FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
	UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

	Conservation of the Genetic Resources of Fish: Problems and Recommendations
	TABLE OF CONTENTS

Report of the Expert Consultation on the Genetic Resources of Fish
Rome, 9–13 June 1980

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

M-42
ISBN 92-5-101173-7

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.

Preparation of this Report

This report was prepared by the Expert Consultation on the Conservation of Genetic Resources of Fish, held in Rome, 9–13 June 1980, with funding supplied jointly by FAO and UNEP, under UNEP Contract FP/1108-80-01. A list of those participating is given in Appendix 1 to the report.

Abstract

The report reviews arguments for the preservation of the genetic resources of fish and various strategies for accomplishing this in both marine and continental waters. It reviews the significance of genetic diversity, especially within populations and subpopulations, to the viability of aquatic ecosystems and to the fitness of fish populations, and discuss the various means by which genetic impoverishment comes about. The report emphasizes the importance of maintaining breeding populations of an effective size of at least 50 for short-term fitness and of at least 500 for long-term survival; and of avoiding “genetic bottlenecks” created by reduction of breeding populations to small size for one or more generations.

The report also considers available technologies for the monitoring, preservation and enhancement of genetic resources in closely managed fish stocks. It concludes by presenting recommendations addressed to five different groups: these are international organizations, governments, aquaculturists and fishery managers, conservationists and research scientists.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome 1981 © FAO 1982

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.

This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software. FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.   INTRODUCTION

1.1   Historical Background of International Action
1.2   Objectives and Terms of Reference
1.3   Nature Conservation Versus Genetic Resource Preservation (GRP)
1.4   An Important Distinction: Extinction Versus Genetic Impoverishment
1.5   The Case for Genetic Resource Preservation in Fish

1.5.1   Nutritional arguments for Genetic Resource Preservation
1.5.2   Economic arguments for Genetic Resource Preservation
1.5.3   Ecological arguments for Genetic Resource Preservation

2.   LEVELS AND METHODS OF GENETIC RESOURCE PRESERVATION IN FISH

2.1   Human Impacts on Aquatic Habitats
2.2   Ways and Means of Genetic Resource Preservation

2.2.1   Oceanic systems
2.2.2   Continental waters

3.   GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF GENETIC RESOURCE PRESERVATION

3.1   The Importance of Genetic Variation
3.2   Effects of Inbreeding
3.3   Monitoring and Measuring Genetic Variation
3.4   Population Genetic Structure in Relation to Exploitation and Extinction

4.   CRITERIA FOR MINIMUM POPULATION SIZES

4.1   Criteria and Time Scale
4.2   Survival of Captive Populations
4.3   Population Influences on Effective Population Size
4.4   The Maintenance of Long-Term Fitness

5.   THE COMPONENTS OF GENETIC IMPOVERISHMENT IN FISH POPULATIONS

5.1   Effects of Pollution and Other Stress Factors
5.2   Effects of Fishing
5.3   Effects of Exotic Fish Species

5.3.1   Active introduction of food fish
5.3.2   Introductions of sport fishing and ornamental fish
5.3.3   Introductions for weed and insect control
5.3.4   Accidental introductions
5.3.5   The biological consequences of introductions

5.4   Effects of Artificial Selection
5.5   Domestication

6.   TECHNIQUES FOR THE PRESERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF GENETIC RESOURCES IN CLOSELY MANAGED FISH POPULATIONS

6.1   Artificial Selection of Broodstock
6.2   Artificial Methods of Reproduction
6.3   Hybridization and Heterosis
6.4   Enhancement of Stocks
6.5   Cryo preservation of Genetic Resources

7.   RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1   Recommendations Primarily for International Organizations
7.2   Recommendations Primarily for Governments
7.3   Recommendations to Aquaculturists and Fishery Managers
7.4   Recommendations Primarily for the Conservation Community
7.5   Recommendations Primarily for the Scientific Community

8.   REFERENCES

APPENDIX 1 - List of Participants

APPENDIX 2 - Proposal for Regional Centres of Aquatic Genetic Resources Information

APPENDIX 3 - Proposal for a Programme of Education on Genetic Conservation for Aquatic Resources