Tracking the invasion of Hemiramphus far and Saurida undosquamis along the southern Mediterranean coasts: A Local Ecological Knowledge study

Autor: J. Ben Souissi, Wassim Boughedir, Ernesto Azzurro, Francesc Maynou, Esmail A. Shakman, R. Ghanem, M. Rifi
Přispěvatelé: Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2015
Předmět:
Zdroj: Mediterranean Marine Science; Τόμ. 16 Αρ. 3 (2015); 628-635
Mediterranean Marine Science; Vol. 16 No. 3 (2015); 628-635
Digital.CSIC: Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Mediterranean Marine Science, Vol 16, Iss 3, Pp 628-635 (2015)
ISSN: 1108-393X
1791-6763
Popis: 8 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables Local Ecological Knowledge of 92 professional fishers from Tunisia and Libya was used to investigate the occurrence and establishment of the exotic Hemiramphus far and Saurida lessepsianus along the southern Mediterranean coasts. According to fisherman’s knowledge, H. far and S. lessepsianus appeared in Libya in 1980 and 1989, respectively. In Tunisia these species were observed later on, in 2004 and 2007. Currently both H. far and S. lessepsianus are well distributed and established, along the entire surveyed area, from Tobruk (eastern Libya) to Tabarka (western Tunisia). A statistical analysis of the qualitative trends in abundance perceived by the respondents shows that both species have significantly increased in abundance in Tunisia. In Libya an increase in the abundance of H. far was also apparent during the first decade of the 21 century, but the current abundance of S. lessepsianus was found to be stable at the level of occasional captures. Given the lack of regular environmental monitoring programmes in the area, these findings provide information that could not have been obtained otherwise. Besides improving our understanding on the status and chronology of these invasions, this approach highlights the value of fisherman’s knowledge to reconstruct ecological processes in the course of rapid historical modifications The present work was developed within the framework of the project ‘‘Tropical signals’’ (CIESM, Commission Internationale pour l’Exploration Scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée) founded by Fondation Albert II of Monaco
Databáze: OpenAIRE