Review of research trends
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- Abstract iv
- Results and Discussion 13
- Conclusion 28
- Analysis of publication by theme
A Century of Linefish Research in South Africa: Bibliography and review of research trends Edited by R.M. Palmer, P.D. Cowley & B.Q. Mann With contributions from A.W. Paterson, R.H. Bennett, T. Hecht Acknowledgements This report published by the South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research (SANCOR) was co-operatively sponsored by funds obtained from the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) Elwandle Node and the Marine Linefish Research Group (MLRG). Numerous individuals from several South African academic and research institutions are thanked for their support and contributions to the bibliography. Illustrations of fish on the front cover courtesy of SAIAB / NISC ©, while images were provided by SAIAB, P.D. Cowley, A. Götz and W.M. Potts. This report should be cited as follows: Palmer, R.M., Cowley, P.D. & B.Q. Mann (Eds.) 2008. A Century of Linefish Research in South Africa: Bibliography and review of research trends. South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research Occasional Report No. 6: 108 pp. An electronic copy of this report and the bibliography can be downloaded from the SANCOR website http://sancor.nrf.ac.za or is available from SAIAB saiab@ru.ac.za Table of contents Abstract ivIntroduction 1Methods 6Literature sources 6 Analysis of research trends 7 Definitions of themes and focus areas 7
Analysis of geographical regions 13Analysis of the temporal trends 15Period 1900 – 1949 16 Period 1950 – 1959 17 Period 1960 – 1969 18 Period 1970 – 1979 19 Period 1980 – 1989 20 Period 1990 – 1999 22 Period 2000 – 2007 23 The future of linefish research in South Africa 24 Linefish researchers 26 Conclusion 28Literature cited 29Appendix 1 34Appendix 2 35 Abstract A substantial literature exists on South African linefish species but has never been collated to produce a bibliography of research outputs. This document provides the first compilation of published and selected unpublished works (including student theses) on this subject, thereby providing scientists and managers with a valuable research tool. Approximately 1900 references were sourced and categorized into seven themes by their titles and keywords. The themes were: Taxonomy and systematics, Biology, Ecology, Management and fisheries, Mariculture, Elasmobranchs and Other. Publications within each theme were further classified according to focus areas (i.e. specific research disciplines). The bibliography was analysed to reveal trends in contributions by geographic region, focus areas (by decade) and research capacity. Research outputs were dominated by contributions in the Management theme (44%) followed by Biology (20%), Ecology (12%) and Elasmobranchs (12%). Research on locally occurring linefish species has been conducted throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries (Mozambique and Namibia), with the greatest contribution being from KwaZulu-Natal (23%). Over the past 100 years, the focus of linefish research has shifted from taxonomic investigations to biological and management related research. Of the 128 researchers who have published papers, 42% are still active. However, South Africa has lost research capacity as 21% have emigrated, the majority over the past 20 years. Despite this, linefish research is still very active, with all major research and academic institutions having ongoing projects and registered students. It is envisaged that future research will remain directed at informing management decisions, while technological advances particularly in the fields of genetics and biotelemetry will make significant contributions. Introduction Hook and line fishing in South Africa dates back to the mid 1600’s when the Dutch first colonized the Cape. However, ichthyological research only began in 1895 when J.D.F. Gilchrist was appointed as a marine biologist for the Cape Colony. Initially, research by Gilchrist and other prominent ichthyologists, such as J.L.B. Smith and K.H. Barnard, focused on the taxonomic descriptions of fish (including linefish species). However, the development of a thriving fishing industry necessitated research on target species and later on marine ecosystems. The primary role of linefish research in South Africa, as in the rest of the world, is to produce the knowledge needed by government to implement management, and to maintain an environment conducive to the development and sustainability of the fishery (Anon 1997). The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Branch: Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) is the regulatory authority responsible for managing and conserving marine living resources. Research scientists based at academic and research institutions, as well as MCM, have conducted research on more than 100 linefish species in order to advise the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on how to manage South Africa’s commercial, recreational and subsistence linefisheries. Despite the development of marine science in South Africa, which took place during a time of increasing political isolation from the rest of the world, the standard of linefish research has remained high. This can be attributed to good research co-ordination, largely facilitated by the South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research (SANCOR) and its predecessor, the South African National Committee for Oceanographic Research, and strong collaborative efforts and co-operation between research scientists based at the major research institutions. SANCOR offers assistance to both government and non-governmental organizations, to carry out tasks related to the coastal and marine environment. Moreover, SANCOR provides a platform for collaboration and communication in marine science and management. Furthermore, SANCOR is involved in planning for the future, facilitating research, advising on research priorities and communicating research findings. There are seven research co-ordinating groups that fall under SANCOR. Two are relevant to linefish research; namely the South African Marine Linefish Management Association (SAMLMA) and the Marine Linefish Research Group (MLRG). SAMLMA is a formally constituted interest group, which is recognized in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act (No 18 of 1998) as the official body representing linefish users. SAMLMA comprises representatives of the recreational and commercial linefishing sectors, as well as regional conservation authorities and linefish researchers. The primary purpose of SAMLMA is to facilitate communication between the role-players involved in the linefish industry and to discuss and debate issues surrounding management and the promulgation of new regulations. This body plays a crucial role in enabling stakeholders in the linefishery to contribute towards improved management. The MLRG, on the other hand, focuses on co-ordinating linefish research efforts and direction. The aims of this co-ordinating group are:
The MLRG has a membership of approximately 50 researchers and students based at several academic and research organizations throughout South Africa (Table 1). Table 1. Institutional members of the Marine Linefish Research Group (MLRG), with contact details.
Over the past 100 years, linefish research trends in South Africa have been influenced by a number of factors. Although human interest and curiosity have played a role, social, economic, political and technological developments have generally dictated research focus areas and influenced the direction of South African linefish research. Substantial research has been conducted, but research outputs are widely distributed in the peer reviewed literature and much documentation is in the form of unpublished reports and theses. This presents an obstacle to researchers by making awareness of, and access to “grey literature” difficult, thus preventing them from deriving the full benefits of work that has already been done. Therefore, a comprehensive bibliography of extant work would serve a valuable purpose. Several studies have assessed various sectors of the linefishery (e.g. Brouwer et al. 1997, Griffiths 2000) but none have covered the full extent of the available literature. The need for such a document was the primary motivation for the present compilation, and it is hoped that the bibliography presented here will serve as a useful reference to scholars and researchers in this field. Moreover, this bibliography provides an opportunity to reflect on what has been done in the subject over the past 100 years, review the trends in research focus areas and provide some insight into future research needs. This bibliography is restricted to studies conducted on South African linefish species and covers a range of subjects including taxonomy, biology and management. As a first attempt, it is obvious that some literature will have been omitted. Identification of the gaps in its coverage, studies recently published and work still to be written up, mean that the bibliography will need to be updated on a regular basis. This may be possible via a website, where students, researchers and/or librarians can add unlisted references. The aim of this study was to compile a comprehensive bibliography of linefish research outputs and to investigate geographic and temporal trends over the past century. Methods Literature sources Literature on South African linefish species was sourced in the following way:
These searches yielded approximately 1900 publication citations, and included: peer reviewed published articles, Honours, Masters and PhD theses, published reports, popular articles, books, conference and workshop proceedings, conference posters and unpublished reports. A full list of these publications is provided in Appendix 2. Analysis of research trends Based on the title and keywords (when available), each publication was categorized and allocated to one of seven themes:
Within these themes, each publication was further categorized according to distinct focus areas (e.g. life history studies within the Biology theme). Some publications were allocated to more than a single focus area and were sequentially numerated as a publication in each of the respective focus areas. Definitions of themes and focus areas 1 – Taxonomy and systematics
2 – Biology Publications in this theme focused only on aspects of the biology of linefish species, and the results were not management orientated.
3 – Ecology Publications within this theme were similar to the biology theme; however, research emphasis was placed on the ecosystem rather than the fish species. Similarly, the results of these studies were also not related to aspects of management. The identified focus areas were as follows:
4 – Management and fisheries Publications within this theme focus largely on the management of linefish species and include the following focus areas.
5 – Mariculture This theme includes publications related to the culture of linefish species in South Africa, and was divided into the following focus areas:
6 – Elasmobranchs All publications on elasmobranch species were included in this theme. The identified focus areas were as follows:
7 – Other Publications that could not be assigned to any of the above mentioned themes. These were mostly popular articles. The focus areas identified were as follows.
Results and discussion Analysis of publication by themeThe majority (44%) of the approximately 1900 publications fell into the Management category, followed by Biology (20%), Ecology (12%) and Elasmobranches (12%) (Figure 1). 
Figure 1: Percentage breakdown of linefish research publications according to each thematic category. Yüklə 0,8 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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