This study was performed to estimate the swimming velocity of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) migrated offshore Funka Bay of Hokkaido using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (OceanSurveyor, RDI, 153.6kHz) established in T/S Ushio-maru of Hokkaido University, in September 27, 2003. The ADCP's doppler shift revealed as the raw data that the maximum swimming velocity was measured 163.0cm/s, and its horizontal swimming speed and direction were 72.4±24.1 cm/s, 160.1˚±22.3˚ while the surrounding current speed and direction were 19.6±8.4 cm/s, 328.1˚±45.3˚. To calculate the actual swimming speed of Pacific saury in each bins, comparisons for each stratified bins must be made between the mean surrounding current velocity vectors, measured for each stratified bin, and its mean swimming velocity vectors, assumed by reference (threshold 〉 -70dB) and 5dB margin among four beams of ADCP. As a result, the actual averaged swimming velocity was 88.6cm/s and the averaged 3-D swimming velocity was 91.3cm/s using the 3-D velocity vector, respectively.

To determine the relative efficiency and mesh selectivity of gill net for the Pacific saury, Cololabis saira, a series of fishing experiments was carried out in the Northwest Pacific Ocean from August 13 to October 13 in 2002, using gill nets of different mesh size(30, 33, 35, 37, 39 and 42mm) constructed from two kinds of twine material(monofilament, twisted multifilament nylon web). The relative efficiency of two material gears was expressed as the ratio obtained by dividing monofilament catch by multifilament catch in number. The master selection curve of each material gear was estimated by applying the extended Kitahara's method. The catch of experimental gears is mostly Pacific saury(98.6%), Cololabis saira. The kinds of bycatch are common squid(0.7%), Pacific mackerel(0.6%), etc. Catch comparisons in the two gears showed that monofilament nylon nets are 1.7 times more efficient. The optimum values in monofilament and multifilament gill net for Pacific saury are 8.28 and 8.23, respectively.

In order to investigate influence of moon light to the fishing of Pacific saury stick-held dip net fishery in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, casting number, catch and CPUE were analyzed between the full moon and the new moon phases. Based on analyses of data taken from 8 vessels during 1992~2002, casting numbers at the full moon phase and the new moon phase were 110.3 and 121.0 times, respectively, and the first was lower than the latter by 8.8%. Catches of the full moon phase were higher than the new moon phase by 12.5% and CPUE expressed in ton/day and ton/haul were also higher by 31.5%, 26.1% respectively.

북태평양에서 조업하는 우리나라 꽁치봉수망어업의 어획량과 시기별 어장 중심 및 어획적수온 등을 검토하고 조업시 소나 사용에 따른 어획 효과를 분석하였다. 조업 시기는 5~12월이었고 어획 비율과 CPUE 측면에서 볼 때, 한·일 어업협정 발효 이전인 1985~1998년의 주어기는 9~11월로, 발효 이후인 1999~2002년의 주어기는 8~10월로 추정되었다. 한·일 어업협정 이후 어장 중심은 일본 동쪽 연안 측으로부터 러시아 남쿠릴열도 동쪽인 43˚N 와 151˚E 부근으로 이동하였다. 꽁치의 어획적수온은 5월에는 12.5~14.4℃, 6월은 12.0~14.2℃, 7월은 11.4~13.9℃, 8월은 11.4~15.9℃, 9월은 12.9~16.9℃, 10월은 12.7~l7.3℃, 11월은 13.1~17.6℃ 그리고 12월에는 15.0~19.1℃이었다. 어획종은 총 13종으로서 목표종인 꽁치가 99.9% 어획되어 대부분을 차지하였다. 조업일수는 소나를 보유한 조업선과 소나를 보유 하지 않은 조업선 사이에 뚜렷한 차이를 나타내지 않았으나 투망횟수, 어획량 및 CPUE는 소나를 보유한 조업선이 각각 13%, 26%, 12% 높게 나타났다.

꽁치봉수망 조업시 어선의 집어등에 의한 수중환경의 변화를 밝혀 광 환경이 꽁치의 어획에 미치는 영향을 분석하기 위한 기초 단계로 수중 조도를 측정하여 꽁치가 분포하는 어획 수층의 광 환경을 분석한 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 공기중에서 홍색 백열등과 할로겐등의 방사조도는 둘 다 1,052nm의 파장에서 최대치를 보인 후 감소하는 경향을 나타내었고, 600nm이하의 파장에서는 할로겐등이 홍색 백열등에 비해 방사조도가 약간 높게 나타났다. 공기중 조도는 좌현 선미에서 가장 높았고 선수에서 가장 낮게 나타났다. 조사해역에서의 집어등 불빛의 수중투과 특성은 50m 수층에서 각각 0.31x, 0.61x 이하로 나타났으며 일반적인 꽁치어장의 특성을 가진 어장에서 볼 때 , 꽁치가 집어되는 수층의 조도는 0.51x 이상인 것으로 보인다.

The saury stick - held dip net fishery of Korea in the Northwest Pacific Ocean began in 1985 with 3 vessels. Since then the fishery has grown so rapidly year by year that the number of vessels increased to 34 and the catch to 40 thousands Mff in 1993. In the present study, the monthly situation and the movement of the fishing ground for the pacific saury in the Northwest Pacific were investigated and the monthly optimum fIshing tempertures were estimated, from the relationship between the catch and the sea surface temperature. In the beginning of the fishing season, June to August, the fIshing ground is formed in the very wide range, mainly in the northward area of the front meandering, as the parcific saury migrate northward. In the main season, September to November, the ground is formed in the southward area of the front, off the east coast of Japan. Andd then, the fishing season ends in December with the ground coming near to the east coast of Japan. The monthly optimum fishing tempertures showed 11~13℃. in June to July, 13-17℃. in August to November, and 15~ 17℃. in December in general. The profIles of water temperature were much different in accordance by net casting position in the fishing ground, regardless of season. So, the MLD and CPUE was analyzed to find out the relation between the water temperature and the catch. Then, it is found that the CPUE shows over 0.7Mtr/haul as the MLD 40~70m.40~70m.

Interannual and decadal scale changes in body size of Pacific saury, catch and catch per unit effort were examined to investigate the environmental effects on the stock structure and abundance in the Tsushima Warm Current region. Interannual changes in thermal conditions are responsible for the different occurrence (catch) rates of sized group of the fish. Changes in body size due to environmental variables lead the stock to be homogeneous during the period of high abundance, while one of the reminder cohorts supports the stock during the period of low level of abundance. Migration circuits of two cohorts of saury stock are hypothesized on the basis of short life span and spatio-temporal changes of the stock structure in normal environmental conditions. Changes in upper ocean structure and production cycles by the decadal scale climate changes lead changes in stock structure and recruitment, resulting in the fluctuation of saury abundance. Hypothesized mechanism of the effects of climate changes on stock structure and abundance is illustrated on the basis of changes in thermal regime and production cycle.

To provide evidence that the changes in oceanic environmental conditions are useful indices for predicting stock structure and distribution of the Pacific saury (Cololabis saira), the body length compositions and catch per unit fishing effort were examined in relation to the sea surface temperature(SST) anomalies in the Tsushima Warm Current(TWC) region. The size of the fish became larger(smaller) than the average in the same size category during the season of higher SST(lower SST) as opposed to the normal SST. The year-to-year changes in body size caused by the changes in the environmental conditions led the stock to be homogeneous during the period of high stock level from the late 1950s to early 1970s and in the 1990s. The changes in body size manifested by higher(lower) occurrence rates of larger (smaller) sized groups in relation to temperature anomalies suggest that the changes in the environmental conditions affect the distribution and the structure of the stock in the TWC region. Therefore, if the SST anomaly derived from satellite data is large enough in the early spring months(Mar. or Apr.), it is possible to predict whether or not sea temperature will be favorable for large sized groups of saury at normal or slightly earlier time of commencement of the fishery in spring(Apr.～June).