Capacity and economic efficiency in small-scale fisheries: Evidence from the Mediterranean Sea

To design an effective capacity management plan for small-scale fisheries one must understand what one is measuring and define its capacity. As recognized by some authors, overcapacity is a problem that generally affects small-scale fisheries just as much as it does other types of fishing. This study aims to estimate fishing capacity, technical efficiency, scale efficiency and capacity utilization in a particular small-scale fishery in the Mediterranean, i.e., the Northwest Sardinian fleet in Italy. A non-parametric approach using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was applied to a sample of trawls in order to estimate their economic capacity, and related measurements were taken. The capacity and efficiency with reference to two different alternative scenarios were also calculated.     

Risk analysis and assessment of overtopping concerning sea dikes in the case of storm surge

Risk analysis and assessment relating coastal structures has been one of the hot topics in the area of coastal protection recently. In this paper, from three aspects of joint return period of multiple loads, dike failure rate and dike continuous risk prevention respectively, three new risk analysis methods concerning overtopping of sea dikes are developed. It is worth noting that the factors of storm surge which leads to overtopping are also considered in the three methods. In order to verify and estimate the effectiveness and reliability of the newly developed methods, quantified mutual information is adopted. By means of case testing, it can be found that different prior variables might be selected dividedly, according to the requirement of special engineering application or the dominance of loads. Based on the selection of prior variables, the correlating risk analysis method can be successfully applied to practical engineering.     

Total organic carbon distribution and budget through the Strait of Gibraltar in April 1998

In order to investigate total organic carbon (TOC) exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar, samples were taken along two sections from the western (Gulf of Cádiz) and eastern (Western Alboran Sea) entrances of the Strait and at the middle of the Strait in April 1998. TOC was measured by using a high-temperature catalytic oxidation method. The results referenced here are based on a three-layer model of water mass exchange through the Strait, which includes the Atlantic inflow, Mediterranean outflow and an interface layer in between. All layers were characterised by a decrease of TOC concentrations from the Gulf of Cádiz to the Western Alboran Sea: from 60–79 to 59–66 μM C in the Atlantic inflow and from 40–60 to 38–52 μM C in the Mediterranean waters, respectively. TOC concentrations in the modified North Atlantic Central Water varied from 43 to 55 μM C. Intermediate TOC values were measured in the interface layer (43–60 μM C). TOC concentrations increased from the middle of the Strait towards continents indicating a contribution of organic carbon of photosynthetic origin along Spain and Morocco coasts or TOC accumulation due to upwelling in the northeastern part of the Strait. Our results indicate that the short-term variability caused by the tide greatly impacts the TOC distribution, particularly in the Gulf of Cádiz. The TOC input from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar varies from 0.9×10⁴ to 1.0×10⁴ mol C s⁻¹ (or 0.28×10¹² to 0.35×10¹² mol C year⁻¹, respectively). This estimate suggests that the TOC inflow and outflow through the Strait of Gibraltar are two and three orders of magnitude higher than reported via the Turkish Straits and Mediterranean River inputs.     

Finding a balance between economic performance and capacity efficiency for sustainable fisheries: Case of the Da Nang gillnet fishery,Vietnam

Marine capture fisheries in Vietnam are small-scale, multi-species, multi-gear, and open access regime. Under numerous governmental promotion programs, Vietnamese fishing fleets have expanded at an uncontrollable rate. This research analyzes the economic performance and capacity efficiency of the Da Nang gillnet fishery. Data were obtained from 45 gillnetters in Da Nang using questionnaires, which were administered between April and July of 2011. The results showed that large-scale vessels (engine power≥90 hp) had better economic performance than small-scale vessels (engine power<90 hp) with average gross revenue flows of 1346.7 and 750.7 million VND, respectively. The large-scale vessels further actualized positive profits (15% gross revenue), while the small-scale vessels demonstrated negative results (−0.4% gross revenue). The main operating costs of fuel and labor accounted for 44% and 26%, respectively, of the total operating expenses. However, the results of the data envelopment analysis (DEA) showed that the Da Nang gillnet fishery did not operate at full capacity and that the unused capacity and the technical inefficiency rates were approximately 21.2% and 10.8%, respectively. The over-use of fuel, net sheets, and number of days at sea in the large-scale vessels were 7%, 10%, and 3%, respectively, while these ratios in the small-scale vessels were 7%, 3%, and 7%, respectively. Overcapacity may be separated into two parts, one part resulting from the optimal technical use of inputs and a second part resulting from enhancing the current policies. As such, feasible policies may include implementing the buyback of small and unprofitable vessels, and reviewing subsidy programs.     

Morphology and structure of the Camarinal Sill from high-resolution bathymetry: evidence of fault zones in the Gibraltar Strait

The Gibraltar Strait is the very narrow neck which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The causes and mode of its opening at the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis are still a matter of debate, and models based on eustatic rise and/or topographic lowering due to either erosion or faulting are generally evoked. We investigated the presence of faults based on a morphological and structural analysis of the Camarinal Sill, the shallowest passage in the Gibraltar Strait (<100 m water depth in places). This sill connects the Spanish and Moroccan shelves, and probably represents a structural high inherited from the Miocene compressive tectonics which took place in the external zones of the Betic-Rif orogenic arc. Our high-resolution bathymetric data enabled us to identify and interpret the origin of major morphological features in the area, including canyons, channels and a landslide, which we name the Tarifa landslide. Topographic arguments suggest that the Camarinal Sill is crossed by two main E-W- to ENE-WSW-directed fault zones which bound areas with different distribution, orientation and slopes of both scarps and crests. We name these the Hercules and Tarik fault zones, north and south of the sill respectively. The Hercules fault zone probably incorporates a normal movement component, whereas kinematic indicators are poor along the Tarik fault zone. The age of faulting is poorly constrained in both cases. Together with existing evidence of faults onland, the presence of these fault zones implies that they could be responsible for, or have contributed to, the opening of the Gibraltar Strait.     

Managing fishing capacity in tuna regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs): Development and state of the art

Overcapacity is a major threat to the sustainability of tuna resources. Diverse actions are being carried out by tuna RFMOs to counteract this problem. This paper reviews and analyses both the historical development of fishing capacity management in tuna RFMOs and their state of the art practices. Despite the fact, that thus far, management measures have not yielded the expected results for capacity reduction, they provide a good basis for improved management of capacity at regional and global levels.     

Risk assessment and zoning of sea level rise in Shandong Province

Sea level rise is a slow-onset disaster.We collected information about the natural and ecological environments,tides and sea levels,and socio-economic aspects to investigate the distribution and zoning of the risks from sea level rise across Shandong Province.The trends in sea level in different counties of Shandong Province were predicted using moving averages and a random dynamic analysis forecasting model,and the model outputs and socio-economic indicators were combined to assess the risks.The results show that the risks of sea level rise along the western coast of Bohai Bay and Laizhou Bay in Shandong Province were sufficiently large to warrant attention.     

Tuna dreams and tuna realities: Defining the term “maximising economic returns from the tuna fisheries” in six Pacific Island states

Previous work on identifying opportunities for Pacific Island countries to improve the economic returns from their tuna resources in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) has not generally included articulation of aspirations from Islanders themselves. However, generating such an understanding is increasingly important as these countries assert their positions in regional fisheries policy making. This study analyses the self-identified aspirations of industry and government representatives from six Pacific Island countries and finds a wider diversity of attitudes, strategies and success than is generally recognised. Implications for negotiations in the WCPFC are then discussed.     

工程风险分析中的风险当量及其评价标准

目前，量化、半量化风险分析是工程风险分析的主流。在对工程进行量化和半量化风险分析时，无论采用什么方法，风险评价指标和评价标准都是关键的重要问题。只有在建立了统一的评价指标和评价标准体系的基础上，对工程进行的风险分析能够得出正确和一致的结论。文章通过对国内外风险分析理论和实践的研究和总结，提出了在工程风险分析中确定风险评价指标和评价标准的原则和方法。     

Primary production in the Strait of Gibraltar: Carbon fixation rates in relation to hydrodynamic and phytoplankton dynamics

Primary production was studied at nine sites distributed within the Strait of Gibraltar (Southern Spain) and North-Western (NW) Alboran Sea by analyzing photosynthesis-irradiance (P–I) relationships and integrated primary production rates in relation to the different types of Deep Chlorophyll Maxima (DCM) detected in the area. The characteristics of the DCM were examined by several methods, including flow cytometry, quantification of transparent expolymer particles and fluorimetric measurements that were applied in order to assess the photo-physiological state of the phytoplankton assemblages with respect to their species composition and water column structure (hydrology). The photosynthetic parameters (derived from P–I relationships) and integrated primary production (range 6–644 mg m⁻² d⁻¹) responded greatly to the diverse DCM identified and thereby the spatial variability of the primary production observed in the region was found to depend upon the occurrence of the different types of phytoplankton accumulations, which were themselves indicative of the previous history of the water column. The net contribution of the primary production to the air–sea CO₂ exchange process was also evaluated in the area. Results indicated that this region behaved as a net sink for the atmospheric CO₂, with the intensity of the flux being strongly modulated by the wind intensity.     

Governance of tuna industries: The key to economic viability and sustainability in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

The Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) tuna fishery is an important global food resource, and the economies of many Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) rely heavily on tuna industries. This paper proposes that governance by PICs is the key to improving the sustainability and profitability of tuna industries in the region. ‘Governance’ is usually used to refer to corruption, but here is interpreted more broadly to encompass the whole process by which decisions regarding public life are made and enacted, by government and also civil society. Argument is supported by empirical material from an interview study with stakeholders and a survey of reports.     

Data Assimilation Modeling of the Barotropic Tides in the Korea/Tsushima Strait

During 1999–2000, 13 bottom mounted acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and 12 wave/tide gauges were deployed along two lines across the Korea/Tsushima Strait, providing long-term measurements of currents and bottom pressure. Tidally analyzed velocity and pressure data from the moorings are used in conjunction with other moored ADCPs, coastal tide gauge measurements, and altimeter measurements in a linear barotropic data assimilation model. The model fits the vertically averaged data to the linear shallow water equations in a least-squares sense by only adjusting the incoming gravity waves along the boundaries. Model predictions are made for the O₁, P₁, K₁, μ₂, N₂, M₂, S₂, and K₂ tides. An extensive analysis of the accuracy of the M₂ surface-height predictions suggests that for broad regions near the mooring lines and in the Jeju Strait the amplitude prediction errors are less than 0.5 cm. Elsewhere, the analysis suggests that errors range from 1 to 4 cm with the exception of small regions where the tides are not well determined by the dataset. The errors in the model predictions are primarily caused by bias error in the model’s physics, numerics, and/or parameterization as opposed to random errors in the observational data. In the model predictions, the highest ranges in sea level height occur for tidal constituents M₂, S₂, K₁, O₁, and N₂, with the highest magnitudes of tidal velocities occurring for M₂, K₁, S₂, and O₁. The tides exhibit a complex structure in which diurnal constituents have higher currents relative to their sea level height ranges than semi-diurnal constituents.     

海洋广角地震数据校正方法探讨

海洋广角地震数据的采集具有高投入、高风险及高难度等特点,这使得从海洋上采集到的地震数据显得异常宝贵,但往往由于各种客观条件(如气候条件、定时定位条件、仪器条件及人为因素等)的限制,导致采集到的地震数据存在一些缺陷.以南海地区开展的海陆地震联测及海底地震仪(OBS)探测的试验数据为例,对导航数据时间误差、部分陆地固定台站...     

基于海表温度和海面高度的东太平洋大眼金枪鱼渔场预测

开展东太平洋大眼金枪鱼(Thunnus obesus)渔场预报技术研究,建立基于多环境因子渔场预报模型,将对该资源的高效开发和利用具有重要的意义。作者根据2009~2011年东太平洋海域(20°N~35°S、85°W~155°W)延绳钓生产统计数据,结合海洋遥感获得的表温(SST)和海面高度(SSH)的数据,运用一元非线性回归方法,以渔获量为适应性指数,按季度分别建立了基于SST和SSH的大眼金枪鱼栖息地适应性指数,采用算术平均法获得基于SST和SSH环境因子的栖息地指数综合模型,并用2012年各月实际作业渔场进行验证。研究结果显示,大眼金枪鱼渔场多分布在SST为24~29℃、SSH为0.4~0.8 m的海域。指数模型较好地拟合了因子适应性曲线(P0.05)。基于栖息地指数的2012年大眼金枪鱼中心渔场预报准确性平均达63%,可为金枪鱼延绳钓渔船寻找中心渔场提供指导。     

台湾海峡海表面温度的遥感反演及精度检验

海表面温度(SST)是海洋-大气系统中一个十分关键的物理量。SST为海洋学课题的研究提供了一种直观的指示量[1],在海洋捕捞中SST是寻找中心渔场的指标之一,可为渔业部门提供鱼类的回游路线和渔场的位置信息[2]。SST制约着海面和大气的热量、动量和水汽交换,是研究大气环流和气候变化[3]甚至台风移动路径[4]等气象学课题的一个重要因子。因此,SST在海洋学和气象学研究中占有非常重要的地位,此外SST对海洋运输、海洋污染、海上油气资源开发、海滨核电站建设等方面的影响近年来也倍受关注。     

Preliminary Analysis of Seismic Risk in Taiwan Strait and Study on Feasibility of Construction of Tunnel Across the Strait

The collision between Eurasian and Pacific plates along the eastern margin of the Asian continent resulted in formation of a series of island-arcs, one of which is the Taiwan Island-arc, and the Taiwan Straits is a foreland basin in the continent-arc collision zone. The Quaternary fine-grained sediments occur evenly in the upper part of the basin, and the Pliocene deposits in the lower part. The stepped faults run in the deposits, indicating that the tectonic movement tended to weaken after the Pliocene. Strong seismic zones of Taiwan Island released large amount of plate overthrust-collision compressive stress and have their screen and prevention roles for the straits. Only the intersections between offshore NW-trending transform-like faults and seashore NE-trending faults on the southern and northern terminations of the Island are prone to strong earthquakes. The possibility of occurrence of M ≥ 6 earthquake should be very low in the area for the planned future tunnel. Moreover, the seismic intensity is rapidly attenuated from the surface downward. Thus, the seismic intensity for the tunnel under the seabed will be much lower. In seismotectonic view, the construction of tunnel is feasible.     

Preliminary Analysis of Seismic Risk in Taiwan Strait and Study on Feasibility of Construction of Tunnel Across the Strait

The collision between Eurasian and Pacific plates along the eastern margin of the Asian continent resulted in formation of a series of island-arcs, one of which is the Taiwan Island-arc, and the Taiwan Straits is a foreland basin in the continent-arc collision zone. The Quaternary fine-grained sediments occur evenly in the upper part of the basin, and the Pliocene deposits in the lower part. The stepped faults run in the deposits, indicating that the tectonic movement tended to weaken after the Pliocene. Strong seismic zones of Taiwan Island released large amount of plate overthrust-collision compressive stress and have their screen and prevention roles for the straits. Only the intersections between offshore NW-trending transform-like faults and seashore NE-trending faults on the southern and northern terminations of the Island are prone to strong earthquakes. The possibility of occurrence of M?≥?6 earthquake should be very low in the area for the planned future tunnel. Moreover, the seismic intensity is rapidly attenuated from the surface downward. Thus, the seismic intensity for the tunnel under the seabed will be much lower. In seismotectonic view, the construction of tunnel is feasible.     

The cluster analysis of the water masses in western Taiwan Strait from hydrologic and chemical factors

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