Measuring technical,allocative and cost efficiencies of seabass and seabream farms in Greece

Abstract

A stochastic Cobb‐Douglas production frontier is used to provide estimates of output‐oriented technical efficiency, input‐oriented technical efficiency, input allocative efficiency and cost efficiency for a sample of seabass and seabream farms in Greece. Mean output‐oriented technical efficiency is estimated at 78.5%, input‐oriented technical efficiency at 73.6%, input allocative efficiency at 79.2%, and cost efficiency at 58.2%. Considering the sources of efficiency differentials among fish farms, it is evidence from the empirical results that large farms tend to achieve higher (technical and allocative) efficiency scores; specialization in either seabass or seabream affects positively technical and cost, but not allocative, efficiency; and utilization of skilled labor seems to have a positive impact only on technical efficiency.     

Response of Bacterial Biofilms in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems to Various Sanitizers

ABSTRACT

Pathogenic microorganisms may be incorporated into biofilms found in aquaculture systems, causing recurring exposure to potential disease agents. Aerobic plate counts, the presence of Enterobacteriaceae, and the presence of Escherichia coli, modified to express a green fluorescent protein (GFP E. coli), was used to evaluate the effectiveness of various sanitizers in decreasing bacterial incorporation into newly generated biofilms in recirculating aquaculture systems. Disks of Buna-N rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated PVC, glass, fiberglass, and stainless steel were placed in aquariums stocked with Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The effectiveness of water, an alkaline cleanser, sodium hypochlorite, a quaternary ammonium compound, or peracetic acid as a sanitizer was evaluated on each substrate by enumerating total plate counts, GFP E. coli, and Enterobacteriaceae. Sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid were the most effective sanitizers, with an overall percentage reduction of GFP E. coli of approximately 2 logs₁₀. The quaternary ammonium compound was moderately effective, 1 log₁₀, against the target organisms. Water demonstrated a 2 log₁₀ reduction of the total plate count, suggesting that some mechanical cleaning was achieved. The type of material used as substrate for the biofilm had no significant (P?>?0.05) effect on the effectiveness of the sanitizers.     

Low-Salinity Acclimation of Juvenile Marine Goliath Grouper Epinephelus itajara

The ability of marine goliath grouper to survive in waters of low salinity was investigated by collecting juvenile individuals from the wild in full-strength seawater and either transferring them directly to fresh water or acclimating them over a 96-h period to fresh water. Juvenile goliath grouper (n = 49; mean 23.4 cm SL; SD 4.1; mean 339.1 g; SD 89.3) tolerated transfers from seawater (30 ppt) to freshwater (<1 ppt), and survived thereafter for a period of 28 d in strictly fresh water, with no observed adverse effects. However, the salinity tolerance was influenced by rate of exposure, as no deaths were observed when the fish were given a gradual decrease in salinity, but 60% of the individuals died when transferred abruptly from seawater into fresh water.     

Comanagement for aquaculture: Suggestions from a comparative study between two major production areas of milkfish in the Philippines

ABSTRACT

This study examined if, and how, comanagement is effective in controlling aquaculture industry in the municipalities of Anda and Bolinao in the province of Pangasinan, in the Philippines, the locations of two major production areas of milkfish (Chanos chanos) in the country. Institutional and community analyses conducted in these study sites revealed a unique hierarchy of resource users, as well as unique social and economic problems in aquaculture, distinct from those of capture fishery. It was also indicated that comanagement is seen as a solution for essential practices to be enforced practically and sustainably for the management of this industry. To improve aquaculture governance, it is desired that the comanagement scheme shall include not only the governments and fishers but also business operators who often have large capital and a high degree of power.     

农村固体废物回收和循环利用现状及对策

随着农业产业化发展、农村生活水平的提高和人口的迅速增长,农村固体废物种类增多,产生量大幅度增加,而且农村固体废物是重要的环境污染源和疾病传播源。因此解决农村固体废物的处理处置与资源化是农村进一步发展的迫切需要。文章针对农村固体废物污染的现状,从固体废物的组成危害以及现阶段循环利用出现的问题出发,提出了农村固体废物循环利用的相关措施及对策,对促进农村经济发展、改善农村生态环境和农民身心健康具有重要的现实意义。     

Environmental improvement of seafood through certification and ecolabelling: theory and analysis

The study of environmental impacts of seafood production as a result of ecolabelling and certification is a young yet rapidly growing discipline that lacks theoretical models. Pieces of the model have been suggested in the literature, and these pieces are formalized here realizing the current operating parameters of the global seafood industry. The derived pull‐threshold model assumes that if producers exceed the threshold, there is no incentive to improve while if too far below, improvement is most likely beyond technical or financial means. Thus, a single certification is only a marginal solution to the larger picture. Those producers immediately below the certification threshold are within range or ‘pull’ of the threshold to improve as a result of certification. Results from a single threshold model applied to compliance data indicated that a maximum improvement of 12.5%, achieved when the pull was the greatest and the threshold was at the lower end of the impact distribution. When impacts were continuous (e.g. escapes in aquaculture), greater improvement was observed with thresholds targeting the producers at the higher end of the impact distribution. In all cases, improvement was maximized with a triple threshold model, indicating that single threshold scenario will not drive the greatest movement towards environmental improvement throughout the industry. Innovation is potentially more important in reducing environmental impacts of seafood production and needs to be accounted for as the seafood certification or ecolabelling continues to mature.     

微生物固化载体的选择及对养殖水体的作用效果分析

[目的]寻找适合在海水养殖中使用的高效、廉价、易得的微生物固化载体。[方法]通过4种载体对光合细菌吸附效果的比较,选择合适的固化载体和固化时间,通过测定固化微生物对养殖水体COD、NH3-N、底质中有机质和硫化物的去除率,分析其对养殖水体的作用效果和固液比的影响。[结果]炉渣对光合细菌的吸附能力最强,合适的固化时间是8～10 h,其对养殖水体中COD、NH3-N和底质中有机质和硫化物在20 d内的去除率可达66%、52%、57%、82%。[结论]火电厂的炉渣是一种非常适合在海水养殖中使用的固化载体。使用时要注意选择合适的固液比,避免微生物残留培养基对水体负荷的冲击。     

中草药及其配伍对嗜水气单胞菌的抑菌作用

采用二倍稀释法测定了86种中草药对嗜水气单胞菌Aeromonas hydrophila的最小抑菌浓度(MIC)和最小杀菌浓度(MBC),并采用正交试验法研究了对嗜水气单胞菌具有较强抑制作用的中草药配伍。结果表明,五倍子、五味子和乌梅对嗜水气单胞菌的抑制作用最强,最小抑菌浓度和最小杀菌浓度均为12.5mg/ml,可作为防治水产养殖动物嗜水气单胞菌病害的首选中草药。正交试验结果表明,儿茶、五倍子、五味子和乌梅4种药分别以4∶2∶4∶1和1∶2∶2∶4的比例配伍时对嗜水气单胞菌具有最佳抑菌和杀菌作用。     

移动床生物膜变形工艺原位处理水产养殖废水的研究

通过改造的移动床生物膜工艺（MBBR）,结合微孔增氧技术,对某鱼塘废水进行了原位净化处理研究。采用这种组合工艺净化此类废水,COD、NH3-N浓度可以分别降到20.0、0.6 mg/L左右;溶解氧浓度可以达到6.1 mg/L左右。试验证明,该原位处理装置处理此类废水是高效且经济可行的。     

池塘淡水养殖水质模糊综合评价系统的设计与实现

以池塘淡水养殖水质为研究对象,在综合分析池塘水质各影响因子的基础上,通过专家问卷调查法和德尔裴法对水质因子的重要程度进行了排序,建立了池塘水质评价指标体系和评价标准,用重要程度法和实测值相对隶属度法确定了指标权重,建立了池塘水质模糊综合评价模型,并设计和实现了淡水池塘养殖水质模糊综合评价系统。将该系统应用于某企业淡水养殖池塘水质的评价,取得了较好效果。