- Email: [email protected]
Deep-water fisheries of the North Atlantic Oceanic Slope
384
Book Reviews I J. Exp. Mar. Bid.
Ed.
1% (1996) .?7.?-300
computer simulation of the process of production of increasingly complex patterns of coloration or sculpture. The numerous illustrations of these simulations in the book, reproduced alongside photographs of similarly-patterned shells, provide convincing demonstrations of the effectiveness of this modelling approach. These are even further enhanced in a chapter contributed by Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz and Deborah R. Fowler in which the models of patterns of coloration developed in the earlier chapters are incorporated with models that generate shell shapes. The result is “a virtual museum of shells” in the spirit of the Virtual Laboratory Series to which this book is a contribution. A 3.5” diskette, containing a modified version of the author’s own working programs, is provided with the book and allows any reader with access to a suitable IBM-compatible computer to reproduce most of the patterns illustrated - although random elements in the program mean that not all of the patterns appear on the screen in exactly the form illustrated in the book. Mackintosh users are sadly not catered for. Simulations that require more complex input from the keyboard have been simplified using a variety of “Guided Tours” that allow step-by-step progression through selected topics. The program, generally is only moderately user-friendly, but there is provision for the reader to interact by changing the values of different parameters in the equations thus changing the resulting colour patterns. Third does require some effort to become familiar with the commands. It also requires some patience; some of the colour patterns develop only relatively slowly on the screen, although this may vary depending on the equipment used. I look forward to a second ‘WINDOWS’ edition with a more evolved program. Be that as it may, I am sure that each of the books reviewed here will serve in its own way to stimulate further research which will add to our growing knowledge of the marvellous diversity in form exhibited by tropical seashells, and to the processes that lead to that diversity. A.D. Ansell Scottish Association for Marine P.O. Box 3 Oban, Argyll PA34 4AD UK
Science
Deep-Water Fisheries of the North Atlantic Oceanic Slope edited by Alan G. Hopper; Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands; 199.5; 421 pp.; NATO Advanced Science Institutes Series E: Applied Sciences - Vol. 296; GBP 129.00, US$199:00 Df 295.00; ISBN O-7923-3511-2 This is a very timely and useful volume that brings together information from disparate sources on deep-water fishes of the most intensively exploited ocean region of the world. The 1990s have seen the stabilisation of total global fish catch at 100 million tonnes per annum. Increases in production through advances in fishing technology and discovery of new resources have been offset by exhaustion
Book
Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol.
196 (1996) 373-390
385
of existing resources. In the North Atlantic we have witnessed the collapse of the Grand Bank cod fishery, decline of North Sea fish stocks and a general acceptance on both sides of the Atlantic that management of fisheries over recent decades has been a failure. Unexploited stocks of fishes in deep-water on the slopes around the North Atlantic provide a potential respite for a hard-pressed industry endeavouring to restructure itself against a background of decline. This book is the result of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held in Hull, England in March 1994 and provides information on resources that are otherwise very poorly documented. It is divided into four sections; Scientific papers, Review papers, Technical Papers and a Summary. The nine scientific papers take up almost two thirds of the book. They have been edited and refereed to a high standard and present new scientific information on deepwater species around the North Atlantic. The paper on Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) by Bowering and Brodie is of particular interest in view of the major dispute between Canada and Europe in 1995 regarding the exploitation of this resource. They show that the biomass of the Greenland halibut stock has declined steadily since the 1980s although catches have increased through a redirection of effort from shelf areas to deeper water. An insight into the origins of the dispute between Europe and Canada is provided by the biomass index data from the EEC that shows a steady increase in the early 90s contradicting data from other sources. An important feature of this book is that it makes available data from USSR and Russian research programmes. Particularly the chapter on roundnose grenadiers (Coryphaenoides rupestris) by D.B. Atkinson integrates these data into a coherent overview of what is known about this species. Chapters by leading researchers, Gordon, Merrett, Haedrich, J.V. and J. Magnusson, Reinert and Heriede, provide an overview of the main potentially exploitable species. Bergstad in a chapter on age determination, issues a warning that of the 340 species described in the deep north Atlantic by Haedrich and Merrett, the ageing method has only been validated in one species. Without a means of ageing fishes, estimates of production and hence rational management may be impossible. Age estimates of some species as high as loo-150 years serve as a warning that production may be very low. Clark contributes a paper from New Zealand on the management of the orange roughly (Hoplostethus atlanticus), which is one of the best examples of development of a new deep-water fishery resource. Reported catch of this species in the 1980s was 40-50,000 tonnes per annum. However, in view of an average life span of over 100 years and age of recruitment of 30 years, it now seems that sustainable yields will be no more than l-2% of virgin stock biomass (i.e. of the order of 10,000 tonnes per annum). This is a salutary projection considering that catch rates for an individual vessel of 40-50 tonnes in one or two minutes have been reported when exploiting aggregations of this species near sea mounts. The review and technical papers provide information on commercial fisheries for deep-water species in the North Atlantic through contributions from different countries, Spain, Ireland, Canada, Portugal, France, Russia, Norway and Iceland. In the final summary section, the conclusions from four workshops, are presented:
386
Book
Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Bid.
Ecol.
196 (1996) 37.3-390
I, International management of deep-water resources; II, Processing, marketing and end-use; III, Technical development - gear and vessels; IV, Joint research into deep-sea stocks. Possible management strategies are discussed and it is pointed out that of the 300-400 recognised species less than 10 are considered marketable. Nomenclature is a major source of potential confusion, most species do not have established common names and it is recommended that scientific names should be used as often as possible. Trawling is likely to be the principal method for exploitation, but the high cost of working at great depths places limits on the fishery. Baited long-lines are very successful, but fail to catch key desirable species such as the orange raughy and roundnose grenadier. A potentially destructive future development would be deepwater gill-netting which is a low-cost system but with high risks of vessels loosing the nets which would continue to kill fishes for years afterward. This book is essential for anyone interested in development of fisheries in this important area. There is a good balance between basic biological data and information on commercial fisheries. The final summary gives recommendations for future research but the best conclusion is probably provided by Bowering and Brodie of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Center in St, John’s Newfoundland who write in their chapter: “While there may be opportunities to develop deepsea fisheries it is painfully obvious that fish inhabiting a very narrow edge on the continental slope could never be expected to compete in quantity with the normal level of fishes resources occupying the many hundreds of thousands of square miles of continental shelf adjacent to it.” I.G. Priede Department of Zoology University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen AB9 2TN UK Oceanograhy
and
Marine
Biology:
un Annual
Ansell, R. N. Gibson and M. Barnes; 85.00, US$lSO.OO; ISBN l-85728-363-5
Review,
UCL Press, (HB).
Vol. 33, edited
London;
by A.D. 1995; 665 pp.; GBP
Volume 33 of this indispensable series contains 10 reviews, all in the fields of biological oceanography or marine biology and so, on this occasion, by no means covering the broad spectrum of oceanography. This is a large book of 665 pages and, at GBP 85 (US$lSO), not cheap which may put it beyond the reach of individuals, but the coverage and quality of the papers is such that all marine scientists, of whatever discipline, will need it readily available. Much of the credit for the series’ continuing success must go to the editors, who maintain both the catholicity of appeal and the high standard of content; but authors have a notable freedom of length and format (more so than with some other series). Thus, while the average paper in this volume is 57 pages, the spread is from 13 up to 150; thus
Book Reviews I J. Exp. Mar. Bid.
Ed.
1% (1996) .?7.?-300
computer simulation of the process of production of increasingly complex patterns of coloration or sculpture. The numerous illustrations of these simulations in the book, reproduced alongside photographs of similarly-patterned shells, provide convincing demonstrations of the effectiveness of this modelling approach. These are even further enhanced in a chapter contributed by Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz and Deborah R. Fowler in which the models of patterns of coloration developed in the earlier chapters are incorporated with models that generate shell shapes. The result is “a virtual museum of shells” in the spirit of the Virtual Laboratory Series to which this book is a contribution. A 3.5” diskette, containing a modified version of the author’s own working programs, is provided with the book and allows any reader with access to a suitable IBM-compatible computer to reproduce most of the patterns illustrated - although random elements in the program mean that not all of the patterns appear on the screen in exactly the form illustrated in the book. Mackintosh users are sadly not catered for. Simulations that require more complex input from the keyboard have been simplified using a variety of “Guided Tours” that allow step-by-step progression through selected topics. The program, generally is only moderately user-friendly, but there is provision for the reader to interact by changing the values of different parameters in the equations thus changing the resulting colour patterns. Third does require some effort to become familiar with the commands. It also requires some patience; some of the colour patterns develop only relatively slowly on the screen, although this may vary depending on the equipment used. I look forward to a second ‘WINDOWS’ edition with a more evolved program. Be that as it may, I am sure that each of the books reviewed here will serve in its own way to stimulate further research which will add to our growing knowledge of the marvellous diversity in form exhibited by tropical seashells, and to the processes that lead to that diversity. A.D. Ansell Scottish Association for Marine P.O. Box 3 Oban, Argyll PA34 4AD UK
Science
Deep-Water Fisheries of the North Atlantic Oceanic Slope edited by Alan G. Hopper; Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands; 199.5; 421 pp.; NATO Advanced Science Institutes Series E: Applied Sciences - Vol. 296; GBP 129.00, US$199:00 Df 295.00; ISBN O-7923-3511-2 This is a very timely and useful volume that brings together information from disparate sources on deep-water fishes of the most intensively exploited ocean region of the world. The 1990s have seen the stabilisation of total global fish catch at 100 million tonnes per annum. Increases in production through advances in fishing technology and discovery of new resources have been offset by exhaustion
Book
Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol.
196 (1996) 373-390
385
of existing resources. In the North Atlantic we have witnessed the collapse of the Grand Bank cod fishery, decline of North Sea fish stocks and a general acceptance on both sides of the Atlantic that management of fisheries over recent decades has been a failure. Unexploited stocks of fishes in deep-water on the slopes around the North Atlantic provide a potential respite for a hard-pressed industry endeavouring to restructure itself against a background of decline. This book is the result of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held in Hull, England in March 1994 and provides information on resources that are otherwise very poorly documented. It is divided into four sections; Scientific papers, Review papers, Technical Papers and a Summary. The nine scientific papers take up almost two thirds of the book. They have been edited and refereed to a high standard and present new scientific information on deepwater species around the North Atlantic. The paper on Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) by Bowering and Brodie is of particular interest in view of the major dispute between Canada and Europe in 1995 regarding the exploitation of this resource. They show that the biomass of the Greenland halibut stock has declined steadily since the 1980s although catches have increased through a redirection of effort from shelf areas to deeper water. An insight into the origins of the dispute between Europe and Canada is provided by the biomass index data from the EEC that shows a steady increase in the early 90s contradicting data from other sources. An important feature of this book is that it makes available data from USSR and Russian research programmes. Particularly the chapter on roundnose grenadiers (Coryphaenoides rupestris) by D.B. Atkinson integrates these data into a coherent overview of what is known about this species. Chapters by leading researchers, Gordon, Merrett, Haedrich, J.V. and J. Magnusson, Reinert and Heriede, provide an overview of the main potentially exploitable species. Bergstad in a chapter on age determination, issues a warning that of the 340 species described in the deep north Atlantic by Haedrich and Merrett, the ageing method has only been validated in one species. Without a means of ageing fishes, estimates of production and hence rational management may be impossible. Age estimates of some species as high as loo-150 years serve as a warning that production may be very low. Clark contributes a paper from New Zealand on the management of the orange roughly (Hoplostethus atlanticus), which is one of the best examples of development of a new deep-water fishery resource. Reported catch of this species in the 1980s was 40-50,000 tonnes per annum. However, in view of an average life span of over 100 years and age of recruitment of 30 years, it now seems that sustainable yields will be no more than l-2% of virgin stock biomass (i.e. of the order of 10,000 tonnes per annum). This is a salutary projection considering that catch rates for an individual vessel of 40-50 tonnes in one or two minutes have been reported when exploiting aggregations of this species near sea mounts. The review and technical papers provide information on commercial fisheries for deep-water species in the North Atlantic through contributions from different countries, Spain, Ireland, Canada, Portugal, France, Russia, Norway and Iceland. In the final summary section, the conclusions from four workshops, are presented:
386
Book
Reviews
I J. Exp. Mar. Bid.
Ecol.
196 (1996) 37.3-390
I, International management of deep-water resources; II, Processing, marketing and end-use; III, Technical development - gear and vessels; IV, Joint research into deep-sea stocks. Possible management strategies are discussed and it is pointed out that of the 300-400 recognised species less than 10 are considered marketable. Nomenclature is a major source of potential confusion, most species do not have established common names and it is recommended that scientific names should be used as often as possible. Trawling is likely to be the principal method for exploitation, but the high cost of working at great depths places limits on the fishery. Baited long-lines are very successful, but fail to catch key desirable species such as the orange raughy and roundnose grenadier. A potentially destructive future development would be deepwater gill-netting which is a low-cost system but with high risks of vessels loosing the nets which would continue to kill fishes for years afterward. This book is essential for anyone interested in development of fisheries in this important area. There is a good balance between basic biological data and information on commercial fisheries. The final summary gives recommendations for future research but the best conclusion is probably provided by Bowering and Brodie of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Center in St, John’s Newfoundland who write in their chapter: “While there may be opportunities to develop deepsea fisheries it is painfully obvious that fish inhabiting a very narrow edge on the continental slope could never be expected to compete in quantity with the normal level of fishes resources occupying the many hundreds of thousands of square miles of continental shelf adjacent to it.” I.G. Priede Department of Zoology University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue Aberdeen AB9 2TN UK Oceanograhy
and
Marine
Biology:
un Annual
Ansell, R. N. Gibson and M. Barnes; 85.00, US$lSO.OO; ISBN l-85728-363-5
Review,
UCL Press, (HB).
Vol. 33, edited
London;
by A.D. 1995; 665 pp.; GBP
Volume 33 of this indispensable series contains 10 reviews, all in the fields of biological oceanography or marine biology and so, on this occasion, by no means covering the broad spectrum of oceanography. This is a large book of 665 pages and, at GBP 85 (US$lSO), not cheap which may put it beyond the reach of individuals, but the coverage and quality of the papers is such that all marine scientists, of whatever discipline, will need it readily available. Much of the credit for the series’ continuing success must go to the editors, who maintain both the catholicity of appeal and the high standard of content; but authors have a notable freedom of length and format (more so than with some other series). Thus, while the average paper in this volume is 57 pages, the spread is from 13 up to 150; thus