4^th International conference on Fisheries & Aquaculture November 28-30, 2016 San Antonio, USA

When evaluating the sustainability of any seafood, one of the key considerations is the ecological impact associated with the fishing gear used to capture a species. The same species, caught using different gears may have very different environmental consequences. There are many types of fishing gear and they all impact the marine environment (marine life and habitat) in different ways and to different degrees. This is why the same species may have different rankings depending to the gear that was used to catch it. For example, tuna caught using surface or pelagic longlines often appears as a yellow or red choice because these fishing methods result in high volumes of bycatch and the death of marine birds, marine mammals and sea turtles. The same species of tuna caught using troll lines is a green choice because this fishing method has a significantly smaller bycatch

The deep-water demersal fishes are generally divided into two categories, benthic and bentho-pelagic. The benthic fishes are those that have a close association with the seabed and include species such as skates and flatfishes. Bentho-pelagic fishes are those that swim freely and habitually near the ocean floor and, in the areas where deep-water fisheries are commercially viable, they comprise most of the exploited biomass. The general concept of the deep sea is of a dark, cold, food scarce environment where biomass decreases exponentially with depth. How then do the continental slopes, underwater rises and seamounts in some areas of the world support deep-water fisheries? The demersal fish populations of the slopes of the Rockall Trough have been the subject of intensive study by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) since the mid1970s and these studies have contributed to an explanation of this phenomenon. By using fine mesh bottom trawls capable of catching almost all sizes of fish it has been shown that there is a diverse demersal fish fauna of in excess of 130 species between about 400 metres and abyssal depths. 

Like humans and other animals, fish suffer from diseases and parasites. Fish defences against disease are specific and non-specific. Non-specific defences include skin and scales, as well as the mucus layer secreted by the epidermis that traps microorganisms and inhibits their growth. If pathogens breach these defences, fish can develop inflammatory responses that increase the flow of blood to infected areas and deliver white blood cells that attempt to destroy the pathogens. Specific defences are specialised responses to particular pathogens recognised by the fish's body that is adaptive immune responses. In recent years, vaccines have become widely used in aquaculture and ornamental fish

The global commercial production for human use of fish and other aquatic organisms occurs in two ways: they are either captured wild by commercial fishing or they are cultivated and harvested using aquaculture and farming techniques. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world production in 2005 consisted of 93.2 million tonnes captured by commercial fishing in wild fisheries, plus 48.1 million tonnes produced by fish farms. In addition, 1.3 million tons of aquatic plants (seaweed etc.) were captured in wild fisheries and 14.8 million tons were produced by aquaculture.[2] The number of individual fish caught in the wild has been estimated at 0.97-2.7 trillion per year (not counting fish farms or marine invertebrates)

Aquaculture or fish farming accounts for over 50% of the world market for fish products.  As global populations continue to increase, wild populations of commercially captured fish can no longer support this demand.  Aquaculture provides an efficient means of protein production.  In the US great strides have been taken by the industry to insure best management practices for the sustainability, consistency, economic feasibility, food safety, and environmentally friendly ways for farmed fish and shellfish production.

Fisheries are vital for the livelihoods and food resources of humans worldwide but their importance is underestimated, probably because large numbers of small, local operators are involved. Freshwater Fisheries Ecology defines what we have globally, what we are going to lose and mitigate for, and what, given the right tools, we can save. To estimate potential production, the dynamics of freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes and estuaries) need to be understood. These dynamics are diverse, as are the earth s freshwater fisheries resources (from boreal to tropical regions), and these influence how fisheries are both utilized and abused. Three main types of fisheries are illustrated within the book: artisanal, commercial and recreational, and the tools which have evolved for fisheries governance and management, including assessment methods, are described. Freshwater fishing is one of the types of fishing that is ideal for beginning anglers since it can be enjoyed from shore or from land using a simple tackle set up. There are freshwater lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams and rivers where you can catch fish and enjoy a great day out on the water. 

Pelagic fish can be categorized as coastal and oceanic fish, based on the depth of the water they inhabit. Coastal pelagic fish inhabit sunlit waters up to about 655 feet deep, typically above the continental shelf. Examples of species include forage fish such as anchovies, sardines, shad, and menhaden and the predatory fish that feed on them.  Oceanic pelagic fish typically inhabit waters below the continental shelf.  Examples include larger fish such as swordfish, tuna, mackerel, and even sharks. There is no distinct boundary from coastal to ocean waters so some oceanic fish become partial residents of coastal waters, often during different stages of their lifecycle.  However, true oceanic species spend their entire life in the open ocean.  Pelagic fish get their name from the area that they inhabit called the pelagic zone.  The pelagic zone is the largest habitat on earth with a volume of 330 million cubic miles. Different species of pelagic fish are found throughout this zone.  Numbers and distributions vary regionally and vertically, depending on availability of light, nutrients, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and pressure.

Fish have always been important to Maine’s economy and survival. Native people, European explorers, settlers, and Mainers today have depended on marine life for food and trade. Maine fishermen catch a wide range of fish, shellfish, and other sea animals for a broad market. Today’s fishermen in the Gulf of Maine often sell their catch at the Portland Fish Exchange, where buyers purchase fish at daily auction. Fisheries today include haddock, halibut, flounder, hake, and pollock. Seasonally, fishermen also harvest clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, shrimp, alewives, herring, mackerel, and tuna. Salmon, oysters, and mussels are usually raised in aquaculture facilities along the coast. Recreational fishermen pursue striped bass, mackerel, shad, bluefish, and smelt.

Fish markets were known in antiquity. They served as a public space where large numbers of people could gather and discuss current events and local politics. Because seafood is quick to spoil, fish markets are historically most often found in seaside towns. Once ice or other simple cooling methods became available, some were also established in large inland cities that had good trade routes to the coast. Since refrigeration and rapid transport became available in the 19th and 20th century, fish markets can technically be established at any place. However, because modern trade logistics in general has shifted away from marketplaces and towards retail outlets, such as supermarkets, most seafood worldwide is now sold to consumers through these venues, like most other foodstuffs. Consequently, most major fish markets now mainly deal with wholesale trade, and the existing major fish retail markets continue to operate as much for traditional reasons as for commercial ones. Both types of fish markets are often tourist attractions as well.

Regulating fishing capacity requires an understanding of links between capacity and several related aspects of fisheries management: the way in which access to the fish stocks is regulated, the way in which participants in a fishery react to different types of regulations, and the way in which subsidies affect participation in fisheries. While many fisheries are now managed to some degree, much of the emphasis has been on controlling how fishers are allowed to catch fish or on controlling the amount of fishing effort those fishers put into fisheries, and not on regulating capacity as such. The relative effectiveness of different management measures in regulating fishing capacity is now better understood and it is clear that effective capacity management requires understanding the factors that drive fishing behaviour and fleet dynamics.

Fisheries 2016 enables a distinctive platform for converting potential ideas into great business. The present conference will bring together a broad participation came from Entrepreneurs, Proposers, Investors, international financial organizations, business associations, academia and professionals in the field of Aquaculture & Fisheries. This investment meet facilitates the most enhanced and practical business for engaging people in to constructive discussions, evaluation and execution of promising business