Liuxiong Xu

Impacts of spatial scales of fisheries and environmental data on catch per unit effort standardisation

Spatial scale is an important factor that needs to be considered in data collection and analysis in ecological studies. Studies focusing on the quantitative evaluation of impacts of spatial scales are, however, limited in fisheries. Using the Chinese squid-jigging fishery in the north-western Pacific Ocean as an example, we evaluated impacts of spatial scale used in grouping fisheries and environmental data on the standardisation of fisheries catch per unit effort (CPUE). We developed 18 scenarios of different spatial scales with a combination of three latitudinal levels (0.5°, 1° and 2°) and six longitudinal levels (0.5°, 1°, 2°, 3°, 4° and 5°) to aggregate the data. We then applied generalised additive models to analyse the 18 scenarios of data for the CPUE standardisation, and quantified differences among the scenarios. This study shows that longitudinal and latitudinal spatial scale and size of the spatial area for data aggregation can greatly influence the standardisation of CPUE. We recommend that similar studies be undertaken whenever possible to evaluate the roles of spatial scales and to identify the optimal spatial scale for data aggregations in the standardisation of CPUE and fisheries stock assessment.

The large-scale deployment of fish aggregation devices alters environmentally-based migratory behavior of skipjack tuna in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Fish aggregation devices (FADs) have been used extensively in the tuna purse seine fishery since the 1980s. This long-term modification of natural habitat has generated discussions as to whether FADs impact movement patterns of tuna species. We examined this question using data collected from the skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) fishery. We used the longitudinal gravitational center of catch (G) to examine temporal variability in skipjack movement in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, and related this to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. We found that in most cases G for free-swimming school sets changed with the onset of ENSO events, while G for floating-object-associated school sets remained relatively constant. This suggests that skipjack exhibit distinguishable behavioral strategies in response to ENSO events: they either react by moving long distances or they associate with floating objects. There has been no previous attempt to evaluate the interaction between FADs and the environmentally-determined movement of skipjack; this study shows evidence of an interaction, which should be considered when managing skipjack populations.

Growth and mortality rates of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Perciformes: Scombridae), in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean

Age and growth parameters were estimated for the yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788). Atotal of 443 individuals were sampled from China longline fisheries in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean from February to November 2006. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated at L∞ = 175.9 cm fork length, k = 0.52 year-1, and t0 = 0.19 year. The total mortality rate (Z) was estimated to be from 1.19 to 1.93 year-1, the fishing mortality (F) and the natural mortality (M) were calculated to be 0.91 year-1 and 0.65 year-1, respectively. The rate of exploitation (U) was estimated to be 0.46. This study provides estimates of growth and mortality rate for yellowfin tuna in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, which may be used as biological input parameters in future stock assessments for the oceanic region. However, age analysis with other techniques, additional validation of the size composition and stock structure are also needed.

Length-frequency compositions and weight-length relations for bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and albacore (Perciformes: Scombrinae) in the Atlantic, Indian, and eastern Pacific oceans

The weight–length relation (WLR) is an important tool in fish biology, physiology, ecology, and fisheries assessment and has been originally used to provide information on the condition of fish and determine whether somatic growth is isometric or allometric (Ricker 1975, Oscoz et al. 2005). WLRs are useful in determining weight and biomass when only length measurements are available, as indications of condition and to allow for comparisons of species growth between different regions (Koutrakis and Tsikliras 2003). Bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839); yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788); and albacore, Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788), are the important commercial species in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans (Driggers et al. 1999, Sun et al. 2001, Miao and Huang 2003, Farley et al. 2006). It constitutes an extremely valuable fishery resource intensively exploited by Asian longliners, and US and European purse seiners, at various stages of its life cycle (Stequert and Conand 2000). However, the stocks of the above tuna species, especially bigeye tuna, are almost on the verge of over-exploitation and may soon be regarded as overfished (Joseph 2003). It is crucial to the future existence of this economically important species that the best possible biological data on the species is provided to fisheries managers (Manooch and Hinkley 1991). This study contributes to the knowledge of the WLRs of bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna and albacore of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. ACTA ICHTHYOLOGICA ET PISCATORIA (2008) 38 (2): 157–161 DOI: 10.3750/AIP2008.38.2.12

Erratum to: Genetic Population Structure of Thunnus albacares in the Central Pacific Ocean Based on mtDNA COI Gene Sequences

Thunnus albacares is an important fishery species throughout the world. Polymorphisms of sequence variations in mtDNA COI genes were assessed to explore the genetic differentiations among 11 populations of T. albacares sampled from the central Pacific Ocean. Sixty-one mtDNA haplotypes and 38 variable sites were detected. Analysis of mtDNA COI sequences revealed that tuna from the 11 localities were characterized by moderately high haplotype diversity (h = 0.650 ± 0.040), while sequence divergence between haplotypes was relatively low (π = 0.00364 ± 0.00044). Analyses of molecular variance and FST analysis supported that significant genetic differentiations existed between some of the sampled populations. Tests of neutral evolution and mismatch distribution analysis suggested that T. albacares might have experienced a population expansion, which possibly occurred within the last 0.82 million years. Our study unraveled the genetic structure of the extant population of T. albacares and addressed the related fishery management issues including fishery stock identification and management.

Impacts of fish aggregation devices on size structures of skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis

Tuna purse seine fisheries target fish aggregated in schools, including free schools that are formed naturally based on fish biology and aggregations associated with natural and/or artificial drifting objects. Using data collected from skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) fisheries, we evaluated differences in size structures between drifting-floating-object-associated schools and unassociated schools. We developed a generalized linear model to remove impacts of environmental variables on skipjack size composition. This study indicates that the drifting-floating-object-associated schools tended to have significantly wider size ranges than the unassociated schools. This suggests that unassociated schools were likely formed based on similarity in sizes among individuals within a school while drifting-floating-object-associated schools were probably composed of individuals of large size ranges and their formation was not based on the “size selection” rule. We concluded that the unassociated schools and the drifting-floating-object-associated schools were formed through different mechanisms, and drifting floating objects could aggregate unassociated schools of different size structures. Thus, a large scale of deployment of man-made floating objects might disrupt the spatial aggregation pattern of fish that otherwise tended to school based on their sizes in the absence of floating objects.

Application of whole-implicit algorithm and virtual neural lattice in pelagic longline modeling

This study developed a whole-implicit algorithm and virtual neural lattice to model and simulate the dynamics of pelagic longline gear. The programming, model calculation and behavior simulation of longline dynamics were implemented in R language. Equilibrium state and stable solution of the models were reached. The hooks were more stable in the deepest water layer than that in the midwater layer. It indicated that the whole-implicit method and virtual neural lattice were high efficient and accurate in solving the complicated engineering equations of longline gear, also in the presentation of the motion of longline in sea water.

Application of a Bayesian method to data-poor stock assessment by using Indian Ocean albacore （Thunnus alalunga） stock assessment as an example

It is widely recognized that assessments of the status of data-poor fish stocks are challenging and that Bayesian analysis is one of the methods which can be used to improve the reliability of stock assessments in data-poor situations through borrowing strength from prior information deduced from species with good-quality data or other known information. Because there is considerable uncertainty remaining in the stock assessment of albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the Indian Ocean due to the limited and low-quality data, we investigate the advantages of a Bayesian method in data-poor stock assessment by using Indian Ocean albacore stock assessment as an example. Eight Bayesian biomass dynamics models with different prior assumptions and catch data series were developed to assess the stock. The results show (1) the rationality of choice of catch data series and assumption of parameters could be enhanced by analyzing the posterior distribution of the parameters; (2) the reliability of the stock assessment could be improved by using demographic methods to construct a prior for the intrinsic rate of increase (r). Because we can make use of more information to improve the rationality of parameter estimation and the reliability of the stock assessment compared with traditional statistical methods by incorporating any available knowledge into the informative priors and analyzing the posterior distribution based on Bayesian framework in data-poor situations, we suggest that the Bayesian method should be an alternative method to be applied in data-poor species stock assessment, such as Indian Ocean albacore.

Application of numerical simulation for analysis of sinking characteristics of purse seine

This study applies the mass-spring system to model the dynamic behavior of a submerged net panel similar to the shooting process in actual purse seine fishing operation. Modeling indicates that there is insufficient stretching with the net panel under the floatline in the prophase of the shooting process. Sinkers at different locations along the leadline descend successively after submergence, and the sinking speed decreases gradually with elapsed time until attainment of a stable state. Designs with different current speeds and sinker weights are executed to determine the dimensional shape and sinking characteristics of the net. The net rigged with greater sinker weight gains significantly greater sinking depth without water flow. Compared with the vertical spread of the net wall in static water, the middle part of the netting presents a larger displacement along the direction of current under flow condition. It follows that considerable deformation of the netting occurs with higher current speed as the sinkers affected by hydrodynamic force drift in the direction of current. The numerical model is verified by a comparison between simulated results and sea measurements. The calculated values generally coincide with the observed ones, with the former being slightly higher than the latter. This study provides an implicit algorithm which saves computational loads for enormous systems such as purse seines, and ensures the accuracy and stability of numerical solutions in a repetitious iteration process.

Hydrodynamic characteristics of knotted and knotless purse seine netting panels as determined in a flume tank

Nylon (PA) netting is widely used in purse seines and other fishing gears due to its high strength and good sinking performance. However, hydrodynamic properties of nylon netting of different characteristics are poorly understood. This study investigated hydrodynamic characteristics of nylon netting of different knot types and solidity ratios under different attack angles and flow velocities. It was found that the hydrodynamic coefficient of netting panels was related to Reynolds number, solidity ratio, attack angle, knot type and twine construction. The solidity ratio was found to positively correlate with drag coefficient when the netting was normal to the flow (CD90), but not the case when the netting was parallel to the flow (CD0). For netting panels inclined to the flow, the inclined drag coefficient had a negative relationship with the solidity ratio for attack angles between 0° and 50°, but a positive relationship for attack angles between 50° and 90°. The lift coefficient increased with the attack angle, reaching the culminating point at an attack angle of 50°, before subsequent decline. We found that the drag generated by knot accounted for 15–25% of total drag, and the knotted netting with higher solidity ratio exhibited a greater CD0, but it was not the case for the knotless netting. Compared to knotless polyethylene (PE) netting, the drag coefficients of knotless PA netting were dominant at higher Reynolds number (Re>2200).