Tuna fisheries in the coastal states of the West Indian Ocean (WIO) have been at the centre of the social, economic and political development of the region. Their significance in creating employment, providing food, and generating revenue for the people in the region cannot be overemphasized. To be able to derive full benefits from the tuna resources in the WIO, the coastal states will have to devise an efficient management strategy, not individually, but collectively. Currently, there is no such management structure in the region to accomplish this goal. This study is, therefore, an attempt to find some solution to this important issue, and to propose a suitable management framework that would guarantee an efficient and profitable tuna resource management mechanism in the region. To tackle this task, data were collected through documentary statistical sources as well as by the use of questionnaires. Information was received from many fisheries organisations, as well as from other international fishing institutions. The results show that there is an urgent need for a regional organisation to manage tuna resources in the WIO, in order to avoid overfishing and stock depletion which will have adverse consequences on the economic and development prospects of both the coastal states and distant water fishing nations (DWFNs) operating in the region. This study recommended the establishment of a "Regional Organisation for the Management of Tuna in the West Indian Ocean" (ROMTWIO) using a contingency-political model in recognition of the need for a systems organisational structure that reflects the political elements in the region. The organisation should address the issues of joint co-operation in self-determination and self-management of tuna resources in the region within the remit of existing international laws, and in recognition of the significant role other international bodies can play in the realisation of the benefits of a common tuna resources for all.

This study of the fish and fishery of Stocks Reservoir, Lancashire, is the result of contract work undertaken by the researcher for North West Water (NWW). In an attempt to describe the location of the study, relevant information covering the catchment, local geology, reservoir construction and flora and fauna is included.The Authority's remit suggested a study of three facets of the catchment, namely, a study of the native fish populations, a monitoring of the recently opened fishery and an analysis of operational filter plate impingement.In order to minimise disturbance of the sport fishery, native fish population work was necessarily limited to the reservoir's three major afferent streams, the River Hodder, Hasgill Beck and Bottoms Beck.As a preliminary measure of tributary stream status, a simple invertebrate site study was undertaken by the researcher in 1985.Fish population work based on catch per unit effort (CPUE) was pursued in the spring, summer and winter of 1985, 1986 and 1987 at 8 sites, employing D. C. electric fishing equipment, whilst Carle and Strub's (1978) MWL Method was adopted for population estimations. The validity of the electric fishing survey and age determination are discussed in the text.The native species of brown trout, bullhead, stone loach and minnow were encountered, as was the introduced rainbow trout. Species densities and the population structure of the native brown trout were examined in detail for each survey site. The River Hodder was revealed to be the least populous tributary, whilst Hasgill Beck exhibited the greatest fish densities. Spawning migrations of native brown trout were evident, with fry recruitment at its optimum at site 4 on Hasgill Beck and site 8 on Bottoms Beck. The waterfall on Bottoms Beck might well have precluded upstream access to the head waters of this tributary. Observed mean brown trout length for age data were similar to those recorded by authors researching other upland stream locations.The history of Stocks Reservoir as a sport fishery is outlined prior to the present leaseholder's opening of the reservoir as a day ticket fly fishery for the 1985 season. The water was stocked predominantly with rainbow trout, together with some brook trout and brown trout before fishing commenced.The present study covering the seasons 1985 to 1987 was based primarily on data abstracted from catch return forms, which displayed a notably high rate of submission, and stocking consent data provided by NWW. The validity of return form data is discussed.Over the three seasons studied, angler patronage was observed to decline by 16%, whilst the number of fish caught and taken also declined by 34.8% and 20.5% respectively. Angler success was similarly observed to decline in accord with the decrease in patronage and catches. Interestingly, there was an increased reliance on introductions of rainbow trout over the period, including larger fish, and by 1987 a cessation in the stocking of other trout species.From correlations observed between environmental parameters and angler patronage, anglers appeared to prefer fishing in dry, sunny conditions, but decreases in angler success occurred during periods of increased water turbidity. Such declines in success also displayed congruity with decreases in angler patronage.From a comparison undertaken with a cross-section of English and Welsh stillwater trout fisheries, Stocks Reservoir was judged to rate poorly, returning the lowest performance data in the upland stocked category.An examination of the stomach and hind gut contents of 127 rainbow trout, 7 brook trout and 8 brown trout caught by anglers, was undertaken in the 1985 and 1986 seasons, and was compared with the reservoir fauna data of Mills, M. L. (1971).A description of the water treatment plant and its operation is delineated, and a pertinent collection of fish impingement and screening literature is included.Impingement data were collated from lst March 1985 to 31st December 1987 from routine and emergency cleaning of the filter plates. After storage in a freezer, the thawed fish were examined chronologically, identified, measured and weighed. During the examinations a random sample of stomach and hind guts was procured, and scales from brown trout were removed for possible future reference.The total annual impingement was observed to vary considerably, although brown trout habitually exhibited the greatest losses, comprising 71%, 64% and 89% of fish impinged annually. Of the introduced species, rainbow trout and brook trout, brook trout were the more susceptible to impingement, but remarkably few rainbow trout were lost considering the number stocked.Rainbow trout and brook trout of medium (150mm to 300mm) and large (>300mm) length classes were impinged, whereas many smaller (<150mm) brown trout were lost, a phenomenon concurrent with the recruitment of juvenile stream fish to the reservoir population.Brown trout in particular exhibited an annual dissimilarity in rates of impingement, probably suggesting that seasonal migration was not causative of their increased impingement.Impingement of rainbow trout showed limited correlation with environmental parameters. In 1985 and 1986, increased impingement of both brown trout and brook trout was significantly correlated with low reservoir levels, and to some extent might be linked to rising values of water turbidity.The collecting of stomach and hind gut samples from impinged fish was discontinued after 1985 because of problems in collection associated with delays in sampling and probable regurgitation of stomach contents. The problem of eye fluke infestation in impinged fish was noted and enumerated as sampling progressed.A brief discussion of further routes of operational fish loss from the reservoir is included.

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The European lobster (<i>Homarus gammarus</i> L.) fishery in all coasts of Scotland records total annual landings of nearly 900 metric tonnes and total value of about £7 millions.  Two Scottish lobster populations were investigated, the Hebrides and Southeast with data from early 1960’s to late 1990’s. Diverse sources of information were used and when possible comparisons between the populations were carried out at varied spatial and temporal scales emphasising on two components, the sub-legal and legal lobsters.   The lack of accessibility to the Hebrides fishery limited the comparisons between the populations.  More studies on the southeast lobster population were possible. Varied methods and traditional and innovative techniques applied to the data showed dissimilarities between the populations. Differences in the size-structures, estimates of fecundity, size at the onset of sexual maturity (SOM), sex ratio, fishery duration, influence of environmental variables on the catch of undersized and legal size lobsters, and respective exploitation rates were found. The Southeast lobster population showed high historical exploitation levels but recruitment levels indicated strong resilience of this population to environmental or fisher-related processes.   Increasing landings with time might be related to an increase in temperature at large and small spatial scales. Habitat type and shelter availability affect the size-structure of this population.  Exploitation rate estimates indicated a relatively healthy state of this fishery but risks of growth over-fishing might be considered. Fluctuations of the Hebrides fishery were strongly related to density-independent processes.  The historical patterns of exploitation and the little evidence of good recruitment levels questioned the resilience of the population.  Assumptions of over-fishing risks and recruitment failure were weak.  The results contribute to the knowledge of the European lobster fishery in Scottish waters and for other commercially important lobster fisheries.

From a review of recent developments in the harvesting and processing of krill, an analysis is made of the market potential for the main products of a krill fishery, namely whole krill, tail meats, mince (particularly surimi) and meal. A techno-economic analysis of various catching - processing - product systems is made, in terms of costs and prices applicable in Western countries in 1977. The study finds that in practice the rapid spoilage rate of- krill after capture effectively determines that it should be processed on board freezer or factory trawlers. However, unless krill is marketed essentially as a crustacean product (even though in minced form) it is most unlikely to generate sufficient revenue to justify the high costs of its exploitation. Consideration is also given to the management issues raised by the exploitation of Antarctic krill in the context of the Southern Ocean. It is concluded that the quantities of krill likely to be taken by Western countries in the foreseeable future will be comparatively low. However. should the Soviets continue to expand their activities then even comparatively modest catch levels (of the order of a few million tonnes per year) could have a serious effect on Southern Ocean stocks, if not on krill, then on other species dependent upon this resource.

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This thesis focuses on transactional process involved in the construction and operation of the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group. This cooperative wildlife management mechanism gives Yup'ik commercial and subsistence fishermen and other users a direct role, with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in salmon management. / Transactions involving participants' knowledge and values are described in three processes: (1) the establishment of a management body and its operating rules; (2) the mediation of power in decision-making; and, (3) fishery management which uses both "science" and "fishermen's knowledge." / Results indicate that through cooperation in decision-making, data gathering, and other management tasks the participants have been able to promote record commercial salmon harvests while at the same time providing for subsistence and conservation needs. Shared local values of consensus and reciprocity have acted to sustain participants' interaction in the bargaining process inherent in co-management. Through having to mediate and accommodate diverse interests and goals, the participants have developed a significant congruency or compatibility of values.