Harvesting the commercially significant lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, is a multimillion dollar industry in Europe. Stock assessment is essential for maintaining this activity but it is conducted by manually inspecting hours of underwater surveillance videos. To improve this tedious process, we propose an automated procedure. This procedure uses mosaics for detecting the Nephrops, which improves visibility and reduces the tedious video inspection process to the browsing of a single image. In addition to this novel application approach, key contributions are made for handling the difficult lighting conditions in these kinds of videos. Mosaics are build using 1-10 minutes of footage and candidate Nephrops regions are selected using image segmentation based on local image contrast and colour features. A K-Nearest Neighbour classifier is then used to select the respective Nephrops from these candidate regions. Our final decision accuracy at 87.5% recall and precision shows a corresponding 31.5% and 79.4% improvement compared with previous work.

Harvesting the commercially significant lobster,Nephrops norvegicus, is a multimillion dollar industry in Europe. Stock assessment is essential for maintaining this activity but it is conducted by manually inspecting hours of underwater surveillance videos. To improve this tedious process, we propose the use of mosaics for the automated detection of burrows on the seabed. We present novel approaches for handling the difficult lighting conditions that cause poor video quality in this kind of video material. Mosaics are built using 1-10 minutes of footage and candidate burrows are selected using image segmentation based on local image contrast. A K-Nearest Neighbour classifier is then used to select burrows from these candidate regions. Our final decision accuracy at 93.6% recall and 86.6% precision shows a corresponding 18% and 14.2% improvement compared with previous work.

This paper outlines the approach taken by the European Union to the management of deep-sea fish stocks. An extensive range of measures was adopted in 2002, and implementation began in 2003. The scheme, which is binding on EU fishing vessels targeting deep-sea species in the North-East Atlantic, encompasses both input and output controls. In southern Europe and in the Mediterranean, deep-sea fisheries tend to be artisanal in nature, and in some cases of considerable antiquity. In northern community waters deepwater fisheries began in the 1970’s. These diverse fisheries, in several regions create particular problems for fisheries managers. The approach taken by the European Union was to adopt catch restrictions, in the form of total allowable catches for a range of the key deepwater species in the ICES area. In addition, a capacity restriction has been imposed. This requires that vessels that want to land more than a very small amount of some specified deepwater species should hold a license issued by its flag state. The overall capacity (in kilowatts and in gross tonnes) of vessels that can receive licences is limited to recent levels. The capacity limitation scheme is accompanied by a requirement to implement a scientific observer scheme in order to improve the scientific data available for assessment purposes.

This paper summarises the results of an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) enhancement programme on the Delphi Fishery in the west of Ireland between 1991 and 1995. The aim of the programme was to increase salmon rod catches in the wake of a sea trout stock collapse. Smolts from two other Irish rivers, Burrishoole and Corrib, were released alongside Delphi fish and differentially tagged. Record angling catches were subsequently recorded. Catch rates varied from 0.6 to 12.7 per 1,000 smolts released. The comparative performance of the different stocks is assessed, with significant differences emerging between the stocks and between year classes In terms of survival/exploitation rates, run limes, sex ratios and homing patterns. The Delphi fish produced consistently lower overall returns than the Burrishoole groups, but consistently much higher numbers of early-running multi-sea-winter (MSW) salmon. These MSW salmon were predominantly female, while Delphi grilse were predominantly male. The Corrib fish performed relatively poorly. The smaller MSW salmon component of the non-indigenous groups ran later in the season than their Delphi counterparts. Important size differences in adult returns were noted and related to stock, sex, husbandry and selection by interceptory fisheries. It is suggested that the MSW salmon component of Delphi stocks is attributable to genetic factors, possibly linked to low freshwater temperature regimes. The programme has contributed to an increase in estuarine droll netting. Exploitation of grilse by all forms of coastal net ranged from 56% to 87%. Exploitation of MSW salmon by nets was lower, ranging from 0% to 54%, the lowest rates being achieved by the early-running Delphi MSW salmon. The programme is expensive and cannot be justified in terms of direct angling revenue. But when related accommodation income is taken into account, the financial results and the sustainment of the fishery's capital value broadly justify the programme to date.

The extent of genetic variability at enzyme gene loci is assessed in twelve species of marine bivalve molluscs of actual or potential commercial importance. Approximately one third of these loci are polymorphic, average heterozygosity is 0.14, and an average of 3.9 alleles are segregating per polymorphic locus. Hatchery-produced samples exhibit a lower proportion of polymorphic loci and a loss of some alleles at polymorphic loci. In two hatchery-produced families of Crassostrea gigas, phenotype frequencies at two loci depart from Mendelian expectations in young individuals. The implications of these hatchery induced alterations are discussed, together with some possible applications of biochemical genetics in molluscan mariculture.

The workshop is part of the Marine Institute’s role as the National Reference Laboratory for Marine Biotoxins in Ireland. This initiative was started in 2000 and was modelled on the Marine Science Biotoxin workshops, which have taken place in New Zealand since 1994. This workshop is an annual event, where scientists, regulators and shellfish farmers meet to review developments in the monitoring and research of Biotoxins in Ireland and internationally. The Institute’s roles are to Monitor/Research/Advise/Communicate. These are inextricably linked. It is essential to carry out targeted research in order to answer the questions which are generated by the monitoring. Objectives of the 2002 workshop: 1. To review the Irish Biotoxin Monitoring programme in 2002; 2. To summarise current and proposed new Irish research in the areas of Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Events (HAE’s); 3. To provide an International view on Biotoxins issues, with invited speakers from France, Norway and the UK; 4. To provide a forum for debate and communications.

The aim of the global series of ICMSS Conferences has been well defined by our colleagues in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) who hosted the previous Conference in June 2002: “To establish a forum where useful, enriching debate and interchange of knowledge flow easily on a broad spectrum in the area of Shellfish Safety”. The ICMSS 04 Programme followed on the tradition and patterns which were set in Santiago de Compostela (2002); Southampton, New York, USA (2000) and in The Philippines (1998) of thematic sessions on a multi-disciplinary basis. Our session topics included: • Microbiological Status of Shellfish • Shellfish Viruses and Pathogens • Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) and Biotoxin Contamination • HAB Mitigation and Depuration • Toxicology of Shellfish Toxins • Current and Emerging Analytical Methods • Quality Assurance and Consumer Safety • Regulation and Management of Shellfish Safety • Role of Industry in Risk Management and Innovation