Metallic contamination in seafood, especially fish, has been of increasing concern to human health. Moreover, with increasing dependency on farmed fish for fish resources, the metallic contamination in them is still questionable. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cooking (steaming) on heavy metal concentration in farmed fish and to estimate its potential human health risk. Farmed sea basses (Lates calcarifer) from Setiu Lagoon were used to study the difference in metal uptake through human consumption of raw and cooked (steamed) fish samples. Selected heavy metals, namely copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), were measured using ICP-MS following Teflon bomb closed digestion of the fish samples. Cooking of the fish muscle by steaming was applied to investigate if cooking changes the concentration of heavy metals. Mercury and As were found accumulated more notably in the fish muscle, though only Hg was found to show significant (p > 0.05) increase when L. calcarifer is cooked. The amount of As in the fish muscle throughout its growth can be potentially harmful to humans, with the highest averaged concentration at 3.29 ± 0.65 mg/kg dw. above the standard set by the Malaysian Food Regulation (1985) of >1 mg/kg. All the other heavy metals were at relatively safe concentrations well below the standard set by both national and international guidelines. The PTWI per individual of L. calcarifer for As was at 0.84 mg/kg bw., which indicated that the amount of this fish safe for consumption without any adverse effect is 170 g/week. Therefore, long-term intake of these fish may pose a risk to human health due to the relatively higher Hg and As concentration found in these fishes.
Small-scale fisheries present challenges to management due to fishers' dependency on resources and the adaptability of management systems. We compared social-ecological processes in the sea cucumber fisheries of Zanzibar and Mayotte, Western Indian Ocean, to better understand the reasons for resource conservation or collapse. Commercial value of wild stocks was at least 30 times higher in Mayotte than in Zanzibar owing to lower fishing pressure. Zanzibar fishers were financially reliant on the fishery and increased fishing effort as stocks declined. This behavioral response occurred without adaptive management and reinforced an unsustainable fishery. In contrast, resource managers in Mayotte adapted to changing fishing effort and stock abundance by implementing a precautionary fishery closure before crossing critical thresholds. Fishery closure may be a necessary measure in small-scale fisheries to preserve vulnerable resources until reliable management systems are devised. Our comparison highlighted four poignant lessons for managing small-scale fisheries: (1) diagnose the fishery regularly, (2) enable an adaptive management system, (3) constrain exploitation within ecological limits, and (4) share management responsibility.
The current and escalating extent of soil degradation, water scarcity and environmental concern
plaguing agricultural productivity, demands re-assessing the direction of food production. Aquaponics
is a concept relatively new to modern food production methods and can contribute to food security.
This study was conducted to establish sustainable aquaculture systems that maximize benefits and
minimize the accumulation of detrimental compounds and other types of negative impacts on both
natural and social environments. This study carried out at an average inflow rate of 1.28 m/day to
evaluate the operation of the aquaponics recirculation system (ARS) on nutrients removal and growth
and yield of African catfish as well as water spinach. A special design of ARS was used to provide
nitrification of fishery wastewater, where the combination of sands and gravels in hydroponics trough,
providing both surfaces for biofuel development and cultivation area for plants. Removal efficiencies
of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total suspended solids (TSS), total ammonia nitrogen
(TAN), nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), and orthophosphate (PO4
3-
) were 82%, 89%,
93%, 94%, 81%, and 80%, respectively. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) and specific growth rate
(SGR) of African catfish were 1.08 and 3.34% day-1
, respectively. The average water spinach
production was 3.56 kg per m2
. This study showed that ARS is a method of producing crop along with
a healthy protein source and among the best alternatives for achieving economic and environmental
sustainability.
One of the most pressing challenges facing food systems in Africa is ensuring availability of a healthy and sustainable diet to 2.4 billion people by 2050. The continent has struggled with development challenges, particularly chronic food insecurity and pervasive poverty. In Africa's food systems, fish and other aquatic foods play a multifaceted role in generating income, and providing a critical source of essential micronutrients. To date, there are no estimates of investment and potential returns for domestic fish production in Africa. To contribute to policy debates about the future of fish in Africa, we applied the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agriculture Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) to explore two Pan-African scenarios for fish sector growth: a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario and a high-growth scenario for capture fisheries and aquaculture with accompanying strong gross domestic product growth (HIGH). Post-model analysis was used to estimate employment and aquaculture investment requirements for the sector in Africa. Africa's fish sector is estimated to support 20.7 million jobs in 2030, and 21.6 million by 2050 under the BAU. Approximately 2.6 people will be employed indirectly along fisheries and aquaculture value chains for every person directly employed in the fish production stage. Under the HIGH scenario, total employment in Africa's fish food system will reach 58.0 million jobs, representing 2.4% of total projected population in Africa by 2050. Aquaculture production value is estimated to achieve US$ 3.3 billion and US$ 20.4 billion per year under the BAU and HIGH scenarios by 2050, respectively. Farm-gate investment costs for the three key inputs (fish feeds, farm labor, and fish seed) to achieve the aquaculture volumes projected by 2050 are estimated at US$ 1.8 billion per year under the BAU and US$ 11.6 billion per year under the HIGH scenario. Sustained investments are critical to sustain capture fisheries and support aquaculture growth for food system transformation towards healthier diets.
Small-scale inland capture fisheries provide an important source of nutritious food, employment and income to millions of people in developing countries, particularly in rural environments where limited alternatives exist. However, the sector is one of most under-valued fisheries sectors and is increasingly experiencing environmental change. This study adopts a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and investigates how important a fluctuating inland fishery is to livelihoods, and how local perceptions on challenges corresponds to global evidence. Through an innovative participatory method; photovoice, the lived experiences and perceptions of fishers are depicted. The findings illuminate the valuable role of the sector to food and nutrition security and the complex nexus with vulnerability to climate change. The study responds to the call for more local level assessments of the impacts of climate change on inland fisheries in data-limited environments, and the value of the sector in underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals.
The optimum dietary protein requirement of the Malaysian mahseer (Tor tambroides) fingerlings was determined in this study. In this completely randomized designed experiment, formulated diets of five levels of dietary protein (30, 35, 40, 45 and 50%) were tested on the T. tambroides fingerlings (initial body weight of 5.85 +/- 0.40 g), reared in aquarium fitted with a biofiltering system. The fingerlings were fed twice daily at 5% of biomass. The fingerling body weight and total length was taken at every two weeks. Mortality was recorded daily. The dietary protein had significant effects on the body weight gain and Specific Growth Rate (SGR) of the fingerlings. The body weight gain and SGR of fingerlings fed with the diet with the dietary protein level of 40% was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of 30, 35 and 50%. The feed conversion ratio of the 40% dietary protein was the significantly lowest at 2.19 +/- 0.163. The dietary protein level of 40% was the most optimum for T. tambroides fingerlings.
Aquatic foods, including fish, are a substantial component of animal source foods globally, and make a critical nutritional contribution to diets in many contexts. In the global North, concern among consumers and regulators over the safety and environmental sustainability of seafood, particularly in developed nations, has led to the development of increasingly stringent seafood safety standards. While such standards may constitute regularity, logistical, and economic barriers to participation in export markets by small-scale producers, they have in other contexts catalysed upgrades to production and post-harvest handling practices within value chains associated with both capture fisheries and aquaculture. The health burden of foodborne illnesses is a major concern in developing countries. As incomes rise, consumers in developing countries are increasingly willing to pay a premium for safer and environmentally sustainable foods. However, there is little empirical evidence on consumers' willingness to pay for seafood safety in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Data on demand for seafood safety and environmental sustainability certification in African countries are largely unavailable in the public domain. In this paper, we describe data collected in Lagos State, Nigeria in October and November 2019. Experiments in the form of Becker-DeGroote-Marschak (BDM) auction mechanism, and post experiment surveys were conducted with 200 fish consumers in fish markets. These data can be used to assess whether consumers' demand for safe and healthy seafood from local markets can be harnessed to generate positive economic returns to producers.
The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of HI V iryfection, risk factors and to measure the knowledge on AIDS among fishermen in Terengganu. In this survey fishermen registered with the Malaysian Fishery Development Board in Terengganu were studied. There were 600 eligible fishermen based on a list provided by the Malaysian Fishery Development Board (MFDB). Study sites were at 6 loading centres where health personnel awaited returning fishermen between 4. 00pm —7. 00 pm during a period of one month, A total of 542 registeredfshermen were studied and this corresponded to a response rate of 90.3 %. The majority of the fishermen were Malays (98.6%}, Nine fishermen were tested positive to HIV antibody and this corresponds to a
g prevalence of I. 7%. Prevalence of HIV is higher among those with a positive history of drug use, single marital status and also among the unskilled workers who represented the socio-economically poorer group of fishermen. Almost 89% of respondents have heard about HIV/AIDS and among these, 93% received information through TV and radio. The mean knowledge score was significantly higher among fishermen admitting to drug taking, sex with prostitutes, and those who have had at least a secondary school education. The Prevalence of HIV infection among fishermen is higher than in the general population. Risk characterisation of HI V injection was statistically signyicant onlv among fishermen who gave positive history of drug used. Findings also suggest that poorer fishermen based on multiple indicators to socioeconomic status had a higher risk of being HIV positive as well as being less knowledgeable about AIDS, Health promotion strategies should focus on the use of TV and radio as an interactive medium to reach out to risk groups among fishermen as its popularity has been determined by this study.
Knowledge on the precise identification of fish resources is critical for sustainable fisheries management. This study employs the DNA barcoding approach to generate a molecular taxonomic catalogue of commercially important reef fishes in the waters of Weh Island (Aceh Province), the most northerly inhabited island in the biodiverse Indonesian Archipelago. The waters not only support artisanal fisheries but also a feeder for the industry in the greater island of Aceh. In total, 230 specimens from 72 species belonging to 32 genera and 17 families were DNA barcoded, representing a major segment of the captured reef fish taxa and a quarter of fish species diversity that had previously been recorded. The sequence read lengths were 639 bp revealing 359 conserved sites, 280 variable sites, 269 parsimony informative and 11 singletons. Our molecular findings paralleled the morphological identification with no evidence of cryptic species or new species discovery. This study is a significant contribution to the fisheries statistics of this area, which would facilitate assessment of species catch composition and hence for strategizing management plans. It is an important input to the DNA barcode library of Indonesian marine fishes and to the global DNA barcode entries in general.
Sea star (class Asteroidea, phylum Echinodermata) is one of the most successful marine organisms inhabiting a wide range of habitats. As one of the key stone species, sea stars are responsible for maintaining much of the local diversity of species within certain communities. Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Resource Survey had been carried out from 16th Aug to 6th Nov 2015 and one of the invertebrate by-catch organisms is sea star Stellaster childreni Gray, 1840. This study documents morphological characters and diet of the sea star, besides providing brief descriptions of the habitats based on particle size analysis and vessel log data sheet. A total of 217 individuals had been examined throughout this study. Fragments of flora and fauna were found in the gut including Mollusca (gastropod, bivalves, and scaphopods), sponge seagrass, and seaweed as well as benthic Foraminifera. Stellaster childreni were found at depth of 45 m to 185 m in the South China Sea off Sarawak Malaysia, with various sea bottom substrata. Approximately 41% of S. childreni were found at a mixture of sandy and muddy substratum, followed by mixture of sandy and coral (19.3%), muddy substratum (17.5%), coral substratum (11.5%), and sandy areas (10.6%). The widely distributed sea star on different types of sea beds suggested healthy deep sea ecosystem; thus Malaysia should explore further potential fisheries resources in the EEZ off Sarawak coast.
The demand for gender analysis is now increasingly orthodox in natural resource programming, including that for small-scale fisheries. Whilst the analysis of social-ecological resilience has made valuable contributions to integrating social dimensions into research and policy-making on natural resource management, it has so far demonstrated limited success in effectively integrating considerations of gender equity. This paper reviews the challenges in, and opportunities for, bringing a gender analysis together with social-ecological resilience analysis in the context of small-scale fisheries research in developing countries. We conclude that rather than searching for a single unifying framework for gender and resilience analysis, it will be more effective to pursue a plural solution in which closer engagement is fostered between analysis of gender and social-ecological resilience whilst preserving the strengths of each approach. This approach can make an important contribution to developing a better evidence base for small-scale fisheries management and policy.
Culturing fishes in marine cages is a rapidly developing area of marine aquaculture. The Asian seabass Lates calcarifer (Bloch) is a fast growing good quality fish that is readily cultured in intensive systems in the South Asian region and in Malaysia in particular. Although several papers have been published to date on viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal organisms causing diseases in the Asian seabass, the occurrence of a coccidian infection in this species has only recently been recorded. We collected sporulated and unsporulated oöcysts of a new species of Goussia Labbé, 1986, from the mucus covering the epithelium of the intestine of L. calcarifer. This paper provides a description of Goussia kuehae n. sp. Sporulated oöcysts of this species are ellipsoidal, 37-40 μm in length and 28-30 μm in width. The ellipsoidal sporocysts are relatively small, 15.2-17 × 5.7-8 μm, and located loosely in the oöcyst. There are residual bodies both in the oöcysts and the sporocysts. Goussia kuehae n. sp. differs from all known species of Goussia in the large size of the oöcysts and in having two types of oöcyst residuum.
It is important to monitor the concentration of toxic metals in the Sungai Kuantan as it serves many communities in terms of domestic, fisheries and agriculture purpose. In order to determine the distributions of dissolved and particulate As and Hg in Sungai Kuantan and evaluate its changes temporally and spatially, water samples were collected from the surface and bottom layers in a grid of 9 stations from estuary towards the upstream of Sungai Kuantan from May 2012 till October 2012. The dissolved metals were pre-concentrated using Chelex-100 while particulate metals were digested using Teflon bomb and subsequently were analyzed using ICP-MS. Dissolved As ranging from 4.650 to 36.894 µg L-1 while dissolved Hg ranging from BDL to 0.011 µg L-1. Particulate As and Hg varied from 0.650 to 86.087 mg L-1 and BDL to 5.873 mg L-1, respectively. Higher concentration of the dissolved elements were found mainly in October 2012 and particulate elements concentration mostly higher in May 2012. The source of the studied metals in the river may be the run-off from the effluent discharges and other natural sources. The toxic elements studied in Sungai Kuantan waters were still below the Interim Marine Water Quality Standard (INWQS) permissible limits.
The spotted sardinella, Amblygaster sirm (Walbaum, 1792), is a commercial sardine commonly caught in Malaysia. Lack of management of these marine species in Malaysian waters could lead to overfishing and potentially declining fish stock populations. Therefore, sustainable management of this species is of paramount importance to ensure its longevity. As such, molecular information is vital in determining the A. sirm population structure and management strategy. In the present study, mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome b was sequenced from 10 A. sirm populations: the Andaman Sea (AS) (two), South China Sea (SCS) (six), Sulu Sea (SS) (one), and Celebes Sea (CS) (one). Accordingly, the intra-population haplotype diversity (Hd) was high (0.91-1.00), and nucleotide diversity (π) was low (0.002-0.009), which suggests a population bottleneck followed by rapid population growth. Based on the phylogenetic trees, minimum spanning network (MSN), population pairwise comparison, and F ST,and supported by analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA) tests, distinct genetic structures were observed (7.2% to 7.6% genetic divergence) between populations in the SCS and its neighboring waters, versus those in the AS. Furthermore, the results defined A. sirm stock boundaries and evolutionary between the west and east coast (which shares the same waters as western Borneo) of Peninsular Malaysia. In addition, genetic homogeneity was revealed throughout the SCS, SS, and CS based on the non-significant F STpairwise comparisons. Based on the molecular evidence, separate management strategies may be required for A. sirm of the AS and the SCS, including its neighboring waters.
This study assesses the influence of water quality on fish occurrences in Sungai Pahang, Maran District, Pahang, Malaysia. Water quality and fish samplings were conducted at seven sampling sites in the district for 13 consecutive months. We used canonical correspondence analyses (CCA) to determine the influence of water quality on monthly fish species occurrences. The ranges of water quality parameters were quite high considering the measurements were made during rainy and dry seasons throughout the year. A total of 2,075 individual fish was captured which comprised of 22 different families and 65 species. Family Cyprinidae recorded the highest number of fish species of the area (27 species; 41.5%), followed by Bagridae (five species; 7.69%) and Pangasiidae (five species; 7.69%). Three fish species categorized as endangered, including Balantiocheilos melanopterus, Probarbus jullieni and Pangasianodon hypophthalmus were also collected. The collected fish species were divided into three groups (A to C), which was clearly separated in the CCA ordination diagram. The most important water quality variables for the fish occurrences in this river were pH, followed by temperature, conductivity, alkalinity and phosphate. Data analysis indicates that the occurrence of fishes were influenced by a combination of water quality parameters, but not associated with sampling month. The results present a new data from a study of fish assemblage and their habitat condition which may be important in fisheries activity and fish conservation of the river in the future.
Marine mammal searches were opportunistically conducted during the East Coast Johor Scientific Expedition (ECJSE) on 21-30 May 2012, on a live-on-board (LOB) diving vessel, MV BLACK PEARL. The expedition was designed mainly to survey coral reef ecosystems and water quality. Daylight visual observations of the sea were undertaken during sailing and stopping/anchored from the most upper open-deck of the vessel. The survey resulted in two sightings of long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis), each at Pulau Aur and Pulau Tinggi. Both observations were brief (< 5 minutes) and were made when the vessel was anchored. Based on anecdotal evidences, skeletal remains and previous surveys, the vulnerable dugong, Indo-Pacific bottlenose, Indo-Pacific humpback, Irrawaddy and long-beaked common dolphins, the false killer and pygmy killer whales, and the baleen whales are known to occur in the East Coast Johor waters, at least occasionally. The low sighting rate with marine mammals during this survey is highly likely caused by the survey design and also may be due to the environmental conditions and ecological factors. Dedicated and periodical boat and aerial surveys for marine mammals need to be conducted to determine species diversity and to understand the seasonality, habitat use, and social interactions of the marine mammal populations in the area. The findings will be most useful for marine park and fisheries authorities to plan conservation management strategies for marine mammals and promote their conservation through eco-tourism activities.
A greater understanding of gendered roles in fisheries is necessary to value the often-hidden roles that women play in fisheries and households. We examine women's contributions to household food and income using focus group discussions, market surveys, and landings data in six communities in Timor-Leste. Women were actively fishing more days per month than men. Gleaning was the most frequent activity and 100% of trips returned with catch for food and/or income. Mollusc and crab catches were common and exploitation appeared targeted on a dynamic reappraisal of changing food values and changing estimates of group needs. With as many as 80% of households in coastal areas involved in fishing, and at least 50% of women fishing, this highlights the current lack of women's engagement as a critical gap in fisheries management approaches. The current androcentric dialogue limits social-ecological understanding of these systems and the potential for their effective stewardship.
Coastal waters in South Johore, Malaysia are polluted to various degrees. The major pollution sources are domestric wastes from human settlements, agro-based wastes from palm oil mills and rubber processing factories, industrial effluents from industrial estates and discharges from animal farms. These pollution problems have adversely affected resources such as fisheries, recreational potential as well as the general aesthetic quality of the coastal environment particularly the Inner Johore Strait. Hence proper management and control measures are urgently needed to protect and further enhance the water quality to ensure environmentally sustainable development. This study examines various management options to control the pollution in the Inner Johore Strait. The options involve partial opening as well as complete removal of the Causeway to improve the tidal flow for more effective dilution and dispersion of pollutants. Computer simulation models are used to assess the impacts of the proposed options.
A total of 230 individuals of Strombus were sampled at various locations along the Johor Straits, Malaysia. There were four species of Strombus present in the study areas i.e. Strombus canarium Linnaeus, 1758; Strombus urceus Linnaeus, 1758; Strombus marginatus subspecies succinctus Linnaeus, 1767; Strombus marginatus subspecies robustus Sowerby, 1874; and Strombus vittatus subspecies vittatus Linnaeus, 1758. Strombus canarium was the most common, widely distributed and most abundant, followed by S. urceus, while the others were only rarely found. Among the species Strombus marginatus and Strombus vittatus were two new distribution records for the Johor Straits. Since all Strombus were traditionally harvested and consumed by the locals since long ago, further studies are needed particularly regarding the population dynamics and fishery of the harvested species.