Abstract
Since the first recorded occurrence in 1976, the coastal waters of Brunei Darussalam have been sporadically subjected to the effects of red tide. The 1976 incident overwhelmed the nation which had no previous experience of red tides. Subsequently, a routine was established to monitor the red tide phenomenon.This included plankton monitoring and shellfish toxicity testing, measures which helped to prevent or mitigate adverse human impacts and economic losses to the fishing industry.
The second red tide occurrence was in 1980. However, this time there was greater awareness and with the experience gained from the 1976 incident, the situation was handled effectively.
A subsequent incident in 1988 was discovered in a slightly different manner. High densities of Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum, the causative organism, were found in the stomach contents of a pelagic fish, Sardinella spp. Cats which had fed on contaminated Sardinella suffered sickness and mortality. This led to a ban on the import and sale of Sardinella spp. Cats which had fed on contaminated Sardinella suffered sickness and mortality. This led to a ban on the import and sale of Sardinella spp. and the closure of a local shellfish farm for almost a year.
Red tide occurrences have had some impact on the fisheries of Brunei Darussalam, mainly due to the need to impose bans on the import, sale and consumption of certain species of fish and shellfish.
It is suggested that the effects of red tides on finfish capture fisheries, especially planktivorous fish can be minimised by implementing simple precautions. Shellfish under culture would invariably face losses in the event of a prolonged red tide occurrence and it is proposed that an insurance scheme be implemented to cover such losses.
A Red Tide Action Plan is currently in force in Brunei Darussalam. It is a contingency plan for red tide vigilance, monitoring and management, and will serve to reduce the negative impacts of red tides.
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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Subramaniam, S., Mahali, S.A., Taha, S.H.M. (1994). Red tide phenomena in Brunei Darussalam — some implications for fisheries. In: Sasekumar, A., Marshall, N., Macintosh, D.J. (eds) Ecology and Conservation of Southeast Asian Marine and Freshwater Environments including Wetlands. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 98. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0958-1_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0958-1_21
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