Search

Motivated by the leadership, scholarship, and activism of Indigenous Peoples, there are growing calls to transform and decolonize Canadian institutions that govern fisheries research in Canada. As a predominantly non-Indigenous group that works at the intersection of fisheries and justice, we encounter questions daily about how to act as allies in these efforts and take up this urgent call in our own work. Our goal with this perspective is to synthesize and share some of what we have learned about encountering and combatting colonialism in the hope that it may offer something to other non-Indigenous and settler fisheries researchers who are grappling with colonization in their own work. This synthesis is based on both Indigenous scholarship and our own experiential learning. We look to actions fisheries researchers may take to advance Indigenous sovereignty in fisheries research. We offer this to our fellow non-Indigenous researchers who likely also struggle with similar questions, and hope that in doing so, we can help move towards decolonial fisheries futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multispecies and ecosystem models, which are key for the implementation of ecosystem‐based approaches to fisheries management, require extensive data on the trophic interactions between marine organisms, including changes over time. DNA metabarcoding, by allowing the simultaneous taxonomic identification of the community present in hundreds of samples, could be used for speeding up large‐scale stomach content data collection. Yet, for DNA metabarcoding to be routinely implemented, technical challenges should be addressed, such as the potentially complicated sampling logistics, the detection of a high proportion of predator DNA, and the inability to provide reliable abundance estimations. Here, we present a DNA metabarcoding assay developed to examine the diet of five commercially important fish, which can be feasibly incorporated into routinary samplings. The method is devised to speed up the analysis process by avoiding the stomach dissection and content extraction steps, while preventing the amplification of predator DNA by using blocking primers. Tested in mock samples and in real stomach samples, the method has proven effective and shows great effectiveness discerning diet variations due to predator ecology or prey availability. Additionally, by applying our protocol to mackerel stomachs previously analyzed by visual inspection, we showcase how DNA metabarcoding could complement visually based data by detecting overlooked prey by the visual approach. We finally discuss how DNA metabarcoding‐based data can contribute to trophic data collection. Our work reinforces the potential of DNA metabarcoding for the study and monitoring of fish trophic interactions and provides a basis for its incorporation into routine monitoring programs, which will be critical for the implementation of ecosystem‐based approaches to fisheries management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the crucial role played by international and regional tuna fisheries in facilitating the successful implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management, there exist disparities in viewpoints among these stakeholders, resulting in gaps between regional fisheries management and local communities. Nevertheless, the Tongan government, under the Ministry of Fisheries, is dedicated to the efficient management of its tuna resources, aiming to establish it as the preferred and optimal approach for ensuring the long-term sustainability of its tuna fisheries and the ecosystem services they provide to the community. Recognizing that an appropriate legal, policy and institutional framework is in place for sustainable management of tuna, the first part of this paper presents a review of current Tonga fisheries laws and policies for its tuna fisheries. This review reflects the implementation of an information-based management framework, namely the Tonga National Tuna Fishery Management and Development Plan. The tuna fisheries in Tonga mainly catch albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bigeye (Thunnus obesus), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) tuna. These tuna species are caught within Tonga's exclusive economic zones and play a crucial role in the country's economy; hence, it is crucial to examine the spatio-temporal distributions of their catch in relation to their environmental conditions. In pursuit of this goal, the tasks of mapping (i) the spatio-temporal distribution of catch landed at ports and (ii) the spatio-temporal of environmental conditions were performed. The study utilizes longline catch per unit effort data spanning from 2002 to 2018 for albacore, bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna. It also incorporates data on environmental conditions, including sea surface temperature, sea surface chlorophyll, sea surface current, and sea surface salinity. Additionally, the El Nino Southern Oscillation Index is mapped in relation to catch data to examine the potential effects of climate change on the tuna catch. Results show that bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin CPUE show a central–northernmost distribution and are primarily caught between latitudes 14° S–22° S, while albacore, shows a central–southern distribution. The highest CPUE for all species are in latitudes 15.5° S–22.5° S and longitudes 172.5° W–176.5° W. The data indicate that sea surface current velocities range from −0.03 to 0.04 ms−1, sea surface salinity ranges from 34.8 to 35.6 PSU, sea surface chlorophyll concentration varies from 0.03 to 0.1 mg m−3, and sea surface temperature fluctuates seasonally, ranging from 18 °C to 30 °C. Mapping also reveals that times of reduced catches in Tonga coincide with periods of moderate to strong El Nino events from 2002 to 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh Journal of Fisheries Research is a yearly journal, published by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute. It is only a professional journal. Research papers, review articles and short communications are be accepted on the basis of their quality and international context. Overall 2041 citations have been studied by 102 contributors. Among them, most of the citations 1156 (56.64%) are on journal articles. The present study also attempts to analyze to year-wise distribution of papers, the authorship pattern, and the geographical locations. The authorstry to attempt the Bibliometric analysis of the Bangladesh Journal of Fisheries Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the findings of the citation analysis of the Bangladesh Journal of Fisheries Research (BJFR). The chief objectives of the study from the year 2008 to 2020 are to reveal the authorship pattern, citation pattern, form of citation, ratio of journal self-citation of papers in the BJFR. A total 102 paperswere published in the period. 2041 citations featuring 102 contributors contributed to these issues. Among the citations, the forms of contribution of journal 1156 (56.64%), books 256 (12.54%), proceeding 212 (10.44%), reports 235 (11.51%), theses 076 (3.72%) and others 105 (5.14%). The ratio of journal self- citation to the total citations is 1: 58 while the ratio of authors’ self-citation to total citations is 1:56. From this study, it is also clear that the majority of the documents, that is, 1356 (66.44%) cited in the issues were published 20 years back or so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review of French research on fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic first summarizes the history of the access rights of the French fleets to the fishing grounds of this area, then the evolution of the fisheries management systems. The focus then shifts toward French fishery research from the beginning of the 20th century. Four major periods are described to characterize the objectives of this research, its implementation, and its results. The first French scientific studies of fisheries in the Davis Strait, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia banks by fishery support vessels date back to the 19th century. These studies intensified from the middle of the 20th century with the deployment of dedicated research vessels, especially from 1970 with the establishment of a research laboratory and an oceanographic vessel in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (SPM). These assets, a close collaboration with laboratories in Canada and the United States, and participation in the work of the regional fisheries commission (ICNAF/NAFO) enabled the teams in SPM to develop and perform innovative research. However, the delimitation in 1992 of the EEZ in Canada and around SPM and the depletion of the main fish stocks dealt a severe blow to the French fisheries in this region, causing France to review its research strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the crucial role played by international and regional tuna fisheries in facilitating the successful implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management, there exist disparities in viewpoints among these stakeholders, resulting in gaps between regional fisheries management and local communities. Nevertheless, the Tongan government, under the Ministry of Fisheries, is dedicated to the efficient management of its tuna resources, aiming to establish it as the preferred and optimal approach for ensuring the long-term sustainability of its tuna fisheries and the ecosystem services they provide to the community. Recognizing that an appropriate legal, policy and institutional framework is in place for sustainable management of tuna, the first part of this paper presents a review of current Tonga fisheries laws and policies for its tuna fisheries. This review reflects the implementation of an information-based management framework, namely the Tonga National Tuna Fishery Management and Development Plan. The tuna fisheries in Tonga mainly catch albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bigeye (Thunnus obesus), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) tuna. These tuna species are caught within Tonga’s exclusive economic zones and play a crucial role in the country’s economy; hence, it is crucial to examine the spatio-temporal distributions of their catch in relation to their environmental conditions. In pursuit of this goal, the tasks of mapping (i) the spatio-temporal distribution of catch landed at ports and (ii) the spatio-temporal of environmental conditions were performed. The study utilizes longline catch per unit effort data spanning from 2002 to 2018 for albacore, bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna. It also incorporates data on environmental conditions, including sea surface temperature, sea surface chlorophyll, sea surface current, and sea surface salinity. Additionally, the El Nino Southern Oscillation Index is mapped in relation to catch data to examine the potential effects of climate change on the tuna catch. Results show that bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin CPUE show a central–northernmost distribution and are primarily caught between latitudes 14° S–22° S, while albacore, shows a central–southern distribution. The highest CPUE for all species are in latitudes 15.5° S–22.5° S and longitudes 172.5° W–176.5° W. The data indicate that sea surface current velocities range from −0.03 to 0.04 ms−1, sea surface salinity ranges from 34.8 to 35.6 PSU, sea surface chlorophyll concentration varies from 0.03 to 0.1 mg m−3, and sea surface temperature fluctuates seasonally, ranging from 18 °C to 30 °C. Mapping also reveals that times of reduced catches in Tonga coincide with periods of moderate to strong El Nino events from 2002 to 2018.

For Australian fisheries to remain productive and sustainable (environmentally and commercially), there is a need to incorporate climate change considerations into management and planning, and to implement planned climate adaptation options. Here, we determine the extent to which Australian state fisheries management documents consider issues relating to climate change, as well as how frequently climate change is considered a research funding priority within fisheries research in Australia. We conduct a content analysis of fisheries management documents investigating categories and themes relating to Australian state fisheries, climate, and environmental change. We also reviewed recent Research Priorities from the major fisheries research funding body for reference to climate change related themes, and the number of subsequently funded projects which considered climate change or related topics. Results show that commercial state fisheries management documents consider climate only to a limited degree in comparison to other topics, with less than one-quarter of all fisheries management documents having content relating to climate. However, we find that the south-east and south-west regions of the Australian coastline have the highest incorporation of “climate” and “environmental protection considerations” in their fisheries management documents, and that fisheries are more likely to have more “climate-related mentions” within their related management documents, if they (i) primarily target species with higher economic commercial catch values, (ii) commercial catch weights, or (iii) a greater number of commercial fish stocks existing. Only a small number of recently funded fisheries research projects considered climate change, representing only a small proportion of fisheries research investment. Given the extensive climate-driven impacts recently documented among key Australian fisheries species and associated ecosystems, we conclude that there is a clear need for fisheries management in Australia to consider longer-term climate adaptation strategies for Australian commercial state fisheries to remain sustainable into the future. We suggest that without additional climate-related fisheries research and funding, many Australian agencies and fisheries may not be prepared for the impacts and subsequent adaptation efforts required for sustainable fisheries under climate change.

Growing up in the 1930s and being educated in England was much easier than it is now. The high school curriculum was necessarily pretty limited, and my energy went into physics, biology, and chemistry. At the University of Reading, I was pointed towards fisheries research. My first job interview resulted in me being hired as a "naturalist" at the Lowestoft Laboratory. My first trip on the North Sea, in winter, went well, and my boss Michael Graham showed me how to handle live fish gently. Back from that first voyage in spring 1946, I was introduced to my new colleague and close collaborator, Ray Beverton. Three lumps of coal is what Ray and I were allowed per day to keep us warm in the little annex of a terrace house on Lowestoft's seafront. Much of the technical work on our 1957 book was completed by about 1950 when I left to take a job with the Nature Conservancy. In December 1953, I began a 25-year career with Food and Agriculture Organization's Fisheries Division, which eventually led to my involvement with whales and the International Whaling Commission's Committee of Three. My final years returned me to management issues regarding fisheries, especially demersal fishing in European Union waters, focusing on the matter of choosing target fishing mortality for sustainable fishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of social media data is becoming increasingly widespread in ecological research and this trend is expected to continue as social media use increases globally. Fishers share details of their activity online and scientists have mined this content to help understand fisher activity, yet little information exists on the ethics of exploiting social media for fisheries research. In this paper, the ethics of using social media published data in fisheries research is discussed in the context of affected stakeholders and potential causes of maleficience. The legal position with respect to copyright and fair use is summarized in relation to the use of fisher data published on the internet for research. It is argued that research per se does not sensu stricto involve human subjects where no new content is solicited from participants. Text and data mining of social media for research purposes generally receives special dispensation in law to allow scientific endeavor to be conducted without fear of prosecution. Nevertheless, researchers have a professional duty to weigh research benefits against the risk of causing harm to involved agents, including website owners. Ultimately researchers should continually reassess the ethics of their social media research as guidance from ethical review boards currently may be limited and all internet content scraping activity should be conducted responsibly such that personal data is not compromised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De forma recurrente, hasta hace no mucho tiempo, lo rural se ha conceptualizado como la dimensión espacial relativa a poblaciones pequeñas y homogéneas, dominadas por una cultura tradicional y un sentir comunitario. Partiendo de esta descripción, la sociología rural debería haberse ocupado de toda la población que habita este espacio y sin embargo, sólo se ha centrado en la agraria. Lo agrario ha absorbido a lo rural y la sociología rural ha olvidando a colectivos como el pesquero. Pero, ¿por qué la sociología rural no se ha ocupado de lo pesquero? La respuesta inicial fue valorar esta ausencia como una limitación de la sociología rural ya que algunas personas han compatibilizado la pesca y la agricultura y la mayoría de la población pesquera habita en espacios rurales, desarrolla un tipo de pesca artesanal y es partícipe de un modo de vida tradicional. Sin embargo, a medida que se profundiza en esta reflexión surge la idea de que el análisis de la pesca sería más pertinente desde una sociología propia e incluso de una sociología general que acabe con la excesiva especialización en esta disciplina. “Rural” has regularly been conceptualized in spatial terms relative to small towns and homogeneous populations, determined by their traditional culture and communitarian values. Following this definition, Rural Sociology should have concerned itself with all the populations living in these areas but, in fact, it only had been focused in agrarian populations. Why Rural Sociology didn’t pay any attention to fishermen and fisheries? The initial response may be to interpret as disciplinary limitation of Rural Sociology, but at the end this article concludes that sociological perspectives would be better oriented by a general sociological approach, which rejects excesive disciplinary specialization.

Highlights: [•] Amylase activity assay was developed based on dinitrosalicylic acid method. [•] Colour parameters from digital images were analysed by Adobe Photoshop software. [•] Only green colour showed highly significant correlation with maltose concentration. [•] Maltose concentrations were accurately quantified by using digital image analysis. [•] No difference in amylase activity between the proposed and standard method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It has been acknowledged that natural sciences alone cannot provide an adequate basis for the management of complex environmental problems. The scientific knowledge base has to be expanded in a more holistic direction by incorporating social and economic issues. As well, the multifaceted knowledge has to be summarized in a form that can support science-based decision making. This is, however, difficult. Interdisciplinary skills, practices, and methodologies are needed that enable the integration of knowledge from conceptually different disciplines. Through a focus on our research process, we analyzed how and what kind of interdisciplinarity between natural scientists, environmental economists, and social scientists grew from the need to better understand the complexity and uncertainty inherent to the Baltic salmon fisheries, and how divergent knowledge was integrated in a form that can support science-based decision making. The empirical findings suggest that interdisciplinarity is an extensive learning process that takes place on three levels: between individuals, between disciplines, and between types of knowledge. Such a learning process is facilitated by agreeing to a methodological epochè and by formulating a global question at the outset of a process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the challenges of a packaged MEMS-based multi sensor system that allow for direct exposure of the sensing part to sea water. The system is part of a data storage tag used on fish to provide the researcher with information on fish behaviour and migration. The sensor measures light intensity, temperature, pressure and conductivity. For precise and fast measurements a direct exposure of the sensor to the water is desirable. A potted tube encapsulation concept has shown to be promising for accurate and fast measurements in harsh environment, provided a tight sealing of the electronics can be made. In this paper we investigate the interfacial delamination of an epoxy encapsulated chip. Differently prepared silicon chips are investigated and it is found that silicon dioxide surfaces functionalised with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane will improve this encapsulation approach compared to low pressure chemical vapor deposited (LPCVD) silicon nitride and untreated silicon dioxide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A central objective for the UK Department for International Development (DFID)-funded research on renewable natural resource systems has been that the research commissioned results in significant positive developmental impacts. This paper examines how the DFID-funded Fisheries Management Science Programme has approached the assessment of the impact achieved through the projects it has commissioned. Fisheries pose a particular challenge for the attribution of impact and a variety of approaches to impact assessment are required, as the systems are characteristically complex, dynamic and heterogeneous. Typically fishery systems operate across multiple scales, involving a wide range of stakeholders with different, and sometimes conflicting, objectives. The paper describes the model and methods that were employed and highlights some of the developmental impact of fisheries management research achieved by projects commissioned during the 11 years of the programme. The lessons learned regarding uptake, adoption and impact assessment should be of interest both to researchers and those funding developmental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this synthesis article, we claim that institutional innovation is required for ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management (EBAFM), and that such innovation can best be achieved by engaging in a delicate process of societal decision making. Current instances of participation in fisheries shed light on the societal processes required for such institutional innovation. We apply the IBEFish analytical frame to examine findings from recent European research on participation in fisheries management at different jurisdictional levels. We distil several issues of major concern for institutional innovation towards EBAFM. These concern information management, legitimacy, social dynamics and costs, as well as aspects of cross-scale and cross-sector integration of fisheries governance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cooperative research among fisheries scientists, industry and managers in the Northwest Atlantic has expanded since 2000, in part due to increasingly disputed science, adversarial politics, and socioeconomic hardship. Surveys of individuals actively engaged in commercial fishing in New England (n=295), and fishermen (n=60) and scientists (n=37) participating in Northeast Consortium-funded cooperative research examined improvements in stakeholder engagement, the distinction between levels of cooperation, and the extent that cooperative research reflects democratic science. We found that through cooperative research, fishermen and scientists are more informed about science and fishing, respectively. These fishermen are more likely to believe the science to be credible. Fishermen and scientists report greater mutual understanding, trust, and likelihood of long-lasting partnerships. Fishermen in particular, but scientists as well, became more active in management after participating in cooperative research. Multiple participation choices are important to ensure broader participation. Last, fishermen and scientists remain skeptical about cooperative research's impact on management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the interplay between the precautionary provisions in the global fisheries regime and problem-solving under (1) the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and (2) the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The causal processes are partly ideational (learning-driven) and partly normative (commitments-driven). The effect is synergistic: the UN Fish Stocks Agreement strengthened the hand of those within ICES and EU fisheries bodies who favoured greater safety margins, long-term planning and pre-agreement on recovery plans for endangered stocks—without disrupting cooperative relations. There is some awareness among participants in source and target regimes of the fact of interaction and also preparedness to respond to it. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It has been acknowledged that natural sciences alone cannot provide an adequate basis for the management of complex environmental problems. The scientific knowledge base has to be expanded in a more holistic direction by incorporating social and economic issues. As well, the multifaceted knowledge has to be summarized in a form that can support science-based decision making. This is, however, difficult. Interdisciplinary skills, practices, and methodologies are needed that enable the integration of knowledge from conceptually different disciplines. Through a focus on our research process, we analyzed how and what kind of interdisciplinarity between natural scientists, environmental economists, and social scientists grew from the need to better understand the complexity and uncertainty inherent to the Baltic salmon fisheries, and how divergent knowledge was integrated in a form that can support science-based decision making. The empirical findings suggest that interdisciplinarity is an extensive learning process that takes place on three levels: between individuals, between disciplines, and between types of knowledge. Such a learning process is facilitated by agreeing to a methodological epochè and by formulating a global question at the outset of a process.

DIDSON acoustic cameras provide a way to collect temporally dense, high-resolution imaging data, similar to videos. Detection of fish targets on those videos takes place in a manual or semi-automated manner, typically assisted by specialised software. Exploiting the visual nature of the recordings, tools and techniques from the field of computer vision can be applied in order to facilitate the relatively involved workflows. Furthermore, machine learning techniques can be used to minimise user intervention and optimise for specific detection and tracking scenarios. This study explored the feasibility of combining optical flow with a genetic algorithm, with the aim of automating motion detection and optimising target-to-background segmentation (masking) under custom criteria, expressed in terms of the result. A 1000-frame video sequence sample with sparse, smoothly moving targets, reconstructed from a 125 s DIDSON recording, was analysed under two distinct scenarios, and an elementary detection method was used to assess and compare the resulting foreground (target) masks. The results indicate a high sensitivity to motion, as well as to the visual characteristics of targets, with the resulting foreground masks generally capturing fish targets on the majority of frames, potentially with small gaps of undetected targets, lasting for no more than a few frames. Despite the high computational overhead, implementation refinements could increase computational feasibility, while an extension of the algorithms, in order to include the steps of target detection and tracking, could further improve automation and potentially provide an efficient tool for the automated preliminary assessment of voluminous DIDSON data recordings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Tanganyika hosts one of the largest inland fisheries in Africa and is a significant source of food and livelihood to millions dwelling inside and outside of its basin. The lake and its environs supporta wide array of subsistence and commercial activity as well as a remarkable assemblage of tropical flora and fauna, including highly diverse populations of endemic fish. This paper describes efforts undertaken through the FAO/FINNIDA Lake Tanganyika Research Project (LTR) toinvestigate the lake's production and potential and to advise on modalities for the optimal management of its resources, in order to serve present and future human welfare and conservation needs. Specifically, the paper essays to: (a) provide background on the scope and content of LTR Project work; (b) situate project research and methodologies in terms of contemporary developments in fisheries management theory and application; (c) identify and characterise, with reference to research outcomes generated through the project's Scientific SamplingProgramme, socio-economic investigations and legal-institutional studies, major development and management challenges that confront fisheries resource users, administrators, planners, and policy makers; andfinally, (d) consider various policy options appropriate to conditions of ecosystem uncertainty, plural stakeholder interests and complexinteractions between fishing and non-fishing sectors of the wider economy. It is argued that the Lake Tanganyika situation defies diagnosis and prescription according to conventional 'stock assessment driven' management thinking. The lake instead presents a compelling case for the application of multi-disciplinary management approaches, involving strong levels of community participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]