Maltese fisheries and the sustainability of resources around the Maltese islands

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/1830 on 07.20.2017 by CS (TIS)Despite the socio-cultural importance of Maltese fisheries, a very limited number of studies and reports on the industry have been published, and scientific studies on the interaction between the Maltese fishing fleet and the fisheries resources exploited have never been carried out. Data collection schemes to monitor Maltese fisheries were also found to be extremely limited, however, this study has analysed the information arising from recently initiated data collection programmes, coordinated by the author, related to the fleet, its activities and the resources exploited; these programmes were namely a fishing fleet census, catch and effort sampling schemes and trawl surveys. This study has described the profile of the Maltese fishing fleet and its activities, determined the relative importance of different fisheries, estimated the spatial distribution of fishing effort, addressed the impact of the fishing operations of the Maltese fleet on the demersal fisheries resources within the Maltese Exclusive Fishing Zone (EFZ) and other resources targeted by the fleet, as well as discussed the impact of an increase in fishing activities on the Maltese population involved in the fishing industry. On the basis of the results a theoretical management regime was proposed to ensure the sustainability of Maltese fisheries compliant with the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries. The study concludes that both the introduction of industrial fishing methods and any further increase in artisanal fishing would have negative impacts on the Maltese population involved in the fishing industry which is economically, geographically and culturally dependent on artisanal fisheries. In particular, the fishing capacity and related effort associated with demersal fisheries in the Maltese EFZ should not be increased in order to ensure their sustainability and the fishing effort distribution should not be altered, especially in the case of trawling, in order to safeguard the fish "refugia" which exist in the EFZ. On the other hand, the sustainability of large pelagic species in the waters around Malta largely depends on international efforts to manage these fish stocks, and in view of the fact that they account for more than two thirds of the annual value of landings, it is in the country's interest to collaborate and contribute to the regional management process. The proposed management regime essentially limits the fishing capacity and effort of various fisheries, protects fish refugia and safeguards artisanal fisheries. With these management proposals in place, the Maltese EFZ could, in essence, constitute a large Marine Protected Area (MPA) with sustainable use objectives. Also, a number of complimentary recommendations for future fishery and biological data collection programmes and studies have been made. The need for support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the European Union together with the importance of collaboration with scientific institutions from neighbouring countries in order to realistically undertake these tasks within the next ten years was also highlighted

Living deep-water Lophelia and Madrepora corals in Maltese waters (Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea)

The occurrence of living deep-water corals, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, from stations 21-42 km off the southern and south-western coast of Malta is reported. Fragments of living colonies of both species, as well as some large pieces of Lophelia frameworks were recovered from depths of 390-617 m together with the solitary coral Desmophyllum dianthus (= cristagalli). The accompanying biota included the barnacle Pachylasma giganteum, the gastropod Coralliophila richardi, the bivalves Asperarca nodulosa and Spondylus gussonii, and the polychaete Eunice norvegicus, all of which are frequently associated with deep-water corals. The occurrence of the Lophelia-Madrepora- Desmophyllum triad, the large pieces of coral frameworks consisting predominantly of live, healthy polyps, and the associated biota, suggest that coral patches may be present in at least some of the investigated localities, rather than just fragmented remains or isolated colonies.peer-reviewe

Litter as a source of habitat islands on deepwater muddy bottoms

Certain types of marine litter, usually considered as pollutants, may also be a resource, serving as artificial reefs on sedimentary bottoms. In order to study this aspect, marine debris was collected by bottom trawl from muddy bottoms (depths of 45-700m) in the waters around the Maltese islands, during July 2005. The associated fauna was identified and quantified. Litter was found to support a higher abundance of organisms than the surrounding sediment, but a lower species richness. However, the suite of epifaunal species on the debris was different from the infauna of the surrounding substratum. Thus litter was found to increase the overall biodiversity of particular areas.peer-reviewe

Flexible learning systems : an insight into personalised learning systems

Web services are defined as accessible software programs ex- posed through an Internet interface description which enhances client to server requests and are not only easily invoked and consumed but they provide interoperability for applications through Service-Oriented Architectures. The Semantic Web, Web services and Web technologies, have so far been mostly utilised in business models and processes throughout industry. This research paper proposes to show how these emergent technologies are also being exploited for E-learning environments. Such a service applies in fact not only to businesses and the work-place but also to academic settings. The ability to make a provision for flexible, personalised and adaptable services is heavily dependent on Web technologies which need to be moulded into rich, dynamic and active environments based on individual user needs and requirements. The paper aims to highlight ongoing projects in this area offering a brief description of their findings and achievements as well as identify future trends in the areas of flexible learning systems.peer-reviewe

Distribution and density of discarded limestone slabs used in the traditional Maltese lampuki fishery

The Maltese Coryphaena hippurus fishery employs fish aggregating devices anchored to the seabed by limestone slabs that are discarded after each season. It is estimated that more than 15,000 such slabs are deposited on the seabed each year, thus the number of limestone blocks left on the seabed by the decades-old fishery must be quite high. This study attempted to estimate the distribution and abundance of limestone slabs in the sea around Malta. The abundance of slabs was much less than expected, implying that a mechanism that gradually removes slabs from the surface of the seabed is operating in the area studied.peer-reviewe

A mobile assistant in the city - M.A.C.

This paper proposes M.A.C., an intelligent mobile assistant in the city, specifically designed and aimed as an aid for the visually challenged. Such an aid makes use of a number of technologies, which are meant to help the person using his/her mobile phone, not only get to the target destination, but also avoid any imminent obstacles and dangers which might be on the way. This is a prototype project for demo purposes and it is expected that this project is further developed in, and tested with a number of real users under the assisted living ambient intelligence living labs. Lifelong learning will therefore have prominence in this paper, by highlighting an approach providing users with knowledge and skills which they need in the real world. This paper will also present possible applications of such a concept and show how added functionality can provide users with an overall richer experience contributing to an „openness‟ in mobility which would otherwise render use of such a technology based tool inaccessible.peer-reviewe

Commercial and non-target species of deep water trawled muddy habitats on the Maltese continental shelf

Prior to joining the European Union, Malta operated a 25nm Exclusive Fishing Zone that was retained as a Fisheries Conservation Zone (FCZ) following EU membership. The present study was conducted in this FCZ as part of the ongoing MEDITS trawl survey programme. Otter trawl samples were collected from muddy bottoms at depths of 100-300m. The catch from each haul was sorted into commercial and non-commercial components, and fauna were identified and counted. Samples for analyses of infauna and sediment characteristics were collected using a 0.0625m² capacity box-corer. Macrofaunal abundance data for the stations were analysed using ordination techniques (nMDS) and relationships between environmental variables and faunal assemblages were explored by superimposing individual variables on the two-dimensional nMDS plots. The analyses clearly separated the commercial species into two distinct groups of assemblages that seemed to be defined principally by depth: those from inshore and south-eastern stations (depth range 100-250m) and those from north-western stations (depth range 250-300m). The non-commercial species showed a similar pattern with assemblages from inshore stations grouping together; however, the offshore stations had a greater variability in non-target species composition, especially for infauna. For the offshore stations, geographical position seemed to be important since stations off the north-western coast of the Maltese islands grouped separately from those off south-eastern Malta.peer-reviewe

Upper-rim monofunctionalisation in the synthesis of triazole- and disulfide-linked multicalix[4]- and -[6]arenes.

Covalently linked multiple calixarenes are valued in supramolecular chemistry. We report an easy and versatile synthetic route to covalently linked double and triple calix[4]arene and calix[6]arenes by a novel DMF‐controlled selective alkylation of a convenient and readily available upper‐rim dimethylaminomethyl‐substituted tetrahydroxy calix[4]arene and ‐[6]arenes. Synthetic routes to upper‐rim functionalised redox active disulfide‐linked double‐, tetra‐ and peptidohybrid‐calixarenes employing either redox chemistry (CH2SH) or thiolates (CH2S–) are also opened up from the same key starting material

A spiritual artificial general intelligence?

John McCarthy, who coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) in 1956 speaks of AI as an evolution. He stressed that “as soon as it works, no one calls it AI anymore.” Computer scientist Andrew Ng, a contemporary AI researcher speaks of AI as the “new electricity,” heralding a revolution on par with that brought by electricity. As humanity journeys towards transcending the human condition to a new condition that includes radically transhuman features, a special role is reserved to AGI. Out of the twenty-three researchers interviewed by AI-journalist Martin Ford, the average hypothesised year of the emergence of AGI is set to be at 2099, although transhumanist and futurist Ray Kurzweil postulates that by 2029, ten years from now, there is a fifty-percent chance of such emergence. These hypotheses lay the foundation for our theological research as a prolegomenon on the possibility of a spiritual AGI, and possibly an ensouled AGI. [excerpt]peer-reviewe