Tragovi metala u tkivima Galeus melastomus (Rafinesque, 1810) iz sjevernog dijela Tirenskog mora (SZ Mediteran)

In the last decades, the decline of coastal waters resources has forced fisheries to expand into deeper waters. However, while the increase of industrial activities make it essential to find biological models that can explain pollutants dynamics, little is still known about pollutants distribution, dynamics, and their possible effects on deep-water organisms. In this context, new information on the concentrations of trace metals (Arsenic, As; Cadmium, Cd; Copper, Cu; Mercury, Hg; Lead, Pb) in muscle, liver and gonads of blackmouth catshark, Galeus melastomus, from north-western Mediterranean (northern Tyrrhenian Sea) are presented. Significant differences between males and females were found in the concentrations of three of the five trace elements in gonads. Lower concentrations of trace metals were found in the ovaries, and this could be due to the almost continuous vitellogenic activity which could transfer contaminants to developing oocytes.Pad resursa u obalnim vodama u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća prisilio je ribarstvo da se proširi i na dublje vode. Međutim, dok je zbog porasta industrijskih aktivnosti bitno pronaći biološke modele koji mogu objasniti dinamiku zagađivala, malo se zna o njihovoj distribuciji i dinamici te o njihovim mogućim učincima na dubokomorske organizme. U tom kontekstu, prikazane su nove informacije o koncentraciji tragova metala (arsen, As; kadmij, Cd; bakar, Cu; živa, Hg; olovo, Pb) u mišićima, jetrima i gonadama mačke crnouste, Galeus melastomus, iz sjeverozapadnog Mediterana (sjever Tirenskog mora). Značajne razlike između mužjaka i ženki uočene su u koncentracijama od tri do pet elemenata u tragovima u gonadama. Niže koncentracije tragova metala pronađene su u jajnicima, što bi mogao biti rezultat gotovo neprekidne vitelogene aktivnosti koja može dovesti do prenošenja zagađivala do oocita u razvoju

Trayectoria a largo plazo de algunas especies de Elasmobranquios en los mares de Toscana (Mediterráneo noroccidental) a través de 50 años de datos de captura

The time series of elasmobranch catch rates off the Tuscany coasts (NW Mediterranean) were investigated by means of min/max auto-correlation factor analysis in order to estimate variations in population abundance and evaluate the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors. The analyses highlighted a general decreasing trend in the catch rates of sharks and skates from 1961 to the mid-1990s, mainly influenced by the increase in fishing effort. Since the 1990s, the EU Common Fishery Policy for the Mediterranean has promoted the reduction of fishing fleets through incentives to vessel demolition. The Porto S. Stefano trawl fleet has decreased by about 50%, leading to a decrease in fishing effort which seemed to be the most relevant factor affecting the increasing trend shown by the catch rates of Galeus melastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula and skates from 1991 to 2009. The elasmobranch assemblage did not undergo major shifts but the weighted frequency of occurrence shows that elasmobranchs were more frequent in the past. Particular caution should be paid in interpreting the recent rebound of some species as an early sign of recovery: trawl survey data and landing data show that over the last 50 years elasmobranch fauna have undergone a drastic decline and that recent rebounds are still far from a recovery to historical levels.Se investigaron las series históricas de datos de captura de algunas especies de Elasmobranquios en los mares de Toscana (Mediterráneo noroccidental), por medio del análisis de auto-correlación factorial MAFA, con el fin de evaluar las variaciones en la abundancia de poblaciones y la influencia de factores ambientales y antropogénicos. Los análisis permitieron poner en relieve una tendencia a la disminución, a partir de 1961 hasta la mitad de los años 1990, de las tasas de captura de las especies de tiburones y rayas demersales. Esta disminución parece ser debida principalmente al aumento del esfuerzo pesquero. Sin embargo, desde 1990 capacidad y actividad pesquera mostraron una tendencia a la disminución, como resultado de la Política Pesquera Común de la UE para el Mediterráneo. La flota de arrastre de Porto Santo Stefano disminuyó en un 50%; esta reducción parece ser el factor más importante que produjo un aumento en los indices de abundancia relativa de Galeus melastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula y de las rayas, desde 1991 a 2009. Sin embargo la composición en especies de los Elasmobranquios no ha mostrado evidentes cambios en el tiempo, a pesar de muchas especies que han sufrido una disminución en la frecuencia de occurrencia. Por lo tanto, la interpretación de estos resultados como señal de recuperación de las poblaciones de elasmobranquios, necesita de una precaución especial. De hecho durante los últimos 50 años la fauna de elasmobranquios en el Mediterráneo ha sufrido una drástica reducción y todavía no se está observando ninguna considerable señal de recuperación

The “discard problem” in Mediterranean fisheries, in the face of the European Union landing obligation: the case of bottom trawl fishery and implications for management

Since the first introduction of the landing obligation (a.k.a. Discard ban) in 2015, the EU Mediterranean fisheries are facing some unforeseen challenges. The demersal bottom trawl fisheries, being the most significant contributors to the so-called 'discard problem', are confronted with the greatest challenges. Data from the Italian and the Greek fleet, spanning over two decades (1995–2015), were analysed with the intention of revealing the diversity and heterogeneity of the discard problem, especially for regulated species. Species composition of discards, as well as discarding rates, were shown to be irregular, fluctuating among areas, depth strata, seasons and years. Although fish dominated the discarded gross catch in weight, benthic invertebrates (other than commercial cephalopods and crustaceans) were the taxa discarded almost exclusively. The established minimum conservation reference size was largely ignored by fishers. From a management point of view, the present investigation suggests that the recently established Discard Management Plans lack scientific evidence (given the high intrinsic variability of the parameters and confusion regarding the rules) and provide exemptions from the landing obligation that will in practice allow the average Mediterranean bottom trawl vessel to continue business as usual. Moreover, detecting if these rules are actually respected is an almost impossible task for the Mediterranean control and enforcement authorities. Incentivizing the adoption of fishing technologies and practices that reduce pre-harvest mortality and post-harvest discards, while avoiding damage to sensitive marine species and habitats, seems the only way to move forward, rather than dealing with the problem after it has occurred

Anisakid and Raphidascaridid parasites in Trachurus trachurus: infection drivers and possible effects on the host’s condition

This study investigated the distribution of nematode larvae of Anisakidae and Raphidascarididae (genera Anisakis and Hysterothylacium) in Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Ligurian and central-northern Tyrrhenian Seas. The relationship between the number of parasites and the length and weight parameters of the fish was assessed, and the possible effect of the parasites on the condition factor was evaluated. A total of 190 T. trachurus specimens were collected in July 2019. Parasites were found in 70 individuals. A total of 161 visible larvae were collected in the viscera. Morphological analysis revealed the presence of Anisakis spp. in 55 fish and Hysterothylacium spp. in 15 fish, while 5 fish showed coinfection with both genera. The specimens subjected to PCR (n = 67) showed that 85% of the Anisakis larvae analyzed belonged to the species A. pegreffii, while the remaining 15% belonged to hybrids of A. pegreffii-A. simplex (s.s.). A total of 58% (n = 7) of the Hysterothylacium larvae analyzed belonged to the species H. fabri, while 42% belonged to the species H. aduncum. Our results support the hypothesis that infection with these parasites does not affect the condition of the fish host analyzed, and that body size and depth are major drivers in determining infection levels with Anisakid and Raphidascaridid nematodes

Reducción de los descartes en la pesca con trasmallo: resultados experimentales utilizando trasmallo con “faldón” en la pesca artesanal del camarón, Penaeus kerathurus, en el mar Ligur (Mediterráneo Occidental)

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a “guarding net”, a device placed at the bottom of a trammel net, for reducing unwanted catches in the caramote prawn trammel net fishery of the Ligurian Sea. This specialized and profitable fishery is affected by unwanted catches that generate high discard rates and damage to the nets, with environmental impacts and costs for fishermen. The experimental study consisted in comparing the catches of a standard trammel net (STN) with those of two “experimental” trammel nets, e.g. STNs provided with a guarding net of 19 cm (TGN20) and 24 cm height (TGN25), respectively. The guarding net, a strip of gillnet placed at the bottom of the net, can be considered a by-catch reducer device (BRD). Some fishermen of the investigated fishery have been using this device for several years. The results of the 15 experimental fishing trials performed from June to July 2016 indicate that the guarding nets significantly reduce discards (e.g. crabs and other invertebrates); the biomass of the unwanted species caught was 75% lower than that produced by the STN. The catch rates of the target species obtained with TGN20 and TGN25 were also significantly lower than those of the STN, though of a lesser amount. Nonetheless, this economic loss can be compensated by the decrease in sorting time and material and labour costs that can be achieved using the guarding net.El objetivo de este trabajo fue testar los efectos de un “faldón”, una red colocada en la parte inferior de un trasmallo, para reducir los descartes en la pesquería del camarón del mar Ligur. Se trata de una pesquería especializada y rentable, afectada por capturas no deseadas, que generan descartes y daños a las redes, con impacto ambiental y costes para los pescadores. Se llevaron a cabo pescas experimentales, para comparar la captura de un trasmallo estándar (STN) con la de dos trasmallos “experimentales”, construidos a partir de un trasmallo estándar, con el ajuste de un faldón de 19 cm de altura (TGN20), y de un faldón de 24 cm (TGN25). Este faldón, una banda de red de enmalle, se puede considerar como un dispositivo reductor de capturas accesorias (BRD). Algunos pescadores de la pesquería investigada ya utilizan este dispositivo desde hace algunos años. Los resultados de las quince pruebas experimentales, realizadas de junio a julio 2016, muestran que el faldón de red de enmalle contribuye significativamente a reducir los descartes (cangrejos y otros invertebrados), con una reducción de la biomasa de las especies descartadas hasta el 75%, respecto al trasmallo estándar. Al mismo tiempo, también las tasas de captura de las especies objetivo obtenidas con TGN20 y TGN25 fueron significativamente más bajas que las del STN, aunque de menor magnitud. Sin embargo, esta pérdida económica puede ser compensada por la disminución del tiempo de trabajo, de los costes del material y de la mano de obra, que se pueden lograr utilizando un trasmallo con “faldón”

A Bayesian model of fisheries discards with flexible structure and priors defined by experts

Peer reviewe

Identifying persistent hot spot areas of undersized fish and crustaceans in southern european waters: implication for fishery management under the discard ban regulation

The recent establishment of the "landing obligation" under the reformed EU Common Fishery Policy has the twofold objective of reducing the excessive practice of discarding unwanted catch at sea and encouraging more selective and sustainable fisheries. Within this context, the awareness of the spatial distribution of potential unwanted catches is important for devising management measures aimed to decrease discards. This study analyzed the distribution of Hot Spot density areas of demersal fish and crustaceans below the Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) in four different southern European seas: continental Portuguese coast, Catalan Sea, South of Sicily, Liguria and northern Tyrrhenian Seas using both bottom trawl survey data and information on the spatial distribution of commercial fisheries. Critical areas for discarding were identified as zones where the highest densities of individuals below MCRS were consistently recorded throughout a series of years. Results clearly showed a patchy distribution of undersized individuals in each investigated area, highlighting the overlap between high density patches of both discards and fishing effort. The present findings provide a relevant knowledge for supporting the application of spatial-based management actions, such as the designation of Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRAs), in order to minimize the by-catch of undersized specimens and improve the sustainability of demersal fisheriesUIDB/04326/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Patrón de abundancia espacio-temporal de la gamba de altura, Parapenaeus longirostris, y de la cigala, Nephrops norvegicus, en las aguas mediterráneas europeas

The main characteristics concerning the distribution of two of the most important decapod crustaceans of commercial interest in the Mediterranean Sea, the deep-water rose shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris, and the Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, are studied in the European Mediterranean waters. The study is based on data collected under the MEDITS trawl surveys from 1994 to 2015 from the Gibraltar Straits to the northeastern Levantine Basin (Cyprus waters). The observed differences can be interpreted as different responses to environmental drivers related to the differing life history traits of the two species. In fact, N. norvegicus is a long-living, benthic burrowing species with low growth and mortality rates, while P. longirostris is an epibenthic, short-living species characterized by higher rates of growth and mortality.Se investigaron las características de la distribución de dos de los crustáceos decápodos más importantes a nivel comercial del mar Mediterráneo, la gamba de altura, Parapenaeus longirostris y la cigala, Nephrops norvegicus, en aguas mediterráneas europeas. El presente estudio se basa en datos recopilados en las campañas de pesca experimental de arrastre MEDITS, relizadas de 1994 a 2015 desde el estrecho de Gibraltar hasta la cuenca levantina nororiental (aguas de Chipre). Las diferencias observadas en el patrón de distribución se pueden interpretar como distintas respuestas a factores ambientales relacionados con los diferentes rasgos del ciclo vital de las dos especies. De hecho, N. norvegicus es una especie bentónica de vida larga, con bajas tasas de crecimiento y mortalidad, mientras que P. longirostris es una especie epibentónica de vida corta, caracterizada por tasas más altas de crecimiento y de mortalidad