Abstract
<strong>細部計畫0:臺灣沿近海域管理魚種漁業預警指標研究</strong>(1)鯖鰺漁業資源評估動態解析
台灣東北部鯖鰺漁場在大型圍網及扒網的持續利用下，主要漁獲花腹鯖已有成長率增加、極限體長降低、成熟年齡提前等過漁現象。漁業署於2013年對鯖鰺漁業實施了禁漁等相關措施，經本研究評估認為花腹鯖的成長型過漁顯然已獲緩解，但加入型過漁則尚未改善。為謀鯖鰺資源的永續利用，有必要進一步管理。本研究除對現行休漁制度施行後之成效，持續進行花腹鯖的生殖成長與資源變動監測外，也對漁獲比率逐漸增加白腹鯖及真鰺之生殖生物學、年齡成長等進行研究，藉由綜合評估花腹鯖、白腹鯖、真鰺之資源動態，解明其生物學特性之區域與季節性變化，探討其分布與洄游之特性，支援漁業管理所需。(2)臺灣西南海域鎖管漁業資源評估研究
近年來臺灣沿近海鎖管產量有持續下降趨勢，鎖管資源的變動也受到高度的觀注。臺灣周邊水域的鎖管類主要為拖網與火誘網漁船所漁獲，主要作業漁場在東北水域、西南及澎湖水域(臺灣海峽)。其中東北水域主要漁獲物種劍尖槍鎖管之生活史參數與分佈洄游型態已有較明確之瞭解，但西南水域主要漁獲物種中國槍鎖管相關研究則較為缺乏。緣此，本計畫擬建立臺灣西南海域鎖管漁業活動資料庫，同時分析主要漁獲物種中國槍鎖管之年齡成長、生殖生物學等特性，以及其作業漁場之時空分布。(3)鬼頭刀漁業資源評估研究
為達到台灣鬼頭刀漁業改進計畫認證之目標，此須由科學家執行鬼頭刀相關之資源研究分析以作為工作計畫之佐證，因此本研究規劃進行台灣水域鬼頭刀相關之科學研究工作。本研究持續依據收集及彙整之各項漁業統計資料進行台灣沿近海漁業之漁獲物組成分析與鬼頭刀漁獲體型組成分析，本研究亦將持續進行台灣海域鬼頭刀之CPUE標準化分析以獲得資源評估所需之相對資源豐度指標，進一步將彙整各項漁獲資料、生物參數及相對資源豐度指標以進行西北太平洋鬼頭刀資源評估分析。(4)臺灣周邊海域魩鱙資源變動及管理機制調整研究
魩及鱙魚也是沿岸海洋生態系中之構成及功能性要員，其族群量之大小悠關生態系之棲位多寡，進而影響生態系之產能及穩定，也悠關上層漁業。為有效管理該漁業，縣政府在規範中明訂所轄漁區之漁船數、容許總漁獲量及禁漁期。為方便有效管理之施行，產銷班之建立及總許可漁獲量(TAC)之制定為重要關鍵，本計畫擬對東北及西南漁場進行TAC之估算，做為產銷班作業自律之機制。本年計畫擬基於過去對東北及西南漁場所做出結果加以檢討，並促資源管理臻合理及有效。(5)臺灣周邊海域飛魚卵資源動態解析及管理之研究
本研究主要目的乃針對台灣周邊水域之飛魚卵漁業資源進行漁期、漁場及相關環境資料之收集；利用作業報表、樣本船暨定置、追逐、與燈火漁業所收集之資料與衛星水文資料等進行詳細的檢視與分析，協助漁政單位評估、監控漁業報表填報誤差，有效掌握漁獲實況及管理績效，並瞭解漁業動態與環境或氣候因子之影響。另將利用港口採樣或樣本船收集相關資訊，了解飛魚卵漁業漁汛期及產卵親魚生物參數的年間變動。並整合所得資訊，評估飛魚卵漁業漁獲率的變動趨勢，暨總容許捕獲量(TAC)與採捕期的合宜性等，做為漁政單位有效管理該漁業資源的重要參考依據。(6)寶石珊瑚漁業漁獲資料分析及漁場評估研究
臺灣寶石珊瑚漁業發展已近90年，政府在2009年1月實施「寶石珊瑚漁業管理辦法」，以寶石珊瑚及其漁業之永續發展為管理目標。 亦規劃漁業資料分析與族群生物研究計畫，在科學探測仍有技術性困難之階段，透過漁業採樣獲得資源與生態資料。本研究自2009年開始蒐集並建立寶石珊瑚漁業之漁獲統計資料，已初步瞭解漁業作業及物種組成之時、空間分布型態；完成主要寶石珊瑚物種之鑑定與形態描述，並對寶石珊瑚生態系有初步瞭解，但此資料之建立與探察仍應繼續。
<strong>細部計畫0:大數據整合漁業作業資訊分析重要漁場之研究</strong>本統籌計畫以掌握臺灣沿近海域與南海海域作業漁場特性為基礎，建立科學管理臺灣沿近海漁業資源為總體目標。因此，擬蒐集漁船航程紀錄器(Voyage Data Recorder, VDR)資料，配合漁業署港口訪查員每日卸魚查報漁獲資訊，建構適合運用於分析我國沿近海漁業資源動態之 VDR資料庫，提供即時所需之沿近海漁船動態分布相關資料、持續性的更新與強化沿近海漁業活動資料庫VDR資料庫查詢平臺功能，並開發使用者介面提供漁業科學家、漁政人員進行漁況分析與漁業管理所需之查詢。
<strong>細部計畫0:臺灣沿近海帶魚資源之生物參考點評估與漁業管理策略應用</strong>在缺乏台灣沿近海帶魚類長期且可信賴的漁獲統計資料下，一般用於進行海洋漁業資源評估分析之模式目前應皆不適合用於進行台灣沿近海帶魚類之資源評估。在此情況下，可行的方法是先透過大量的漁獲體型資料測量以分析體型與年齡結構組成並進行各項死亡率等族群參數之估計。本研究將依據台灣沿近海帶魚類各主要魚種之各項死亡率等族群參數之估計值，目前可先參考前人之年齡成長與生殖生物學研究結果，台灣沿近海帶魚類各主要魚種之相對資源水準與漁業利用程度分析。
<strong>細部計畫0:臺灣栽培漁業區之跨域統合暨漁場環境調整改善</strong>本計畫為跨域統合建構栽培漁業區各子計畫間之橫向交流平台與成果整合之機制，其目的是引導與栽培漁業有關子計畫之執行成效有助於栽培漁業區之資源培育與復育。持續進行栽培漁業區之藻礁及珊瑚礁基礎生產力、葉綠素及營養鹽等資料實際採樣監測，以瞭解該海域季節變動狀況。並收集當地漁獲資料、魚苗放流資料及總碳量關係進行比對，並透過營養位階關係，以瞭解栽培漁業區環境包容力及其生態系之營養能階結構變化趨勢，同時藉由潛水及浮潛進行調查海域生物相在季節變化，了解魚類重要的生活棲地，並分析東澳及基翬海域內的基礎生產力，以提供綜合環境改善之建議與具體放流事項作參考。
<strong>細部計畫0:臺灣周邊海域漁場環境監測</strong>全球環境變遷、海洋生態惡化及漁業資源銳減等多重衝擊，臺灣漁業經營環境愈顯嚴峻。氣候變遷造成海洋環境改變，亦直接影響魚群洄游路徑與時間，造成漁場的改變，對漁業資源造成深遠的影響，而海水溫鹽等水團特性則是影響漁場、漁期變動的關鍵因子。為此，水產試驗所於2003年起著手實施「臺灣周邊海域漁場環境監測」計畫，於周邊海域設置62個測站定期蒐集水溫、鹽度、營養鹽、葉綠素、浮游動物等漁場環境資訊，嘗試透過長期資料庫之建置來瞭解臺灣周邊海域長期水文、海況及漁業生物時空分佈資訊，進而掌握影響周邊海域漁業資源變動的機制，及時發現問題並提供解決對策，期能降低氣候變遷之衝擊。
<strong>細部計畫0:洄游魚類資源生態調查研究</strong><strong>細部計畫1:臺灣北部海域鎖管漁業生態調查及預測模式</strong>本研究110年度持續收集劍尖槍鎖管燈火漁業樣本船作業資料，並建立漁船作業資訊自動收集系統，收集燈火漁業漁船捕撈活動相關數據，建立更完善之漁業資料庫。 本資料庫資料可用於建立劍尖槍鎖管資源趨勢評估模式及漁況預測模式，使我們能夠了解在持續的環境波動下，可能影響漁獲能力的關鍵要素，並構建可靠而精確的預測模式。
<strong>細部計畫2:臺灣鬼頭刀族群動態解析及生態習性之研究</strong>本研究利用樣本船之漁業作業資料進行漁場時空分布及漁獲組成。為了解析鬼頭刀與漁業的相互作用、溫度喜好、分布模式及洄游海域，將使用生物紀錄科學，來提供高分辨鬼頭刀的行為資料，以了解在海洋條件下轉移與具體行為之改變。整體的研究結果將能了解臺灣東部海域鬼頭刀漁業漁場及資源之時空變動以及鬼頭刀的棲息特徵及移動型態，將能提供未來漁業管理之重要科學依據。
<strong>細部計畫3:臺灣西南海域扒網漁業資源調查</strong>扒網漁業為臺灣西南海域重要的漁業項目之一，為探究其漁海況之變動特性，本研究收集實際在高雄林園及澎湖地區扒網船漁業活動資料，以及衛星遙測之海洋環境資料，並以地理資訊系統建構其資料庫，探究臺灣西南海域扒網漁業作業漁場之漁海況時空分布特性。另針對臺灣西南海域扒網漁業之白腹鯖之生殖期、產卵期及作業漁場分佈狀況及漁業資源變動進行調查分析。
<strong>細部計畫4:臺灣東部海域矛尾翻車魨營養位階動態解析研究</strong>本中心於2016年持續探討矛尾翻車魨漁獲概況與生殖行為等相關研究，並將針對矛尾翻車魨攝食與營養動態階層進行研究，利用同位素分析與胃內含物分析了解臺灣東部海域矛尾翻車魨攝食情形是否有季節性變動與自體食性轉變，並採集其餌料生物，建構矛尾翻車魨的食物鏈與營養位階變動情形。本研究採樣地點預計為花蓮與臺東，針對矛尾翻車魨進行體型量測與採集肌肉、胃內含物樣本，藉以瞭解臺灣東部海域矛尾翻車魨的營養動態結構。
<strong>細部計畫5:以非漁業依賴方法進行鯖鰺漁業資源生態研究</strong>鯖鰺漁業產量及產值長期以來佔我國沿近海漁業產量及產值的1/4以上，惟近年來發生產量劇烈變動、漁獲體型變小及生殖年齡提早的現象，有過漁的可能。基於此，漁業署在103年訂定了「鯖鰺漁業管理辦法」，期使該資源能永續利用。本研究擬從獨立於漁獲統計數據的日魚卵生產模式與科學魚探調查來瞭解花腹鯖資源現況，提供漁業管理方案之參考。
<strong>細部計畫6:臺灣沿近海帶魚屬魚類之生殖生物學及漁業活動熱點之魚種組成研究</strong>帶魚屬魚類在2019年漁獲量為26,888公噸，產值達30億元，為臺灣沿近海域重要經濟性物種之一。本年度目標利用本所試驗船建立北部海域帶魚漁獲熱點聲學探測資料及環境資料之蒐集並進行生物採樣，以期瞭解臺灣北部海域帶魚漁獲熱點之時空分布狀況及帶魚魚種組成，並利於未來分析掌握影響帶魚資源分布之關鍵因子；另同步於全臺灣重要港口、漁法蒐集帶魚屬魚類樣本，進行魚種組成分析及生殖生物學研究，運用組織學方式鑑定帶魚屬魚種卵巢發育情形，分析其生殖腺指數、孕卵數、50%性成熟體長及生殖期等參數，以作為日後進行資源解析評估及漁業管理之參考。
<strong>細部計畫7:臺灣海域正鰹族群結構、生殖生物學及營養階層動態解析</strong>本研究主要目的為結合臺灣與日本的正鰹族群移動特徵研究，並且結合正鰹個體間的遺傳差異、生殖生物學與營養階層動態特徵，推測正鰹在臺灣沿海的洄游路徑及族群結構組成，其中生殖生物學解析將包含性比、性成熟體長、產卵海域分布、單次產卵孕卵數及產卵時段與頻率。營養階層動態則包含胃內容物分析及穩定同位素分析。
<strong>細部計畫8:臺灣東部海域黑皮旗魚移動行為與族群結構研究</strong>本研究主要研究目的在於利用電子式標識器探討臺 灣東部高經濟價值之鮪旗魚類族群動態，區域性漁業管理組織提供彈脫型衛星標識記錄器，由水試所執行鮪旗魚標識放流試驗研究，並與區域性漁業管理組織共同進行資料分析與發表學術論文，本年度以黑皮旗魚為主要研究目標，這些研究結果也將是進行北太平洋黑皮旗魚資源評估之重要參數與管理策略擬定之重要科學依據。
<strong>細部計畫0:底棲魚類資源生態調查研究</strong><strong>臺灣北部海域斑節蝦漁業資源生態調查</strong>臺灣的斑節蝦產量至2009年的1993公噸，逐年下滑至2017年的44公噸，為確實掌握斑節蝦之資源現況，本研究擬透過至基隆正濱漁港與宜蘭大溪漁港等地區建立標本戶，以評估臺灣北部海域產斑節蝦之漁業現況，包括漁獲量、產期、作業海域等，並採集臺灣各地之斑節蝦樣本，探討其系群結構。另外鑑於對斑節蝦等對蝦幼蝦於河口之初期生活史研究甚少，亦調查淡水河口紅樹林的對蝦類幼蝦之組成、豐度等，以為後續探討河口幼蝦與成蝦資源變動間關連之基礎。
<strong>臺灣北部海域蟹類漁業資源生態研究</strong>蟹類漁業資源為沿近海重要漁業之一，且近年來大受消費者歡迎並進行相關漁業管理以維持其資源永續利用。本計畫之主要目的係監測臺灣海域蟹類資源及產業現況，進行蟹類漁業資源量調查與生產經濟評估。本所於106年開始針對臺灣北部海域的蟹籠漁業進行調查，西南海域與澎湖海域的蟹類漁業資源亦有初步研究成果，但目前對蟹類在臺灣北部海域的棲地利用與生活史的關聯等仍缺乏通盤瞭解，如蟹類的移動路徑、產卵場等生態環節需要進一步籬清。本研究擬收集漁撈日誌與漁獲樣本，調查其捕獲蟹類之種類相、漁獲量及漁業生物學等，並以試驗船配合採樣，以究明臺灣週邊海域蟹類資源的時空分布，作為日後漁業管理之依據，期使蟹類漁業資源得以永續利用。
<strong>臺灣西南海域底棲性漁業資源生態調查</strong>掌握重要經濟性魚種的漁場、產卵場及群聚動態為漁業資源保育及管理上的重要訊息之一。然而，過去有關西南海域底棲漁業資源研究多以拖網漁獲為主要研究對象，但拖網作業漁場離岸遠多在3海里外，刺網漁業漁場則多位於沿岸，兩者漁場多未重疊，刺網漁業相關調查資料甚少，因此許多底棲魚類資源動帶在沿岸與近海間的關聯性仍不清楚。為求更完整的調查底棲魚類資源，本計畫擬針對拖網與刺網漁業漁獲物種組成空間分布及季節性進行全盤了解，以完整掌握西南海域底棲魚類資源動態，提供未來相關規範制定參考依據。 <b>0:Study of precautionary indices for fish species under management in offshore and coastal water of Taiwan</b>(1)Assessment of mackerel and scad fishery resources
Under continuous exploration by large purse seine and tiger net, the spotted mackerel in the fishing ground in the northeastern Taiwan has significant overfishing phenomenon including increase of growth rate, reduce of maximum body length and earlier age of mature. The Fisheries Agency implelted Makerel-Carangid Fisheries Regulation in 2013. According to previous studies under this project, we found overfishing of growth type has been reduced, however, overfishing of recruitment type has not yet improved. For sustainable utilization of the mackerel and scad resources, further management is necessary. In this study, we not only monitor the effect of current moratorium measure via stock assessment of spotted mackerel, but also enhance the monitoring works on reproductive biology, age and growth characteristics of chub mackerel and jack mackerel due to increasing catch in recent years. To satisfy the needs of further management, a comprehensive stock assessment of the three species will be conducted in this study, with which regional and seasonal variation in biological characteristic will be realized and so as the distribution and migration feature of them.(2)Studies on the loliginid squids resources in the southwestern waters off Taiwan
The fisheries production of neritic squids in the coastal water off Taiwan has continued to decline over the past few decades. Hence, the variations on the abundance of neritic squid has received much attention. The neritic squids in the coastal water off Taiwan are mainly caught by the trawl and torch-lighted fishing vessels. The major fishing grounds are located in the water off northeastern and southwestern Taiwan, and Penghu islands. While many studies have focused on the neritic squids in the coastal water off northeastern Taiwan, very few studies focused on the neritic squids in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu islands Hence, this project aims to investigate the neritic squids in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu island by establishing the fisheries activity database, examining the fishery biology (age, growth and reproduction), and characterizing the spatial and temporal distribution. The major tasks of this project are listed as follow: 1. Examine the fisheries utilization of the neritic squids in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu islands; 2. Investigate the fisheries activity and fishing grounds of the neritic squids in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu islands; 3. Analyze the trend and fluctuation of the fisheries production for neritic squids in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu islands; 4. Establish the database for the dynamics of neritic squid resources in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu islands; 5. Obtain the biological parameters required for the stock assessment of the neritic squids in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu islands. Results from this project are expected to provide the references for the fisheries management of neritic squids in the coastal water off southwestern Taiwan and Penghu islands.(3)Study on the stock assessment of dolphinfish
To achieve the objective of the fishery improvement project for Taiwanese dolphinfish fishery, relevant studies for dolphinfish implemented by scientists were necessary as evidence. Therefore, this study plans to conduct the scientific studies related to dolphinfish in the Taiwan waters. This study will continue to collect and aggregate fishery statistics and analyze the catch composition of Taiwanese coastal and offshore fisheries and the size composition of dolphinfish. The CPUE standardization will be continued to obtain the relative abundance index for dolphinfish in the waters of Taiwan, which is essential for stock assessment. The stock assessment of dolphinfish in the northwestern Pacific Ocean will be conducted based on the information aggregated from fishery statistics, biological parameters and relative abundance index. In addition, this study will confirm the framework of operating model based on the stock assessment analysis and will explore plausible interim reference points and conduct a preliminary modelling for the projection of population dynamics to initially analyze the influence of various catch levels on the biomass and fishing exploitation, with a view to providing a preliminary reference for fisheries management.(4)Monitoring resource fluctuation in Taiwanese Bua Fisheries and reviewing management plan
Larval anchovy is an important resource for coastal artisan fishery in Taiwan, although harvesting fish at early stages may impose crucial impact on fragile resource, and cause conservation concerns. The fisheries that catch larval anchovy are called "Bua fishery" in Taiwan, and they utilize specialized fishing types fit to various coastal geo-morph. The Bua catches are appreciated with high prices, resulted in very complicated cases governmental regulations. From different perspectives, both larval and adult anchovies are important mid-way component in coastal marine ecosystem, where they function as bio-energy converter between plankton and higher trophic levels. The fluctuation of anchovy population influences not only the amount of fisheries catches, but also the stability of coastal ecosystem. Previous studies have shown that the mechanism for the formation of apt fishing sites may relate to global meteorological events, such as ENSO and typhoon. The species richness of Bua catches resembles that of traditional bottom trawls, but with different percentage of species composition in biomass. The Bua catch is primarily composed of engraulia and clupeid fishes, however tens to hundred “non-Bua” species are also caught, among which some are of economic importance. Major Bua fishes, accounted by more than 5% in any single day, are identified to 8 species. The top 3 species, i.e., <em>Encrasicholina heteroloba</em>, <em>Encr. punctifer</em> and <em>Engraulis japonicas</em>, are composed about 90% of total catches. This project will work on three major fishing grounds: the northeast, northwest and southwest in sequences. In the end, this project will get following parameters: fishing capacity, fishing effort, catches, catch compositions, and length frequencies. These parameters will be analyzed to conclude the by-catch rate, total allowable catch, and optimal size of the fisheries. Moreover, trends in fishing condition will be shown based on the historical data analysis.(5)Studies on the dynamics and management of flying fish roe fishery in surrounding waters of Taiwan
The objectives of this research are to collect information on the fishing season, fishing ground and associated environmental factors influencing the flying fish roe fishery operate in coastal waters off Taiwan. The logbook, VDR data and the set net, driving-in net, light fisheries, as well as sampling vessels will be used in combination with collected environmental data to monitor the catch reports, effectiveness of management measures, and to understand the annual variations and dynamics of the fishery in relation to the climate and/or environmental changes. The experimental vessels and port samplings will also be used to collect and evaluate the extension and variations of the fishing season and annual changes in biological traits of the spawning adults. These information will then, be integrated to understand the fluctuations of the CPUE trend, and to evaluate the appropriateness of the total allowable catch, as well as the fishing season for the flying fish roe fishery, and be used as important bases for the effective management of this fishery resource in Taiwan.(6)Analysis of catch data and fisheries oceanography for Taiwanese precious coral fishery
Precious coral is a collective term for many species of corals. Precious corals have been harvested and used as medicines, amulets, and jewelry since ancient times. Nevertheless, precious corals, being sessile, may serve key function in marine ecosystems they involved. It is essential to consider the sustainability not only the population structure of the exploited species, but also its functions in the ecosystem when exploitation of such marine resources. The development of Taiwanese precious coral fishery (TPCF) has been for almost 90 years. The regulations for TPCF was amended and promulgated in January 2009 which aimed at sustainable development of coral populations and the fisheries. The scientific studies of precious corals were conducted since 2009. We applied fisheries data to understand the spatial and temporal pattern of fishing activities and catch composition. We also described and identified species of red coral from limited alive samples, and preliminary explored the habitats of precious corals. However, it is necessary to establish long-term investigation of stock structure and function of precious corals to support the management objectives. The questions to be addressed in this study are: (1) to analyze the spatial and temporal pattern in catch, effort and abundance data for the fishery, and explore the inter-annual variability; (2) to study the spatial pattern of main target species (live colony); (3) to study the population structure of target species, species composition of bycatch and environmental impacts by the fishery; (4) to investigate the stock abundance of red corals within the DFG areas and nearby areas around Taiwan and advice to the authority; (5) to maintain and update the database of catch-effort data of the precious coral fishery.
<b>0:The analysis of important fishing grounds using big data integrated from fishing activity information</b>This project aims to explore the distribution characteristics of fishing activities and grounds in the coastal water off Taiwan and the South Chian Sea (SCS). We collect daily fishing logbooks of inspection records by dockside inspector from the Fisheries Agency, further integrating with Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) data equipped in each fishing vessel. Create statistics information services and database for fishing vessels distribution based on VDR and then develop a user interface (UI) to provide fisheries science, monitoring, and management requirement searching. By analyzing and spatial allocating fishery indices such as fishing effort (hours), catch (kg), and catch rate (kg/hour) of each fishery sector and targets species, which operated in coastal water off Taiwan and SCS, understanding the fishery structure, fishing footprints, and target species distribution characteristics. Also investigate and overview the relationship between fishing pattern and targets species, and fishing port utilization. The results expected to provide crucial information required for fisheries management and policymaking.
<b>0:Evaluation of biological reference points and implication of fishery management for hairtail in the waters of Taiwan</b>Due to the absence of long-term and reliable catch statistics of Trichiurus fishery in the waters off Taiwan, the stock assessment models, which were commonly used for marine fishery resources, should not be suitable for evaluating the stock status of Trichiurus spp. in the waters off Taiwan. In this case, the feasible method is to analyze size- and age-composition and to estimate the population parameters, such as mortality rates, based on a large amount of catch at size data. This study will evaluate relative levels of biomass and fishing exploitation for major species of Trichiurus spp. in the waters off Taiwan using yield per recruit analysis and spawning stock biomass per recruit analysis with biological reference points based on the estimates of mortality rates, age-growth and reproductive biological parameters.
<b>0:Studies on the integration of fish farming zones and its fishing ground environmental improvement</b>This study is the integration of the horizontal linkages and achievements among the all sub-projects on fish farming zone. The purpose is to guide the sub-projects for their implement of enhancing and rebuilding of fisheries resource on fish farming demonstration zone.This study is aimed to measure and survey the primary production data of algal reef, coral reef, and primary production, chlorophyll a and nutrients to realize the properties and changes of waters surrounding the fish farming zone in the coastal waters of Taiwan in various seasons. Meanwhile, we collect the fishery production and the data of fish fry releasing of the demonstration areas, and analyze them comparing the total carbon production. Compare the data of fishery production and trophic level of fishing species to understand the environmental capacity and the trophic structure in the fish farming zone. Our team use either SCUBA diving or snorkeling to investigate the seasonal change of marine fauna and main habitats of fishes and primary productivity for the overall environmental improvement and comments of fish release configuration.
<b>0:Environmental monitoring of fishing grounds in the coastal and offshore waters around Taiwan</b>Taiwan's marine fisheries industry is encountering multi-pronged challenges, ranging from of global environment change, deterioration of the marine ecosystems, and the declining fishery resources. Climate change leads to changing marine environment, with the consequences of changing habitats, alteration of distribution boundary, and changing fishing grounds. The effect of climate change is profound for fishery resources and the characteristics of water masses are the key factors that affect the variation of fishing grounds and fishing season. As a result, Fisheries Research Institute implemented “Taiwan Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (TaiCOFI)” program in 2003 to conduct cruises to collect information of water temperature, salinity, nutrients, chlorophyll-<em>a</em> and zooplankton measurements at 62 stations in the surrounding waters of Taiwan. Through this thorough investigation, we aim to understand the coupling of physical, chemical and biological dynamics in the surrounding waters of Taiwan in the surrounding waters of Taiwan. We propose here to continue this systematic and extensive systematic and extensive monitoring, which will which will enable us to pin down the most critical parameters associated with the fishery resources fluctuation and simultaneously monitor our ocean for rapid detection of anomalies for devising an effective program and to find a way to mitigate the climate-change impact. And this year, the chlorophyll-a concentration will become the main research direction to strengthen the long-term trend analysis.
<b>0:Ecological investigation on migratory fish resources</b><strong>1:Ecological survey and prediction model for Loliginidae fisheries in northern waters off Taiwan</strong>In 2021, this study will continue to collect data on the operation of the sword-tip squid torch light fishery sampling vessels and establish an automatic collection system for fishing vessel operation information to collect data related to the fishing activities of the torch light fishery fishing vessels and establish a more complete fishery database. The data in this database can be used to establish a resource trend assessment model for sword-tip squid and a forecast model for fishing conditions so that we can understand the key factors that may affect fishing capacity under continuous environmental fluctuations, and construct a reliable and accurate forecast model. In 2021, 5 sample vessels will install this system, and the forecast data of fishing conditions will be received.
<strong>2:Population dynamics and ecological behaviors of dolphinfish off Taiwan waters</strong>Dolphinfish (<em>Coryphaena hippurus</em>) are an abundant, wide-ranging epipelagic predatory fish found in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters warmer than ~20°C. The species is highly migratory, and is caught by many coastal fisheries throughout its range. In the western Pacific Ocean, dolphinfish are distributed from New Zealand to Japan, and are especially abundant in the Kuroshio Current off Japan and Taiwan. In Taiwan, dolphinfish comprises an important component of coastal and offshore fisheries. The catch of dolphinfish varies throughout the year in the three major Taiwanese fishing ports (northern, eastern and southern coasts), with large seasonal peaks in April–June (spring) and smaller peaks in September–November (autumn). Dolphinfish is one of the pelagic migratory species and is the main commercial catch in eastern Taiwan. Movement characteristic of migratory fish occurs to adapt to the environmental conditions. Therefore, spatial-temporal dynamics is one of the research interests for fish ecology. In addition, understanding of the dynamics of fishing ground for vessels is an important issue for fisheries management. This study will analyze the spatial and temporal distribution and catch composition of the fishing ground for the dolphinfish fisheries using the catch data by sample vessel. To achieve understand fisheries interactions, thermal habitat, vertical and migration corridors these goals, the project will employ biologging science to provide the high-resolution behavioral data that is required to understand how the specific behaviors of dolphinfish change in relation to shifting oceanographic conditions. The overall results will understand the temporal and spatial changes of the dolphinfish fishery ground and abundance index of eastern Taiwan as well as the habitat characteristics and movement patterns of the dolphinfish, which will provide scientific information to fisheries management and habitat protection for this species.
<strong>3:Survey on fisheries resources of Taiwanese seine in the southwestern waters of Taiwan</strong>Taiwanese-seine fishery is one of the important fisheries in the southwestern waters off Taiwan. In order to explore the changing characteristics of fishery oceanography, this study collected data of Taiwanese-seine fishery activities in Kaohsiung Linyuan and Penghu, as well as marine environment data from satellite remote sensing imagery. Furthermore, to combine with the geographic information system to construct its database to explore the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of Taiwanese-seine fishery fishing grounds and fishery oceanography in the southwestern waters off Taiwan. In addition, the investigation and analysis of the reproductive period, spawning season and distribution of fishing grounds and fishery resources fluctuation of the <em>Scomber japonicus</em> in the Taiwanese-seine fishery in the southwestern waters off Taiwan are conducted for reference in fishery resource assessment, fish conservation, fishery management, and fishery administrative decision making, etc.
<strong>4:Trophic dynamics and food web structures of <em>Masturus lanceolatusi</em> in eastern Taiwan</strong>The catch of Molidae was mainly composed of sharptail sunfish, <em>Masturus lanceolatus</em> (90%) and they have significant ecological values in Taiwan. Sharptail sunfish was categorized into the least concern level in Red List by IUCN in 2015. They are generally regarded as pelagic feeders, consuming gelatinous zooplankton such as jellyfish. However, the ontogenetic shift in the diets of the sunfish had been found in recent studies. Electronic tagging studies suggested that the sunfish are active swimmers with seasonal migrations. They often swam to upwelling regions with rich nutrients for foraging. The feeding behavior and trophodynamics of sharptail sunfish might be influenced by their body size and seasonal movements. In this study, the body length will be measured. Both white muscle tissue and stomach content will be collected at Hualien and Taitung during 2021. The study aims to explore the trophic dynamics and the dietary ontogenetic shift of sharptail sunfish using stable isotope analysis and stomach content analysis.
<strong>5:Estimation the abundance of mackerel resources by fishery independent methods</strong>The mackerels and scads are important resources of the commercial fisheries of Taiwan. However, this resources had highly fluctuation in recently years. In addition, the age of spawning was changed from 3-4 to 2-3 year old. For sustainable use of this resources, the Fisheries Agency started a manage program in 2014. This study try to estimate the abundance of blue mackerel by two fishery independent methods, daily egg production method and scientific echosounder, to estimate the abundance of blue mackerel for fisheries management program.
<strong>6:The species composition in the fishing hotspots and reproduction of the cutlassfish (<em>Trichiurus</em> spp.) in the waters off Taiwan</strong><em>Trichirus</em> spp. was caught 26,888 metric tons in 2019 with an production value of 3 billion NT, it became one of the important economic species around the coastal and offshore of Taiwan. In order to understand the temporal and spatial distribution and species composition of cutlassfish fishing hotspots, this study focuses on the acoustic survey, environmental data, and biological sampling in the northern waters off Taiwan. In addition, we sample cutlassfishes for species composition analysis and reproductive biology research. This study uses histological methods to identify the developmental status of cutlassfishes, and analyzes its gonadosomatic index (GSI), fecundity, size at maturity and spawning period to explore the reproductive biological characteristics of the cutlassfishes <em> </em>in waters off Taiwan, as a reference for future resource analysis, assessment and management.
<strong>7:Stock structure, reproductive biology and trophic dynamics of skipjack tuna in Taiwan</strong>Skipjack tuna (<em>Katsuwonus pelamis</em>) is an epipelagic oceanic species with a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical waters. skipjack tuna is the third most exploited wild fish species in the world, with around 70% of the estimated three million tonnes landed globally originating from the Pacific Ocean. The main fishing countries are Taiwan, the United States, Japan and South Korea. Current assessments of this species suggest that Pacific stocks are not overfished, but that catches are approaching a fully exploited state. However, considerable uncertainty exists regarding the spatial parameters of the stock assessment models, such as movement rates and recruitment distribution, with models known to be highly sensitive to these parameters. The objective of this investigation is to combine the characteristics of the migration of the skipjack tuna in Taiwan and Japan, and to combine the stock structure, reproductive biology, and trophic dynamic ecology. The results of the study can infer the migration path and population structure of skipjack tuna off Taiwan waters. These information will be available for inclusion in stock assessments. It also provides information on the reproductive biology of skipjack tuna, including sex ratios, length at maturity, spatiotemporal spawning distributions, batch fecundity, and spawning periodicity and frequency. The methods on the trophic dynamic include the stomach content analyse and stable isotopes analyse.
<strong>8:Movement behaviour and stock structure of blue marlin off eastern Taiwan</strong>Tunas and istiophorid billfishes are highly migratory species, with their habitat and migratory pathways often crossing the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of different countries. Understanding the movements of pelagic fish and the influence that environmental conditions have on their vertical and geographic distribution is fundamental to understanding their ecology and necessary for effective management. Patterns of movement and habitat use directly influence the susceptibility of a species to fisheries. Hence, understanding the environmental drivers that influence the movements and habitat use of a species allows researchers to model and predict where and when a species will be vulnerable to fishing pressure, which is critical for effective management. However, determining these relationships in pelagic species has been very difficult because of their migratory habits, large size, and the remote nature and apparent homogeneity of their oceanic habitats. The distribution and migratory patterns of pelagic fish have historically been studied using fisheries catch data and tag-recapture data yet these approaches often lack the resolution necessary to characterize habitat use and environmental preferences on a biologically relevant spatial and temporal scale.The objectives of this project are to conduct electronic tagging studies of the main commercial species of istiophorid billfishes and tunas captured inTaiwan. Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) will provide the pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) to conduct tagging operations and it is anticipated that collaborators will share results and cooperate on writing reports and manuscripts for the peer-reviewed literature. The target billfish species of this year is blue marlin. The PSAT tagging results are necessary to obtain important information about life history parameters and habitat requirements of blue marlin to advance regional and international stock assessments and to provide important information for management strategies to conserve these valuable resources.
<b>0:Studies on the ecology of the demersal fishery resources in the waters of Taiwan</b><strong>Resource surveys of <em>Penaeus japonicus</em> in the waters off northern Taiwan</strong>Giant tiger prawn (Penaeus japonica) production in Taiwan up to 1993 metric tons in 2009 and fell to 44 metric tons in 2017 year by year. In order to sure the current status of giant giant prawn resources, this study intends to establish specimen and data collections in areas such as Keelung Zhengbin Fishing Port and Yilan Daxi Fishing Port to evaluate the current fishery status of <em>Penaeus japonicus</em> in the northern seas of Taiwan, including the yeild, production period, catching area, and also collect specimens from various parts of Taiwan to explore their population structure. In addition, in view of the early life history of juvenile prawns, such as <em>Penaeus japonicus</em> , the composition and abundance of juvenile prawns in the mangroves of Tam-tsui river estuaries will also be investigated. <strong>Study on crab fishery resources and ecology off northern Taiwan</strong>Crab fishery resources are important resources for offshore fisheries, and also are popular seafood products for domestic consumers. Therefore sustainable uses of crab fishery resources are important tasks to maintain the productions and values nowadays The objectives of this project are to monitor the status of crab resources in the surrounding waters of Taiwan, landings and production economics of crab fishery will be analyzed. The Fishery Research Institute has studied the crab-cage fisheries in the northern waters of Taiwan from 2017, and the crab fishery resources in the southwestern waters and the Penghu waters. The investigations of the life history of crabs and habitat utilization in the waters of Taiwan are still needed, such as the movement path of crabs, the spawning ground, and other ecological links need to be further cleared. The present study focused on crabs caught by trawl fishery in the northern waters of Taiwan, collected fishing logs and catch samples, investigated the species composition, catch and fishery biological studying, and investigated the same sea areas by a research ship. The results will provide reasonable fishery management for the sustainable utilization of crab fishery resources.
<strong>Studies on the ecology of the demersal fishery resources in the southwestern waters of Taiwan</strong>To understand the dynamics of fishing ground, spawning ground and assemblage structure of the economically important fishes is the priority for fishery conservation and management. However, in the past, studies of the dermersal fishery resources in the southwestern waters of Taiwan were mainly conducted by analyzing the data from bottom trawl fishery. On the other hand, the fishing grounds of bottom trawl are more outward, restricted to the 3 nautical miles offshore waters. Moreover, gillnet is the main fishing method in the coastal waters and the fishing grounds are distinct from that of the trawl fishery. Furthermore, investigations on gillnet fishery resources are scarce. Therefore, the whole picture of the population dynamics of bottom fishes in the offshore and coastal waters remains unclear. In this study, we aim to analyze the composition and seasonality of the catch from bottom trawl fishery and gillnet fishery simultaneously, to provide integrated information on the structure of demersal fishery resources for developing optimal fishing regulations in the southwestern waters of Taiwan.
