A decade of exploitation and management of the Namibian hake stocks

The hake resource is the most important commercial fish species in the demersal sector of Namibia's fisheries, both in terms of annual catch and contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The fishery now spans four decades. In the 1960s and 1970s, hake were exploited heavily by mainly foreign fleets, total catches peaking at more than 800 000 tons in 1972. The first control measures, the use of a minimum mesh size of 110 mm and the allocation of quotas to each member country participating in the hake fishery, were implemented by the International Commission for the Southeast Atlantic Fisheries in 1975. In 1990, the Namibian Government took action to control fishing activities in Namibian waters, and the enactment of its Fisheries Policy (1991) and Sea Fisheries Act of 1992 provided for the control measures to be taken. The conservative management strategy adopted between 1990 and 1993 resulted in gradual increase in hake biomass, but thereafter the stock declined. The hake fishery is currently managed on the basis of a total allowable catch that takes into consideration the rate of increase or decrease in the size of the resource. Since 1990, the demersal trawl fishery has accounted for approximately 90% of the total hake catch. The resource is subjected to both directed fishing and bycatch, the latter taken in directed fisheries for species such as horse mackerel, monkfish and sole.     

Biochemical genetic variation in the Cape anchovy Engraulis capensis Gilchrist

The extent of biochemical genetic variation in the Cape anchovy Engraulis capensis was estimated from starch-gel protein electrophoresis. The gene products of 31 protein-coding loci were identified and Mendelian polymorphisms were observed at 21 (68 per cent). Ten of these loci (32 per cent) had common-allele frequencies less than 0,95 and hence were useful for testing hypotheses of geographic stock structure. The average population heterozygosity, a measure of genetic variation, ranged from 0,110 to 0,128 and averaged 0,115 over samples from 31 locations. Cape anchovies and other clupeiform fishes appear, on average, to have higher levels of genetic variation than many other marine fishes. This may result from the large population sizes and weak population subdivision that characterize them.     

A knowledge base for management of the capital-intensive fishery for small pelagic fish off South Africa

As a contribution to South Africa's move towards an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, this study explores the existence of common perceptions about South Africa's pelagic fishery between resource users and scientists. It represents a collaborative research effort of social and natural scientists. A brief overview is given of the southern Benguela upwelling ecosystem and small pelagic fish resources, the fishery, and management of the fishery. Stakeholder knowledge and views were determined by conducting open-ended qualitative local knowledge interviews. Candidate indicators to address five major issues raised in the interviews were selected: length-at-50% maturity, total mortality, exploitation rate, proportion of bycatch, mean length of catch, and centre of gravity of catches. The indicator approach is shown to be a useful tool to manage the South African small pelagic fishery, and can be made compatible with existing management approaches. The foundation of a good adaptive fisheries management system is a data collection system that enables multi-disciplinary analysis and provides a basis on which decisions can be made.     

Validation of the periodicity of opaque zone formation in the otoliths of four temperate reef fish from South Africa

An oxytetracycline (OTC) marker was used to validate the periodicity of opaque zone deposition in the otoliths of Chrysoblephus laticeps, Cheimerius nufar, Cymatoceps nasutus (Sparidae) and Dichistius capensis (Dichistiidae) in the wild. Fish were injected with OTC and tagged with external dart tags within a research fishing area of the Tsitsikamma National Park marine reserve on the southern Cape coast of South Africa. Recaptured fish, injected with OTC, were at liberty for between 711 and 2 102 days. Examination of their otoliths revealed that all deposited one opaque zone each year. The study confirmed the age estimates from previous studies that made use of marginal zone analysis as a validation method.     

Sharks caught in the protective gill nets off Natal,South Africa. 4. The bull shark Carcharhinus leucas Valenciennes

A total of 772 bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas was caught in Natal's protective "shark nets" between 1978 and 1990. Confusion in distinguishing C. leucas from C. amboinensis resulted in their catch data being combined from 1966, when data collection began, to 1977. The catch rate of the species pair declined until 1977, recovered until the mid 1980s, but subsequently declined again. The trend in catch rate of C. leucas alone for the period 1978–1990 was similar, with minima of 0,70 sharks·km-net^?1·year^?1 in 1978 and 0,95 in 1990, and a maximum of 2,08 in 1986. Recaptures of six tagged sharks suggest that the species is not highly migratory. Catches, particularly of immature sharks, were highest at the northernmost beaches. Most bull sharks were caught in summer and in turbid water (mean water clarity 2,0 m). The sex ratio of the catch was 1 male to 1,3 females. Sizes ranged from 74 to 213 cm precaudal length, with modes of 141–145 cm (males) and 171–175 cm (females). Size at maturity for both sexes was between 180 and 190 cm. The mating season was prolonged but with a summer peak. Seven gravid females were examined; the mean litter size was 8,7 embryos and size at birth was approximately 55 cm. Fluke infections were observed on 9 per cent of animals examined. As size increased there was a shift in diet, in terms of frequency of occurrence, from teleost to elasmobranch predominance. There was a high incidence of benthic and demersal species in the stomachs. Minor prey groups included mammals, birds, turtles, molluscs and crustaceans. Scavenging appeared to be important.     

高度计波高数据同化对印度洋海域海浪模式预报影响研究

为提高海浪模式预报的精度,改善初始场是途径之一。研制了基于最优插值(OI)方法的海浪数据同化并行程序模块,并将其植入第三代海浪模式WAVEWATCH IIITM,建立了印度洋海域海浪同化预报方法,使用卫星高度计波高数据进行了同化预报试验。OI模块的并行设计使得植入同化模块的海浪模式仍能以并行方式运行。文中5°S以北印度洋海域为目标区域,嵌套在WAVE-WATCH IIITM的全球网格中,使得目标区域开边界条件得到较好解决。同化数据使用Jason-2高度计测量有效波高(SWH)沿轨数据。海浪同化预报模式由大气模式WRF(Weather Research andForecasting)输出的1小时一次的海面10 m风场驱动。将同化的模式结果(SWH)、无同化的模式结果(SWH)分别与高度计沿轨数据(SWH)进行比较,表明同化改善模式预报初始场的效果是明显的。以同化初始场出发进行海浪预报试验,结果表明,高度计波高数据同化在一定程度上可改进海浪短期预报的精度。     

JASON-2卫星高度计波高数据同化对中国渤黄海海浪数值预报影响研究

利用原国家海洋局北海分局浮标所测有效波高数据对Jason-2卫星高度计所测有效波高数据进行验证,采用50km空间窗和0.5h时间窗,得到219个时空配准点。对配准结果进行统计分析表明,Jason-2卫星高度计测得有效波高与浮标测量结果存在-0.277m的偏差,均方根误差为0.372m。利用最小二乘回归(OLR)对Jason-2有效波高数据进行校正可使其均方根误差下降至0.247m,减少34.5%。基于第三代海浪模式WAVEWATCH III对Jason-2有效波高数据进行最优插值同化试验,其中背景误差相关函数取为指数形式,相关距离尺度选为500km。与浮标观测数据比较表明,同化后模式有效波高均方根误差比未同化时减少11.56%,,能够有效地改善模式精度。以此为初始场进行为期3d的数值预报实验。与未同化实验相比,卫星高度计有效波高数据同化对模式0～72 h预报有不同程度的改善,改善程度随预报时间的增加而降低。     

Seasonal variability of mesoscale eddies in the Banda Sea inferred from altimeter data

Using the mesoscale eddy trajectory atlas product derived from satellite altimeter data from 1993 to 2016, this study analyzes statistical characteristics and seasonal variability of mesoscale eddies in the Banda Sea of the Indonesian seas. The results show that there were 147 mesoscale eddies that occurred in the Banda Sea, of which 137 eddies were locally generated and 10 originated from outside. The total numbers of cyclonic eddies(CEs,clockwise) and anticyclonic eddies(AEs, anticlockwise) ar...     

全球海洋高频波动主振荡周期的纬向带状分布特征

基于1992年10月至2000年12月的TOPEX/Poseidon和ERS-1/2卫星高度计资料,分析了周期短于150d的高频波动及其能量的空间分布特征.在功率谱密度计算基础上,分析特定频段所含能量占周期短于150d的高濒波动总能量的百分比,发现该频段最强振荡(下文称主振荡)所对应的周期从近赤道的1个月逐步增加至南北纬30°附近的4个月,进一步分析表明主振荡周期的这种变化是连续的,与西向行星Rossby波的相速随纬度增加而变慢相对应.主振荡所对应的周期在全球海洋中呈显著的带状分布.进而表明在14°N(S)附近60d周期的振荡除通常所认为的由于潮汐混淆所造成的虚假信号之外,主要是行星Rossby波形态的真实信号.     

用TOPEX/POSEIDON高度计数据分析热带大西洋海面高度距平的低频变化

利用1992年10月~2002年7月的TOPEX/POSEIDON(T/P)卫星高度计月平均格点数据分析了热带大西洋(15°S~25°N,5°~50°W)海面高度距平的低频变化。由热带大西洋大约10 a海面高度距平变化的标准差分析得到:在赤道附近海区(2°~5°N,25°~45°W)、非洲沿岸海区(11°~16°N,16°~18°W)海面高度波动剧烈。对海面高度距平进行经验正交函数(EOF)分析,得到EOF的3个模态分别占有方差比例为51.5%,13.2%和7.9%。第一模态揭示的是热带辐合带(ITCZ)的季节性迁移导致海面高度距平沿着ITCZ平均位置经向倾斜的1 a周期变化,第一模态还显示了太阳辐射的季节差异引起南北两个海盆海面高度的整体升降。第二模态描述了中心分别位于(3°N,40°W)和(7°N,45°W)附近两个涡漩的变化。第三模态表征的是几内亚海湾上升流和赤道北部下降流在6~7月强度达到最大。对EOF时间系数曲线的经验模态分解(EMD),结果表明热带大西洋低频变化包含的成分主要有:0.5,1,2,4和6 a。其中1 a周期是热带大西洋海面高度变化最主要的周期成分,0.5 a周期和2 a周期也是热带大西洋海面高度变化的重要形式;而4 a和6 a周期所占的比例较小。另外EMD方法还分解出1997~1998年太平洋El Nino事件对热带大西洋海面高度的影响。