Mar 30 2017

Commercial culture of abalone in South Africa

Photos’ credit: Hussein El Ghobashy (Egypt)

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

Commercial culture of abalone in South Africa (02) Commercial culture of abalone in South Africa (01)

 

 

The inserted pictures were taken in a commercial abalone farm in South Africa. The farm which is the first abalone farm in South Africa is located at Hermanus which is a seaside town southeast of Cape Town, Western Cape Province.

According to the company brochure, the production of abalone amounted 310 tons of abalone in 2013. The company has four farms covering combined 10 hectares and house over 2,000 land-based tanks. A self-sufficiency of abalone spat is achieved through a hatchery producing more than 4 million spats of African abalone (Haliotis Midae). The number of hatchery produced spat is sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the company farms and allow selling of excess spats. In regard to the trade, this operation has its own processing plant whereas canned, dried and live abalone is prepared /produced for local and export markets.  More than 7,000 tons of seawater from the Indian Ocean is pumped every hour.  

Key reference: Abagold brochure and website

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13936

Mar 21 2017

Historic landing and marketing of common snook in Florida

The date of the inserted picture goes back to June, 1949 and has the title: “Commercial seine net fishermen bringing their boat full of snook to market in Naples, Florida”.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the State Archives of Florida – This photo was photographed in 1949.

Fishing boat filled with snook (1949)

 

 

 

 

Review by: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website):

Looking for the fish market before the attached picture was taken, a historic book titled “Tales of Naples – Some of which are true” states that in 1922, Bembury Storter and his family opened a little fish market which was built on the side of the City Dock at Crayton Cove. He also hand built boats at this location with his son, Wilbur. Three mullet, cleaned, prepared and wrapped in fresh newspaper, could be taken home for the low cost of 10¢ per pound”.

In regard to common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, is a popular gamefish as well as is supporting one of the largest and most popular fisheries in Florida.

Prior to World War II, human consumption of snook was low because the fish developed a “soapy” taste as a result of cleaning practices that left the skin attached to the fillet and so snook were considered “cat food,”.  However, the demand on snook during the protein-short war years, leading to intensifying the catch to meet the demand.

During 1940s onward, the abundance and hence the landings of snook in Florida witnessed significant fluctuation reaching to a steadily decline in the species abundance and in commercial landing in the mid-1950s to the level that the Florida legislature passed stricter regulations in 1957 including rules which made it illegal to buy or sell snook, set the bag limit at four snook per day, and limited the legal capture of snook to “hook and line” only.

As the conservation efforts continued, the legislature, in 1981, set possession limits at two snook per day with the provision that no snook longer than 18 inches fork length could be kept during June or July 1982-1986. Further actions were taken in 1982 through closing the snook fishery during winter (January and February) and during summer (June and July) during 1982-1986. The biological reasons behind that were to halt the decline in the snook abundance by eliminating the catch during the winter months, when snook become lethargic in the cold water and so can easily be harvested, and by eliminating the take during the summer spawning season.

It may worth mentioning that over several decades, Florida lost more than 50% of its mangroves; the snook’s principal habitat. Therefore, overfish and habitat loss contributed at different levels in the decline of snook’s stocks in Florida.

Finally, because of the high economic value of common snook in the fishery resource to the state of Florida, the ongoing efforts to enhance the abundance level of the species continue including restrictive management, angler conservation and promoting the value of catch-and-release fishing of the species.

 

 

 

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13931

Mar 20 2017

A quick stop at El Zatoun fish market (Cairo- Egypt)

With Abu Hani (Zaton fish market)

On 19 March (2017), I spent about an hour in El Zatoun market and in particular at the fish section. The market is close enough to where I live and we used to buy our family need of fish from this market. For one reason or another, I do not recall visiting this market for the past 20-30 years. A day before this last visit (18 March) and through a family chat, we remembered this and market and so I planned to visit the market probably for curiosity as well as to refresh my memory. Since I did not buy fish, I had to introduce myself to the owners of three fish displays which I stopped at. They all trusted my intention on sharing the information obtained through such quick stop on my multi-media avenues.  They answered my questions and welcomed my request to use my camera. I will post the technical component of the visit hopefully in due time. Before ending, I sincerely thank the owners/salesmen of fish displays: Mr. Gameel William, Mr. Mohamed (from Fayoum) and   Mr. Abu Hani, with whom I had the inserted picture.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13927

Mar 20 2017

Behind the pictures: Educating bankers on aquaculture (Case study) – Egypt

 

Banker Day (03) Banker Day (02) Banker Day (01)

 

 

Fish farmers in many countries are facing difficulties while trying to obtain bank credit due to various reasons whether related to banking system or due to technical issues. The ones related to banking procedures including any or of the issues such as lack or insufficient collaterals, land tenure, legal status and others.  The obstacles of technical nature are related to the inserted pictures.

Being a Board of Trustees member for a large credit line (MSSP) designed to provide soft loans for private operations in four agricultural sectors including aquaculture. The dispersal of loans to three sectors went normal, while none of aquaculture applications was processed by the banks over almost a year.

Knowing that credit officers in the banks are not aware about aquaculture and considered the activity is a risky business and this was behind keeping the loan applications unprocessed. In order to address the problem, the credit line management along with the World Fish Center (my work place) arranged for a single orientation day which was held at the World Fish facility and attended by about 60 bankers from the collaborating banks. A combination of brief presentations and more of demonstrations on pond management ending by a fish harvest took place in that day showing how aquaculture is a manageable activity like any other agricultural sector. The positive outcome of this day was positive as reflected in processing the aquaculture applications once the regular banking requirements have been met.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13924

Mar 18 2017

Behind the pictures: Malawi fish farmers study tour in Egypt (Typical opening and unique graduation)

04 Training 22 Boat closing (8) 21-30 June, 2004 03 Training 22 Certificate (2) 21-30 June, 2004 02 In Service Visit to Manzala Fish Farm 21-30 June, 2004 01 Training 22 Openning 21-30, 2004

The study tour was supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency – Malawi (JICA) and took place throughout the period from 21 to 30 June, 2004. In addition to a 3-day training delivered in the World Fish facility at Abbassa, the remaining period were spent in touring aquaculture operations in several governorates (hatcheries, fish farms, Nile cages, feed mills etc.) whereas the World Fish Center organized the study tour which focused more on visiting aquaculture.

The said mission was led by Dr. Dr Emmanuel Kaunda (Bunda College of Agriculture – University of Malawi) and supported by Mr. Sachio Yamamoto, Project Manager Master Plan Study on Aquaculture Development in Malawi. The study mission composed mainly from fish farmers along with two technical staff who belonged to Department of Fishery in Malawi.  

(Mr. Nikoloma, Mr. J.J. Ngambi, Mr. R. Jere,  Mr. Peter Ngoma, Mr. Zembere, Dr. G. Chinkhuntha, and Dr. R. Chokani).

The unique issue in this course is the graduation day which tuned into a nice and memorial event. Because the program was very packed, the graduation ceremony and the invitation by Mr. Yahaya M’madi, Malawi Ambassador in Egypt were combined in one event that took place on 30 June, 2004 on a Nile cruise in Cairo where certificates were circulated.   

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13914

Mar 16 2017

Climate change in Congo – in French

A permission from the report owner has been granted to publish the report on this website

cover-climate-change-in-congo

http://fishconsult.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Climate-change-in-Congo.pdf

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13912

Mar 10 2017

Behind the pictures: Very Belated Thank You to Mr. Pedro Padlan

Padlan and myself (02) Padlan and myself (01)

Sending belated thanks after a year or two may still make sense. In my case it is 37 years, but I decided to send it any way. During sometime in 1980, I met Mr. Pedro Padlan, the FAO aquaculture expert and who carried a Philippine passport at the premises of the Fishery Agency in Cairo where I worked. Few days after, I knew that Mr. Padlan nominated me to the top management to be his national counterpart in an Egypt/UNDP project on aquaculture development. I was very clear with Mr. Padlan admitting that my knowledge on aquaculture was so modest –if any.

However, upon the insistence of Mr. Padlan, I accepted such challenging task which focused on capacity building and took place at a governmental fish farm (Zawya) in Kafr El Sheikh. The 6-month training course hosted 21 participants of middle to senior positions and who affiliated to various fishery departments. I would save the technical details on this course for another post hopefully in due time.

In this “Thank you” message, I should admit that through managing the course and via the one-to-one discussion with Mr. Padlan, I was able to gain and accumulate technical information which was of great help upon joining my graduate program in USA shortly after the termination of the course. I always acknowledge Mr. Padlan in my frequent presentations related to the development of Egyptian aquaculture but this time I decided to thank him in public although I have no idea where is he now.

Note: One of the photos was taken in the fish farm while the second was taken at my home few days before the departure of Mr. Padlan. I guess you can identify the persons as Mr. Padlan is the one with glasses and so I am the other one.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13908

Mar 10 2017

Sailfish sport fishing in Florida from 1950s till present (Video)

Video courtesy: the State Archives of Florida, USA

Sailfishin Florida memory

 

The title of this video: “Sailfish city” and was filmed during 1950s. The caption of the video states: ”This film is about fishing for sailfish off Fort Pierce. It shows how to use mullet for bait. There is lots of action as sailfish are caught”. The film was produced by the Florida State Advertising Commission and Russell-Barton Film Co.

Review by Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the video channel): After about 60 years of taking this video, it is obvious that the sailfishing remains highly attractive and fishing trips whether through boats or charters are arranged especially during the winter months in Florida which is considered one of the world’s top destinations for catching sailfish where anglers come from many places to enjoy fishing such beautiful and acrobatic fish making the sailfish fishing an extremely exciting experience. The main sailfishing methods are either dangling live baits from fishing kites or using live baits either drifted or slow trolled.

Over decades, angler attitudes have changed, whereas catch and release has become the norm as a means of conservation of sailfish resources. In fact, various reports state that the catch-and-release ethic has significantly contributed to the stability of sailfish populations and hence the catch and release practice is highly encouraged for the economic value of sailfish to sport fishing especially on the other hand, commercial long liners and other commercial vessels kill several thousands of billfish including sailfish every year due to by catch.

Even though sailfish is not endangered, there are some conservation measures which are in place. For example, private boats, head-boats and charter boats that seek sailfish in federal water must purchase an annual “Highly Migratory Species” permit. Moreover, federal regulations prohibit removing an Atlantic sailfish from the water before an immediate release. Also, the legal-size of sailfish that can be harvested has been specified to be more than 63 inches (lower jaw fork length) conditioned to having proper licenses and permits.

It may be of interest to know that most anglers usually will choose to keep the sailfish and have it mounted as a means of remembering their catch. In regard to photographing, sailfish laws in Florida state waters do not have any restrictions on photographing released catch, although most sailfish are caught farther offshore in federal jurisdiction where federal regulations prohibit pulling a fish out of the water for a photo. It seems this particular issue (photographing) would continue to be a debatable issue.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13902

Mar 09 2017

Liming fish ponds in Tanzania

Photo credit: Emmanuel Godfrey Maneno and Mashaka Shabani Kapagalla (Tanzania)

Review: Emmanuel Godfrey Maneno, Mashaka Shabani Kapagalla and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)

Liming a fish pond in Tanzania

 

The farm shown in the inserted picture is located at Bagamayo, Saadani (Pwani region). The liming carried out here is done to correct the acidity of pond soil. The species cultured in such pond are tilapia and African catfish. An average size of a fish pond such as the picture is about 2000 m2 with a dimension of 20×100 m. The water source provided to fish ponds in this location comes from River Wami whereas its water is subject to monthly sampling indicating good quality for aquaculture.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13900

Mar 07 2017

Cleaning relationship between sunfish (client fish) and wrasses (cleaner fish)- Video

Video client: Patricia Martin Cabrera

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the video channel)

Sunfish in Spanish waters

 

This video was filmed in the Mediterranean Sea of Granada (Spain). The video shows a specimen of sunfish (Mola mola) upon receiving a cleaning service from a small fish of the Mediterranean rainbow wrasse in a symbolic relationship.

The sunfish (Mola mola) is actually the heaviest known bony fish in the world and can weigh close to 1000 kg. The species is known by its heavy parasitic load and hence the cleaning service is so much needed to get relieved. On the other hand, cleaner fish provide the cleaning service by removing dead skin and ectoparasites from their clients and feeding on what they remove.  This cleaning symbiosis is an example of mutualism, an ecological interaction that benefits both parties involved.

It may be of interest to know there is a sort of specialization in the cleaning process whereas wrasse primarily cleans around the gills and mouth whereas other species focus on the eyes and other parts.  

Depending on species, cleaner fish have their species-specific adaptation to advertise their services which could be provided through the so-called cleaning stations to where client fish once they feel an urgent need to remove parasitic problems, they approach the cleaning stations and perform specific signals to attract the attention of the cleaner fish. Also, the client fish may adopt a species-specific pose to allow the cleaner access to its body surface, gills and mouth.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://fishconsult.org/?p=13894

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