First Record of Pseudocapillaria tomentosa (Dujardin, 1845) Moravec, 1987 in Cultured Grass Carp in Basrah Province, Iraq

A total of 110 specimens of cultured grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (Pisces: Cyprinidae) were collected from three different fish pond stations in Basrah province, during the period from March till July 2007. Postmortem parasitological examinations indicated infection of the grass carp with the nematode Pseudocapillaria tomentosa and this infection occurred only in Faddak fish ponds during all months of investigation. The maximum incidence of infection was 26.6% in April, while the maximum intensity of infection was 8.5 in June. The present finding of this nematodes represents its first record in Iraqi fishes.

Socio-economic determinants of net-income in fish farming in Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria onomic determinants of net-income in fish farming in Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria

The study analyzed the socio-economic determinants of net-income in aquaculture of Kainji, Lake Basin, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the; fish farming systems; cost and returns, socio-economic determinants of net-farm income and challenges of fish farming in the area. The study adopted a two-stage sampling procedure to select 120 table-size fish farmers. Data were collected with questionnaires that were administered through face-to-face interview and analyzed using descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that 35.00 % of the fish farmers were within the age bracket of 31-40 years, 53.34 % were men, 91.67 % were married, 55.83 % had between 1-5 years of experience in fish farming and 75.83 % had tertiary educational qualification. Majority (92 %) of the fish farmers practiced the monoculture of catfish using earthen ponds system. The estimated total expenses were <strike>N</strike> 14,953,330.74 while the total revenue generated from 9 fish ponds, each stocked with an average of 3883.986 fingerlings in 2 cycles per year was <strike>N</strike> 20,188,142.00. The estimated net-farm income after tax was <strike>N</strike> 5,234,811.26 while the net profit margin and return on investment was 25.93 % and 35% respectively. Age, experience and household size were positive and significant (p<0.05) socio-economic factors that affected net-farm income while the challenges of fish farming were high cost of feed ( ̅x=3.24), poor pricing ( ̅x =3.11), poor access to capital ( ̅x=3.09) and persistent poaching/theft ( ̅x= 2.67). Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that there should be an intensive research by the fish nutrition division of National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) on the possible alternatives of crude protein source that could be a perfect substitute to Clupeids in fish feeds. Keywords: aquaculture, catfish, socio-economic, profitability, farmers

Climate Change in Fisheries and Aquaculture: Analysis of the Impact Caused by Idai and Kenneth Cyclones in Mozambique

Fisheries and Aquaculture are among the most popular activities in coastal regions of the world. In addition, both correspond to high-risk activities within a climate change context as they are vulnerable to environmental changes that threaten the socio-economic sustainability of the fishing communities that depend on fish for food security and income generation. In 2019, the central part of Mozambique was hit by two unprecedented cyclones: Idai and Kenneth that killed over 600 people and left nearly 2.2 million people in need of urgent assistance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impacts these cyclones had on fisheries and aquaculture in the provinces of Sofala and Zambézia in Mozambique. The study further seeks to propose strategies that could be adopted by the communities to minimize the risks in the future. For the construction of the database, both secondary and primary data collection approaches were used to characterize the cyclone events. Secondary data was collected through sector reports and previously published articles, while primary data was collected through interviews with fishers, sector employees, and aquaculture producers in the affected provinces. The results revealed that these natural events had both a direct and indirect impact on fishing, as they affected more than 1,440 fishermen that lost 590 vessels, 1,800 fishing gear, and 67 boat engines in Sofala province. In Zambézia province, aquaculture producers lost 169 fish ponds, two cages, and 606,000 lost fry, while in Sofala province, 58 fish tanks, 204 cages, and 257,500 fish fry were lost. Overall, our study reveals the vulnerability of fisheries and aquaculture to extreme events particularly the cyclones in Mozambique. Lack of knowledge regarding climate change, advanced preventive measures, and poor adaptive capacity makes the sectors more vulnerable to disasters. Therefore, it is recommended to improve awareness programs, introduce measures and policies that promote resilience and optimum adaptive efficiency.

Coastal Inundation and Land Subsidence in North Coast of West Java: A New Hazard?

The North Coasts of West Java are increasingly affected by human activities. The area has been utilized as settlement areas, industrial estates, and associated infrastructures including roads, school, hospital, market, etc. Consequently, this massive landuse and uncontrolled natural resources extraction have contributed to environmental degradation such as coastal erosion, accretion, pollution, inundation, and land subsidence. To date, we have so far very few field measurement data of land subsidence to support its importance. However, satellite image and on-ground observations used to determine spatio-temporal changes in the shoreline and area of inundation indicated the existence of land subsidence. Groundtruth data on selected areas also indicated the indicators of land subsidence such as damages of infrastructures including houses, roads, and sea dikes. The most noticeable shoreline changes in the North Coast of West Java are situated in Muara Gembong Bekasi and Legon Kulon Subang constituting maximum rates of shoreline retreat up to 200 and 150 m/year respectively for the last two decades (from 2000 to 2020). Whilst, the total areas of inundation in Muara Gembong and Legon Kulon based on recent satellite studies are 10.2 km2 and 7.4 km2 respectively. Coastal inundation might be linked to the combination of long-term behavior of oceanographic variables such as wave and sea level, in coincidence with hydrological changes due to river works (i.e. dam constructions and channellings) and an increase of settlement areas, fish ponds, groundwater extraction, etc. A set of preliminary engineering measures, in conjunction with sediment managing schemes, is proposed for the sustainable development of the coastal zone.

Utilization of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology for mapping and identification of agroforestry land cover patterns in Namolandur Village, North Sumatra

Agroforestry-based land use is widely used in society, particularly in rural areas. With a combination of tree crops (annual) and crops (seasonal), agroforestry patterns can maximize land utilization. Unmanned aircraft, often known as drones, can map and detect land cover to optimise land usage based on agroforestry. Drones have various advantages, including low cost, ease of acquisition, and the ability to utilize them in high-risk situations without endangering human life or in difficult or inaccessible places. They can also fly at low altitudes, resulting in cloud-free shots and sharper images. This research focuses on using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to map agroforestry patterns in Namolandur Village and detect and determine the area of each agroforestry pattern land cover using aerial camera photos. Using the Mavic 2 pro drone and Pix4D Mapper software for aerial photo processing, Namolandur village became the research subject. The data analysis revealed that agrisilviculture, agrosilvofishery, and agrosilvopastoral were the forms of land use with agroforestry patterns in the village of Namolandur. In addition, water guava, duku fruit (Lansium domestika), oil palm, coconut, and a combination of fish ponds, cattle, and goats are among the geographical analysis of the area and each form of land use.

A floating photovoltaic system for fishery aeration

Photovoltaic panel as a producer of renewable energy is increasingly being utilized. The electrical energy produced by photovoltaic panel can be used for aeration in fish ponds located quite isolated and far from the main electricity grid. Aeration is important for fishery because it affects the dissolved oxygen level in the water. The system uses two units of 50 Wp floating solar panels and four units of DC aerator of 12 Volt/0.28 A. The measurement of solar irradiance, solar panel temperature, output voltage and current was conducted to monitor floating solar panel performance. Dissolved oxygen level measured in the water without aeration was 3 - 3.9 mg/L while after using floating photovoltaic panels to supply the electrical energy for aerators, dissolved oxygen level in the water was increased to 4.1 - 4.8 mg/L.

Isolation and selection of bacteria inhibiting Streptococcus agalactiae causing dark-body disease on snakeskin gourami fish (Trichogaster pectoralis)

Streptococcus agalactiae is one of the microbial pathogens causing the dark-body disease on snakeskin gourami fish (Trichogaster pectoralis) that affects the growth and quality of fish. This research aimed to isolate and select bacteria inhibiting S. agalactiae which are able to use for controling pathogenic bacteria instead of antibiotics. Fourteen bacteria strains were isolated and screened from healthy fishes, sediment and water samples at fish ponds in Dong Thap province. Among these strains, L7 strain showed the highest inhibition ability with the clear zone diameter was 9,3 mm. The results of the 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that the L7 strain belonged to Bacillus subtilis. The experiment to evaluate the inhibition capacity and fish disease control of selected B. subtilis in experimental conditions was conducted by challenging fish with S. agalactiae. Fishes in the control treatment was infected with S. agalactiae at 106 CFU/mL had survival rate 41,7%. The experimental treatments NT1, NT2, NT3 which were treated with B. subtilis at concentrations of 105 CFU/mL, 106 CFU/mL, and 107 CFU/mL gave higher survival rates compared with the non-treated control, with the rates of 60%, 76,7%, and 81,7%, respectively. These results revealed that the isolated B. subtilis is potential used in control dark-body disease on snakeskin gourami fish.