Preferred conservation policies of shark researchers

There is increasing concern about the conservation status of sharks. However, the presence of numerous different (and potentially mutually exclusive) policies complicates management implementation and public understanding of the process. We distributed an online survey to members of the largest professional shark and ray research societies to assess member knowledge of and attitudes toward different conservation policies. Questions covered society member opinions on conservation and management policies, personal histories of involvement in advocacy and management, and perceptions of the approach of conservation nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to shark conservation. One hundred and two surveys were completed (overall response rate 21%). Respondents considered themselves knowledgeable about and actively involved in conservation and management policy; a majority believed scientists have a responsibility to advocate for conservation (75%), and majorities have sent formal public comments to policymakers (54%) and included policy suggestions in their papers (53%). They believe sustainable shark fisheries are possible, are currently happening today (in a few places), and should be the goal instead of banning fisheries. Respondents were generally less supportive of newer limit‐based (i.e., policies that ban exploitation entirely without a species‐specific focus) conservation policy tools, such as shark sanctuaries and bans on the sale of shark fins, than of target‐based fisheries management tools (i.e., policies that allow for sustainable harvest of species whose populations can withstand it), such as fishing quotas. Respondents were generally supportive of environmental NGO efforts to conserve sharks but raised concerns about some NGOs that they perceived as using incorrect information and focusing on the wrong problems. Our results show there is an ongoing debate in shark conservation and management circles relative to environmental policy on target‐based natural resources management tools versus limit‐based conservation tools. They also suggest that closer communication between the scientific and environmental NGO communities may be needed to recognize and reconcile differing values and objectives between these groups.     

Levels and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the freshwater environment surrounding a PBDE manufacturing plant in China

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in muscle, liver and eggs of freshwater fishes and surface sediments from the Nongkang River in Jinhu, Jiangsu Province, China. The present study is the first to report PBDE concentrations in the freshwater environment surrounding a PBDE manufacturing plant in China. The concentrations of 13 PBDE congeners in muscle, liver and eggs of freshwater fishes ranged from <LOD to 130, <LOD to 252 and <LOD to 33.3 ng/g lipid wt, respectively, while the concentrations of 13 PBDE congeners in surface sediments from sewage outfall, upstream and downstream of the river were 52, 9.2, 7.1 ng/g organic carbon wt, respectively. Contamination by PBDEs in this area was not serious when compared with other regions of the world. A relatively high proportion of BDE-183 was found, consistent with the octa-BDE technical mixtures from the manufacturing plant by the side of the river.     

A Spatially Explicit Resource-Based Approach for Managing Stream Fishes in Riverscapes

The article describes a riverscape approach based on landscape ecology concepts, which aims at studying the multiscale relationships between the spatial pattern of stream fish habitat patches and processes depending on fish movements. A review of the literature shows that few operational methods are available to study this relationship due to multiple methodological and practical challenges inherent to underwater environments. We illustrated the approach with literature data on a cyprinid species (Barbus barbus) and an actual riverscape of the Seine River, France. We represented the underwater environment of fishes for different discharges using two-dimensional geographic information system-based maps of the resource habitat patches, defined according to activities (feeding, resting, and spawning). To quantify spatial patterns at nested levels (resource habitat patch, daily activities area, subpopulation area), we calculated their composition, configuration, complementation, and connectivity with multiple spatial analysis methods: patch metrics, moving-window analysis, and least cost modeling. The proximity index allowed us to evaluate habitat patches of relatively great value, depending on their spatial context, which contributes to the setting of preservation policies. The methods presented to delimit potential daily activities areas and subpopulation areas showed the potential gaps in the biological connectivity of the reach. These methods provided some space for action in restoration schemes.     

When are historical data sufficient for making watershed-level stream fish management and conservation decisions?

Addressing landscape-level threats to stream fishes such as habitat and hydrological alterations requires adequate watershed-level species inventories. Where watershed-level ichthyofaunal surveys are prohibitively expensive, existing (historical) data sources may provide an option for compiling species lists. However, it is critical that managers consider potential biases or limitations of species lists compiled from existing data. Here we assess the suitability of species lists compiled from existing data sources for making watershed-level fish management and conservation decisions. For nine Great Lakes watersheds, we developed existing species lists by compiling all available federal and state agency and museum fish survey data. We then compared the size and species composition of existing species lists to current species lists compiled from intensive field surveys, conducted in 2002, of the same watersheds. Species lists compiled from commonly available existing data sources, such as state and federal agency and museum data, missed many species detected during our 2002 field surveys. In most watersheds, more than 10 species were missed (range 5–21) on existing lists. Sampling over multiple years and seasons increased the size of both current (field) and existing species lists. Existing species lists compiled from surveys conducted over multiple years and seasons included an average of 15 species not captured during the 2002 field surveys. However, such multiyear existing datasets are rare and not available for many watersheds. In addition, species lists compiled from older existing surveys (e.g., before 1984) did not accurately represent current species composition of the watersheds and our results indicate several apparent misidentifications or errors on these lists. Lastly, while most game species were detected on existing lists, migratory species and recently introduced species were commonly missed on these lists. We conclude with recommendations for using existing data for watershed-level stream fish management and conservation decisions.     

湖北省的鱼类及其分布

据笔者记录湖北省现有鱼类12目25科106属201种和亚种,其中以鲤科鱼类的东亚地理类群为主。由于湖北省北部、西部和西南部分别受黄河、长江上游、珠江水系的影响,地处南北交错地带,因此,其鱼类区系成分复杂多样,地理分布具有明显的地域性。     

Environmental Indicators of Habitat Quality in a Migratory Freshwater Fish Fauna

/ In general, diadromous (and particularly amphidromous and catadromous) freshwater fishes decline in frequency of occurrence, change age/size structure, and probably also decline in abundance with increasing elevation and distance upstream from the sea. In freshwater fish faunas with a high proportion of migratory species, as in New Zealand, these changes in occurrence and abundance result in a breakdown of the relationship between fish abundance and habitat quality, making application of the index of biotic integrity (IBI) as a measure of habitat quality problematical since the index depends on the relationship between population metrics and habitat quality. An alternative approach applicable to assessing temporal changes in habitat quality and that uses a large database on fish distributions, involves analysis of the distribution of species across their natural distributions. In this paper we generate curves of occurrence of species across ranges of altitude and distance inland and show, through comparisons of data subsets, that the curves are consistent estimators of species' occurrence and therefore useful as indicators of habitat quality.     

鱼组合测废水急性毒性技术的特点与理论基础

文章简要论述了国内外工业废水的鱼类急性毒性试验技术的发展和现状。运用3～5种小型鱼类组合技术方法对数十家企业工业废水进行急性毒性测试,可显著提高该技术方法毒性测试的灵敏性和毒性判断的可靠性,并显著缩短试验时间。根据工业废水组分及生物毒性的复杂性,以及不同鱼类对同一毒性和同一种鱼类对不同毒性的敏感反应具有差异性的特点,着重探讨和论述了支持用多种鱼组合(同时)测试工业废水急性毒性的理论基础。     

乌江中上游鱼体含汞量的研究

以乌江中上游设置的4个采样点所采集的4种底栖性鱼类为材料,进行取样测试,研究了鱼体含汞量差异。结果表明,乌江中上游4个样点的水域底泥含汞量存在显著差异,由此造成4种底栖性鱼类肌肉含汞量在不同样点之间存在极显著性差异。其中乌江镇4种底栖性鱼类肌肉含汞量显著高于六圭河、洪家渡及六广的同种类鱼体的含汞量。在同一样点内的4种底栖性鱼类肌肉含汞量也存在明显差异,其趋势为鲤＜黑尾＜鲇＜黄颡鱼。4种底栖性鱼类肌肉含汞量与体重存在极显著相关性,且同种鱼类在不同样点中汞在鱼体内的积累与它所处的食物链营养级是相一致的,但单位体重含汞量却有明显差异,同时鱼体含汞量随体重的增加而增大     

Mitigating the impact of oil‐palm monoculture on freshwater fishes in Southeast Asia

Anthropogenic land‐cover change is driving biodiversity loss worldwide. At the epicenter of this crisis lies Southeast Asia, where biodiversity‐rich forests are being converted to oil‐palm monocultures. As demand for palm oil increases, there is an urgent need to find strategies that maintain biodiversity in plantations. Previous studies found that retaining forest patches within plantations benefited some terrestrial taxa but not others. However, no study has focused on aquatic taxa such as fishes, despite their importance to human well‐being. We assessed the efficacy of forested riparian reserves in conserving freshwater fish biodiversity in oil‐palm monoculture by sampling stream fish communities in an oil‐palm plantation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Forested riparian reserves maintained preconversion local fish species richness and functional diversity. In contrast, local and total species richness, biomass, and functional diversity declined markedly in streams without riparian reserves. Mechanistically, riparian reserves appeared to increase local species richness by increasing leaf litter cover and maintaining coarse substrate. The loss of fishes specializing in leaf litter and coarse substrate decreased functional diversity and altered community composition in oil‐palm plantation streams that lacked riparian reserves. Thus, a land‐sharing strategy that incorporates the retention of forested riparian reserves may maintain the ecological integrity of fish communities in oil‐palm plantations. We urge policy makers and growers to make retention of riparian reserves in oil‐palm plantations standard practice, and we encourage palm‐oil purchasers to source only palm oil from plantations that employ this practice.     

淮河干流基于生态流量的目标鱼类选择研究

基于目标物种的生境需求,确定合理的生态流量过程对河流生态系统保护和修复至关重要.与以往主观选择珍稀鱼类或者主要经济鱼类作为推求生态流量的目标物种不同,从产卵环境和摄食环境等方面对淮河干流目标鱼类的筛选进行研究,运用层次分析法构建判断矩阵,计算各备选鱼类的排序权值,筛选淮河干流对生境要求具有代表性的目标鱼类.结果表明,鳊鱼对淮河干流水生生物的生境需求具有较好代表性,可作为淮河干流生态流量估算的目标鱼类.本研究为缺失珍稀特有物种的河流如何选择用于生态流量计算的目标生物,提供了一种有效的方法.