Fisheries Science

Hortle 2008 Yield and value of the wild fishery of rice fields in Battambang Province, Cambodia

by Kent Hortle

Hortle 2007 Consumption and the yield of fish and other aquatic animals from the Lower Mekong Basin

by Kent Hortle

Hortle 1989 Use of emetics to obtain stomach contents of the rock flagtail, Kuhlia Rupestris Bull Aust Soc Limnol 12

by Kent Hortle

Fish Is Food - The FAO’s Fish Price Index

by Sigbjorn Tveteras

Co-authored with Frank Asche, Marc F. Bellemare, Martin D. Smith, Atle G. Guttormsen, Audun Lem, Kristin Lien, Stefania Vannuccini

World food prices hit an all-time high in February 2011 and are still almost two and a half times those of 2000.... more World food prices hit an all-time high in February 2011 and are still almost two and a half times those of 2000. Although three billion people worldwide use seafood as a key source of animal protein, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations–which compiles prices for other major food categories–has not tracked seafood prices. We fill this gap by developing an index of global seafood prices that can help to understand food crises and may assist in averting them. The fish price index (FPI) relies on trade statistics because seafood is heavily traded internationally, exposing non-traded seafood to price competition from imports and exports. Easily updated trade data can thus proxy for domestic seafood prices that are difficult to observe in many regions and costly to update with global coverage. Calculations of the extent of price competition in different countries support the plausibility of reliance on trade data. Overall, the FPI shows less volatility and fewer price spikes than other food price indices including oils, cereals, and dairy. The FPI generally reflects seafood scarcity, but it can also be separated into indices by production technology, fish species, or region. Splitting FPI into capture fisheries and aquaculture suggests increased scarcity of capture fishery resources in recent years, but also growth in aquaculture that is keeping pace with demand. Regionally, seafood price volatility varies, and some prices are negatively correlated. These patterns hint that regional supply shocks are consequential for seafood prices in spite of the high degree of seafood tradability.

21st century fisheries management: A spatiotemporally explicit tariff-based approach combining multiple drivers and incentivising responsible fishing.

by Edward Codling

Who owns the sea?

by Magnus Johnson

Paul Hart, Mary Barry, Colin Wheatley, Robert E. Blyth, Michel J Kaiser, Gareth Edward Jones, Edward H. Allison, Carl P. Suddaby, Ralf Doering, Jakob Gjosaeter, Svanne Bender, Iris Laforet, Dale Rodmwll

The "Who Owns the Sea" event was put together by a loose association of scientists, fishermen, politicians... more The "Who Owns the Sea" event was put together by a loose association of scientists, fishermen, politicians and government officers under the umbrellas of the North Sea Commission and EURONET in order to look at systems that might help to promote dialogue between groups with different goals and competing interests.

The Distribution of Francisella-like Bacteria Associated with Coastal Waters in Norway

by Andreas Sjödin

We report the diversity and distribution of Francisella species in Norwegian coastal and fresh waters following a... more We report the diversity and distribution of Francisella species in Norwegian coastal and fresh waters following a nationwide survey in which water and sediment samples were collected from locations spanning almost the entire Norwegian coastline. In total, samples were obtained from 149 and 64 seawater and freshwater sites, respectively. DNA extracts from these environmental samples were initially screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using Francisella genus-specific 16S rDNA primers. Positive samples were then amplified with genus-specific primers targeting Francisella succinate dehydrogenase A gene and Francisella philomiragia group-specific sequences for the SAICAR synthetase/phosphoribosylamine–glycine ligase gene. Francisella-related bacteria were identified in approximately 30% of seawater sampled sites, mainly in southern Norway, although a single positive sample was identified in the far north of the country. No PCR positives were identified from the freshwater sources. Sequences related to recognised species, both pathogenic and environmental, were identified, with the majority closely associated with F. philomiragia. However, a number of identified sequences probably represent previously undescribed species. Our data provide evidence of a significant background of Francisella spp. in geographical areas associated with outbreaks of fish francisellosis in Norway.

Williams, J. P., J. T. Claisse, D. J. Pondella, L. Medeiros, C. F. Valle and M. A. Shane. 2012. Patterns of Life History and Habitat Use of an Important Recreational Fishery Species, Spotfin Croaker, and Their Potential Fishery Implications. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 4(1):71-84.

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Abstract Spotfin croakers Roncador stearnsii, a prized recreational catch, were collected throughout the Southern... more Abstract Spotfin croakers Roncador stearnsii, a prized recreational catch, were collected throughout the Southern California Bight, primarily as bycatch from a long-term, scientific gill-net collection effort. The maximum otolith-based age in the present study was 24 years?14 years greater than in a previous scale-based aging study. Multiple models were used to estimate mean length at age, including models that utilize larvae as well as juveniles and adults, and the model selection results suggest sexual dimorphism in growth patterns. The juvenile and adult catch per unit effort reflected a clear pattern of habitat selectivity, with fish strongly preferring soft-bottom habitats. Catches in rocky-reef areas were limited but tended to increase with water temperature. The data also suggest that spotfin croakers segregate themselves sexually during the spawning season, when recreational fishing from jetties will target males and fish caught in bays and estuaries are more likely to be spawning females. These results provide further evidence for the importance of protection and restoration efforts for estuaries and bays along this well-developed coastline. The growth of larvae captured in plankton tows in July and September 2004 was substantially faster than that of larvae sampled in May, which coincided with warmer sea surface temperatures, highlighting a potentially important relationship relating temperature (and therefore geography) and settlement success

Sea level height, sea surface temperature and tuna yields in the Panama bight during EL Niño

by Milton Pedraza

Nineteen proposals and notes on fisheries development in India

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 1970-1971.  Nineteen proposals and notes on fisheries development in India. American Peace Corps, New Delhi, India. (mimeographed).

Aspects of reproductive biology of big eye grunt Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1832)

by FATIMAT ADENIKE ADEBIYI

Adebiyi, F. A. (2012). Aspects of reproductive biology of big eye grunt Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1832). Nature and Science 10 (2): 19 - 24

Aspects of reproductive biology of big eye grunt Brachydeuterus auritus off Lagos coast, Nigeria were investigated and... more Aspects of reproductive biology of big eye grunt Brachydeuterus auritus off Lagos coast, Nigeria were investigated and focussed on sex ratio, gonadosomatic index, stages of gonadal development and fecundity. A total of 450 fish with body length of 11.7 – 19.3 cm (total length) and body weight of 12.4 – 110.5g were used for this study. The sex ratio of B. auritus was 1: 1.11 (male to female). The females were more than the males. However, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in sex ratio from the expected 1:1 distribution. Gonadosomatic index ranged from 0.18 – 12.73%. The mean gonadosomatic index was 3.96 ± 0.19%. High gonadosomatic indices were observed in July, August and September which indicated the spawning period and falls within the wet season. Quiescent, maturing and mature ovarian and testicular stages of gonadal development were observed in all samples of B. auritus collected for this study. Fecundity ranged from 12,503 – 74, 045 eggs with a mean of 32, 344 ± 1,889 eggs. This suggested that B. auritus is a low fecund fish. Fecundity–length and fecundity-weight relationships showed positive correlations. The Fecundity-length and fecundity–weight relationships were determined by regression analysis with the regression equation Log F = 1.8985 + 2.2706 Log L (r = 0.5083) for fecundity–length relationship and Log F = 4.0292 + 0.2657 Log W (r = 0.3090) for fecundity-weight relationship. Fecundity was more related to length than to weight. This information is relevant for fisheries recruitment and population dynamics as well as breeding programmes in aquaculture of B. auritus.
[Fatimat Adenike Adebiyi. Aspects of reproductive biology of big eye grunt Brachydeuterus auritus Valenciennes, 1832) . Nature and Science 2012;10(2):19-24]. (ISSN: 1545-0740). http://www.sciencepub.net. 3

Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Claisse, J. T., D. J. Pondella, II, J. P. Williams and J. Sadd. 2012. Using GIS Mapping of the Extent of Nearshore Rocky Reefs to Estimate the Abundance and Reproductive Output of Important Fishery Species. PLoS ONE 7(1):e30290.

Conventional tagging and acoustic telemetry of a small surgeonfish, Zebrasoma flavescens, in a structurally complex coral reef environment

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Claisse, J.T., T.B. Clark, B.D. Schumacher, S.A. McTee, M.E. Bushnell, C.K. Callan, C.W.  Laidley and J.D. Parrish (2011) Conventional tagging and acoustic telemetry of a small surgeonfish, Zebrasoma flavescens, in a structurally complex coral reef environment. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 91:185-201

Habitat- and sex-specific life history patterns of yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens in Hawaii, USA

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Claisse JT, Kienzle M, Bushnell ME, Shafer DJ, Parrish JD (2009) Habitat- and sex-specific life history patterns of yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens in Hawaii, USA. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 389:245-255

Impacts of a Hawaiian marine protected area network on the abundance and fishery sustainability of the yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Williams ID, Walsh WJ, Claisse JT, Tissot BN, Stamoulis KA (2009) Impacts of a Hawaiian marine protected area network on the abundance and fishery sustainability of the yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens. Biol Conserv 142:1066-1073

Effects of age, size, and density on natural survival for an important coral reef fishery species, yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Claisse JT, McTee SA, Parrish JD (2009) Effects of age, size, and density on natural survival for an important coral reef fishery species, yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens. Coral Reefs 28:95-105

Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate, multiple-spawning surgeonfish, the yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens

by Jeremy T. Claisse

BUSHNELL, M. E., CLAISSE, J. T. and LAIDLEY, C. W. 2010. Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate, multiple-spawning surgeonfish, the yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens. Journal of Fish Biology, 76: 1343-1361

Online supplement to: Habitat- and sex-specific life history patterns of yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens in Hawaii, USA

by Jeremy T. Claisse

Supplement 1. Validation of annual periodicity of increment formations; Supplement 2. Model selection; Supplement 3. Length–weight sexual dimorphic relationship

Seasonal and temporal trends in metrics of fish community for otter - trawl discards in a Mediterranean ecosystem

by Konstantinos Tsagarakis

Tsagarakis K., A. Machias, M. Giannoulaki, S. Somarakis, I. Karakassis, 2008. Seasonal and temporal trends in metrics of fish community for otter – trawl discards in a Mediterranean ecosystem, ICES Journal of Marine Science 65: 539-550

Movement of smallmouth bass within the Beaver Island Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan

by Mark Kaemingk

Kaemingk, M.A., T.L. Galarowicz, J. Clevenger, and D.F. Clapp. 2011. Movement of smallmouth bass within the Beaver Island Archipelago, Northern Lake Michigan. Journal of Great Lakes Research 37:625-631.

Fish movement may vary across a wide array of aquatic ecosystems and may be related to the overall size of the system... more Fish movement may vary across a wide array of aquatic ecosystems and may be related to the overall size of the system inhabited. We investigated movement of smallmouth bass in Lake Michigan because this information is lacking for larger systems. A total of 16 smallmouth bass were surgically implanted with ultrasonic transmitters within the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan. During 2007–2008, a maximum of one location per individual was recorded daily during three specific tracking periods – pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn – to determine diurnal movement patterns. Movement was evaluated as site fidelity, minimum displacement rate, maximum excursion rate, and distance from shore. Smallmouth bass exhibited greater maximum excursion rates during the spawn period compared to pre-spawn. Movement rates did not differ between tracking periods; however, movement rates were greater during the spawn period in 2007 than 2008. Both sexes moved further offshore to deeper water during post-spawn, but females were located further offshore than males during this period. Annual site fidelity was more evident during post-spawn than during spawning for both sexes. Two smallmouth bass emigrated outside of the Archipelago, suggesting this population may be more “open” in terms of individuals moving throughout northern Lake Michigan than previously thought. These results indicate smallmouth bass may move greater distances in larger aquatic systems and therefore larger management units (in terms of total area) should be established in Lake Michigan to account for these greater excursion distances.