about rural water conservancy construction. Irrigation is closely related to the "three rural" issues and concerns about the vital interests of farmers. To achieve a virtuous circle of agricultural water supply, it is necessary and urgent to establish Farmer Water User Association (FWUA) to participate in the construction, management and maintenance of small-scale irrigation system. Based on the survey on nationwide "Small-scale irrigation conditions", the roles of FWUA in the construction, management and maintenance of small-scale water conservancy have studied in this study.

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.

Small-Scale Tomato Cultivators’ Perception on Pesticides Usage and Practices in Buea Cameroon

It has been shown that farmers with limited knowledge of the use and safe handling of pesticides may suffer exposure which results in adverse health effects. In Buea, Cameroon, small-scale tomato farmers commonly use pesticides for pest control. Information was obtained from these tomato farmers to determine the extent and types of their pesticide use, their knowledge of pesticide use and effectiveness, and their perception of potential harm resulting from pesticide use. A standardized questionnaire, interviews, field observations and an analytical ranking game were used to describe the pesticide use of 93 tomato farmers. Many farmers (47.6%) used pyrethiod and organophosphorus insecticides and identified these chemicals as the most effective in pesticide control;these are WHO Class II pesticides which are the most hazardous to humans. Most farmers (83.8%) used knapsack sprayers to apply pesticides, with 76.3% using no or partial personal protective equipment (PPE). It was notable that 55.5% of farmers expressed no concern regarding the wind direction (pesticide drift) during spraying. The results showed a significant association between the method of pesticides application and farm size (P < 0.001). Most farmers (85.0%) reported at least one symptom of acute pesticide poisoning following spraying. This study revealed that the tomato farmers have a high exposure to pesticides secondary to inadequate knowledge of the safe and judicious use of pesticides. Strategies that provide training on the appropriate use of pesticides, how to reduce exposure to and health risks of pesticides and alternative options of pest management and control are required. The study also raised concerns that further control of the sale and distribution of pesticides may be indicated.

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.

Processes of small-scale tidal flat accretion and salt marsh changes on the plain coast of Jiangsu Province,China

Large-scaled reclamation modifies the coastal environment dramatically while accelerating the disappearance of salt marshes,which causes the degradation of the coastal ecosystem and the biodiversity function.In this study,we explored the changes of tidal flat and salt marsh coverage in a small-scale tidal flat with an area of ~160 000 m^2 in the plain coast of Jiangsu Province,China.Human activities（e.g.,the construction of dikes） are a crucial contributor that benefits for the tidal flat accretions and the following changes of salt marsh coverage.Located in the front of the man-made ＂concave coastline＂,the study area is suitable for sediment accretion after the dike construction in the end of 2006.On the basis of the annual tidal surface elevation survey from 2007 to 2012,the sedimentation rates in the human influenced tidal flat varied from a few centimeters per year to 23 cm/a.The study area experienced a rapid accretion in the tidal flat and the expansion of the salt marsh,with the formation of a longshore bar,and a subsequent decline of the salt marsh.Breaking waves during the flooding tide brought much sediment from the adjacent tidal flat to the study area,which caused burial and degeneration of the salt marsh.The vertical grain size changes within a 66 cm long core in the study area also demonstrated the above changes in the tidal environment.This study indicates that the responses of small-scale tidal flat changes to reclamation are significant,and the rational reclamation would benefit for the new salt marsh formation in front of the dikes.Further research about the evolution of small scale tidal flat as well as the spatial planning of the polder dike should be strengthened for the purpose to maintain a healthier coastal environment.

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.

Co-management of small-scale fishery in the Tonle Sap Lake,Cambodia

In Cambodia,fishery co-management is an important process to transfer authority and ownership to the communities along the Tonle Sap Lake to manage fishery.This paper aims to determine why the co-management of small-scale fishery has not been implemented satisfactorily in the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia.The research was primarily based on a household survey among 404 house-holds for quantitative data,equally divided between the Cham(202 households)and Khmer(202 households).Participatory process was also applied to collect qualitative data from key stake-holders.We found that limited interaction among the involved stakeholders,i.e.,unequal distribution of authority and resources co-management,has impeded implementation.The engagement of fisherfolk was influenced by dependence on fishery,law enforcement,and events organized by the communities.While the Khmer had better opportunities to participate in planning at the provincial and district levels,the Cham were only engaged in local development activities initiated by their people.However,the latter evinced a higher rate of satisfaction due to their access tofishery resources and to a large quantity of fishing gear.In the future,efforts should be made to:(1)improve resource and authority sharing among all key stakeholders;(2)urgently resolve issues pertinent to capacity building,insufficient budgets for commune councils(CoCs)and community fishery(CFi);and(3)urge law enforcement regarding illegal fishing.

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