Highlight from the March issue of the AFS journal, Asian Fisheries Science.
06 May, 2024
Here we highlight two articles of note from the March issue of the AFS journal, Asian Fisheries Science one on molecular approaches for identifying fish and the second on climate change and pelagic fisheries.
- Gamage et al. 2024. Exploring the Potential in Combining the Two Molecular Approaches, COI Barcoding and PCR-RFLP (COIBar-RFLP) in Identification of Selected Species of the Family Carangidae.
Asian Fisheries Science 37. https://doi.org/10.33997/j.afs.2024.37.1.001
The authors evaluate two molecular approaches (COI barcoding and PCR-RFLP) differentiating eight closely related species of carangids (in four genera: Caranx, Selar, Selaroides, and Carangoides). They found the combination of methods was very effective for differentiating the closely related species and suggest that it has potential for other families that are difficult to identify based on meristics alone.
- Gunwardane et al. 2024. Recent Declining Trends in Pelagic Fish Catches in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka: Is Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory (GOLT) a Possible Explanation
Asian Fisheries Science 37. https://doi.org/10.33997/j.afs.2024.37.1.005
This study examines the decline in pelagic fish landings (18 main species) by multi-day fishing fleets in Sri Lanka. It surveyed fishers to explore their perceptions of the decline and whether the Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory (GOLT) could explain these trends. They find that climate change and deoxygenation are key stressors impacting fish stocks, requiring a distinction between their effects and overfishing. Analysis of 18 common pelagic species supports GOLT predictions, indicating potential shifts due to deoxygenation linked to rising sea temperatures. The study suggests conducting fishery-independent surveys to further understand these shifts and assess GOLT's relevance in regional fisheries management plans.