Yellow striped flounder (Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini) is a commercially important demersal species that supports coastal fisheries in South Korea, particularly in the East Sea. However, increasing fishing pressure and the lack of fishery-independent data have raised concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of this stock. In this study, the stock status of yellow striped flounder was assessed using the Catch–Maximum Sustainable Yield approach with recent improvements (CMSY++), a catch-only method suitable for data-limited fisheries. Annual catch data from 1950 to 2023 were analysed, showing catches ranging from 6,000 t to 29,466 t, with an overall increasing trend followed by fluctuations in recent decades. The intrinsic growth rate (r) was estimated at 0.288 yr⁻¹ (95 % CI: 0.164 – 0.504), while the carrying capacity (k) was estimated at 278,000 t (179,000 – 431,000 t). The maximum sustainable yield (MSY) was estimated at 19,200 t (16,100 – 24,000 t), with a corresponding biomass at MSY (BMSY) of 139,000 t (89,500 – 215,000 t). Biomass in the terminal year was estimated at 138,000 t (62,700 – 166,000 t), resulting in a relative biomass (B/BMSY) of 0.991, indicating that the stock is close to sustainable levels. Fishing mortality in the final year (F = 0.155 yr⁻¹) slightly exceeded the fishing mortality at MSY (FMSY = 0.144 yr⁻¹), yielding an exploitation rate (F/FMSY) of 1.08. Historical catches exceeding MSY suggest periods of elevated fishing pressure.
This study evaluated the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus casei and fermented Azolla microphylla incorporated into commercial feed on the growth performance, feed conversion ratio, and survival rate of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fry. The experiment was conducted for 35 days using a completely randomized design with four dietary treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of commercial feed as control, commercial feed supplemented with L. casei (4 %), commercial feed containing fermented A. microphylla flour (30 %), and a combination of L. casei (4 %) and fermented A. microphylla flour (30 %). Growth performance was evaluated based on specific growth rate (SGR), feed utilization efficiency was assessed using feed conversion ratio (FCR), and fish viability was determined through survival rate (SR). The results showed that dietary treatments significantly affected SGR and FCR (p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed in SR among treatments (p > 0.05). The combined treatment resulted in the highest SGR (4.26 ± 0.23 % day⁻¹) and the lowest FCR (1.35 ± 0.13), indicating superior growth performance and feed utilization efficiency. Survival rates ranged from 76.0 ± 8.94 % to 80.0 ± 0.00 %, remaining within acceptable levels for tilapia fry culture. In conclusion, the combined application of probiotic L. casei and fermented A. microphylla in commercial feed effectively enhances growth performance and feed efficiency of Nile tilapia fry without negatively affecting survival.
The purpose of the study is to examine the motivations and barriers influencing seafood purchases among consumers of different age groups in Poland, Italy, Norway, and Ireland. A quantitative survey method is employed, involving population samples from each country. The questionnaire addresses the frequency of fish consumption, motivations for purchase (such as taste and health benefits), key barriers (including price and country of origin), preferences for fish species. The findings demonstrate significant differences in consumer preferences across countries and age groups. It was found that the highest frequency of weekly fish purchases is observed in Italy, where this figure reaches 65.7% among consumers aged 55 and older. In Poland and Italy, the frequency of fish purchases increases with age: in Poland, for example, from 14.5% in the 18-30 age group to 30.9% in the 41-54 age group. The main motivations for purchasing were taste (e.g., 74.7% in the 31-40 age group in Poland) and health benefits (up to 79.2% in the 18-30 age group in Norway), while price (important for 64.2% of respondents aged 18-30 in Norway) and country of origin (important for 63.6% of respondents aged 18-30 in Italy) were the main factors influencing choice. Preferences for types of fish considered healthy also varied: alongside the popular salmon, consumers in some countries preferred traditional and local species such as cod (up to 59.6% in the 31-40 age group in Italy). The findings highlight the complex nature of consumer behaviour in the seafood market, shaped by a unique combination of age-related factors, national traditions, and economic conditions.
Despite many technical factors such as water quality, biosecurity, and infrastructure impacting the success of intensive shrimp farming, the successful implementation of these requirements also depends on the workers' engagement. Engaged workers may be more willing to report problems to their superior so immediate actions can be taken. This study examines how workers in an owner-managed shrimp farm interpret the involvement of farm leaders and how these experiences shape their engagement through mutual respect mechanism with the leaders. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with 11 workers and managers at an intensive shrimp farming unit in Kaur Regency, Indonesia. Data were analyzed through descriptive coding, identification of recurring units of meaning and development of interpretive themes. The study revealed that workers could distinguish between recognition of personal dignity and recognition of competence from their leaders. Trust, autonomy, and psychological safety influenced their willingness to report problems, admit mistakes, and exercise technical judgement. Furthermore, experiences of recognition and trust were associated with reciprocal forms of engagement, including initiative, vigilance and persistence. The findings suggest that the social dimensions of aquaculture governance should be extended to the internal organisation of farms. In order to achieve sustainability, aquaculture industry should therefore consider worker voice, responsive authority, and safe reporting mechanisms as elements of effective farm-level governance. The contribution of this study for understanding the social sustainability and implementation capacity of aquaculture governance is discussed.
Vietnam has been under the European Commission's illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing "yellow card" warning since October 2017, undergoing five on-site inspections without achieving delisting, until the fifth inspection (March 2026) received the first clearly positive assessment. This study asks: what legal-administrative mechanism explains this shift, and does Vietnam risk relapse like Panama and Ghana, the two countries re-carded after having been delisted, if post-delisting institutionalization is not sustained? The paper combines three methods: doctrinal legal analysis, process tracing on Vietnam's case across five inspection rounds, and a configurational comparative analysis of 11 international yellow/red-card cases, extending an established four-factor framework of EU influence (market power, expertise, monitoring, and agenda-setting). Results show that these four factors do not explain the variation in processing time among countries with similar profiles, while Vietnam's positive turning point coincides in timing and legal content with the reallocation of fisheries management authority under the two-tier local government model. The study proposes adding a fifth factor, local/grassroots administrative capacity, and recommends that Vietnam sustain investment in commune-level enforcement capacity to ensure that delisting, if achieved, does not repeat the relapse risk.
