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Annual Eel Unit Report Meeting held at the Fisheries Agency

IFB

On January 28, 2025, the Annual Eel Unit Report Meeting for FY2024 was held at the Fish Agency in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. This research project on Japanese eel resource management is a commissioned and subsidized research project of the Fisheries Agency led by Professor Hiroshi Hakoyama, in which 39 research and development institutions (13 JV institutions, 26 collaborative institutions) are participating. This annual report meeting was attended by 42 people from the Fisheries Agency, universities, prefectures and other research and development institutions who presented the results of their research on eel resources. The results of this project, which will identify trends in the ever-declining eel resource and estimate the risk of extinction, will contribute to resource management at the national and prefectural levels, as well as in countries and regions along the East Asian coast.

Meeting Agenda

  1. Opening Remarks (Mizugaki, International Resources Section Chief) 13:15-13:20 (5 min)

  2. Introduction of Participants (List) 13:20-13:25 (5 min)

  3. Review of promotion and results

  4. Overall Summary Report, Hakoyama 13:25-13:35 (10 min)

  5. Trend Analysis of Eel Resources, Hakoyama 13:35-14:00 (25 min)

  6. Population Genetic Analysis of Eel, Sekino 14:00-14:20 (20 min)

  7. Summary of glass eel migration survey, Mochioka/Hakoyama 14:20-14:40 (20 min)

  8. Satellite tag flow chamber experiment, Sato (Yoshida) 14:45-15:00 (15 min)

  9. Reducing the resistance of eel satellite tags, Iio 15:00-15:15 (15 min)

  10. Investigation of Argos satellite tags, Hakoyama 15:15-15:30 (15 min)

  11. General discussion 15:30-15:40 (10 min)

  12. Closing remarks (Research Director) 15:40-15:45 (5 min)

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New Year IFB Seminar (9th)

Takahisa Miyatake

Pest control by sterilization and evolution of polyandry: Evolution of Resistant Females or Emergence of Promiscuous Females?

Professor Takahisa Miyatake (Okayama University)

Date and time: January 7, 2025, 16:30-18:00

Location: Conference Room, Institute of Freshwater Biology, Nagano University, 1088 Komaki, Ueda, Nagano

Registration URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2yWQxAk7x-LNy8JyP96SA2YNQPER6niIEn2gsGPO2ubSbtA/viewform?usp=dialog

Abstract: Invasive alien insects that cause severe damage to agricultural crops and are designated by the Plant Protection Act are called special pests. The sterile insect release method (=sterilization method) was started in 1971 to eradicate the special pest melon fly. 100 million sterile fruit flies were sprayed from helicopters every week, and in 1993, melon flies were finally eradicated from Japan. Just before eradication, data were published suggesting the appearance of females (resistant females) that could distinguish sterile males in some areas of Okinawa Island (Hibino and Iwahashi 1989, 1991), but the national and prefectural governments thoroughly sprayed huge amounts of sterile insects in areas where wild insects remained, completely eradicating them. As a result, one question remained: Did females evolve that could distinguish sterile males? Together with my students, I used a beetle Tribolium castaneum, which can be bred in Okayama, and measured the generational changes in female traits in an experimental area where sterile males and normal males were exposed to females, and in a control area where only normal males were exposed to females, by repeatedly breeding for more than 15 generations. In this seminar I would like to report and discuss the results.

20250107_news

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IFB Web now supports IPv6!

Hiroshi Hakoyama

The website of the Institute of Freshwater Biology is now IPv6 compliant.

You can access the site via IPv6, for example:

    curl -6 ifb-research.jp

Note: IPv6 transport DNS is not yet supported due to registrar restrictions.

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We conducted a survey on the spawning migration of wild eels in Shizuoka and Kumamoto!

IFB

We conducted a spawning migration survey using pop-up tags on natural downstream eels in Shizuoka Prefecture on December 2, 2024, and in Kumamoto Prefecture on December 13, 2024.

In Shizuoka Prefecture, we set out by boat from Lake Hamana and released five individuals in an area approximately 700 meters deep.

In the Ariake Sea in Kumamoto Prefecture, we released three individuals in shallow water inside the bay.

This is the first time we have tried to collect data on eels migrating to the open ocean. We saw many dolphins from the boat!

We received cooperation from Ebisen Co., Ltd., the Fishing Shop BLUEJUNKIE, and the Kumamoto Prefectural Fisheries Research Center for this survey. Thank you very much.

20241220_news-0 20241220_news_dolphin 20241220_news-1 20241220_news-2 20241220_news-3 20241220_news-4 20241220_news-5

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Nagano University Mitsuo Seminar students visited the Institute of Freshwater Biology!

IFB

On Thursday, December 12, 2024, 15 first-year seminar students of Professor Yoshito Mitsuo visited the Institute of Freshwater Biology as part of their seminar activities. The students were briefed about the Institute of Freshwater Biology, its research projects on river ecology and Japanese eel, and its research, education, social contributions, and history. They also toured the wild fish stocks on the premises, as well as the facilities and equipment.

20241212_news

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New IFB Web

Hiroshi Hakoyama

The Institute of Freshwater Biology website has the following features

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The Chikuma-Shinano Rivers Research Group presented their results at the River Ecology Academic Research Presentation (Tokyo Shoken Hall)

IFB

On November 21, 2024, the Chikuma River and Shinano River Research Group presented their results at the River Ecology Academic Research Presentation at the Tokyo Shoken Hall.

Hiroshi Hakoyama* (IFB, Nagano University) On the importance of habitat continuity for riverine ecosystems and related restoration measures.

Alessandra CERA*, Sakie KODAMA, Leanne FAULKS, Hiroshi HAKOYAMA (IFB, Nagano University) Effects of water flow velocity on metabolic functionality of freshwater epilithic biofilms: a field and laboratory study.

Leanne FAULKS*, Alessandra CERA, Sakie KODAMA, Hiroshi HAKOYAMA (IFB, Nagano University) River fragmentation at the local scale: effects on biodiversity.

Takato IDO, Mei YOSHIMURA, *Masashi TOYOTA (Faculty of Engineering, Shinshu University) River channel evolution in the middle reaches of the Chikuma River as seen from cross-sectional survey data and aerial photographs

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Professor Hakoyama's Comments Published in Nihon Keizai Shimbun Article

IFB

On November 20, 2024, Professor Hiroshi Hakoyama’s comments were published in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun print and online articles “Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism encourages setting numerical targets for river environment conservation, such as tidal flat area, visualization of ecosystem recovery” and “Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sets new targets for river environment and ecosystem maintenance”.

https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUE06AK30W4A600C2000000/

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The 8th IFB Seminar

Yoshida Makoto

The 8th IFB Seminar took place in the conference room of the Institute of Freshwater Biology.

Title: Fish that adapt their buoyancy to the environment

Lecturer: Yoshida Makoto

Affiliation: Special Researcher, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo

Abstract: Many fishes that swim underwater support their weight by obtaining buoyancy from the air in their swim bladders, reducing energy expenditure during swimming. On the other hand, in situations where sufficient buoyancy is not available, they use gliding swimming, which involves diving without swinging the caudal fin, to reduce the cost of locomotion. I will report on biological research on freshwater catfish and two strains of carp from Lake Biwa, taking into account the quality associated with maintaining buoyancy. I inferred the buoyancy state of Carrera during swimming from the behavioral records of the fish in the wild. Through these studies focusing on the trends in buoyancy regulation according to habitat, we will consider the behavioral adaptation of the three fish species from the perspective of buoyancy.

8th-seminar

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Glass Eel Research Group Meeting held at IFB!

IFB

On October 24, 2024, a meeting of the Glass Eel Research Group of the International Resource Project Eel Unit, commissioned by the Fisheries Agency, was held at the Institute of Freshwater Biology. The Glass Eel Research Group is conducting long-term studies of glass eel migration in several regions through direct, non-fishing surveys. The meeting was also streamed online and was attended by more than 20 people from the Fisheries Agency and the Eel Unit. Lively discussions followed the agenda below.

Meeting Agenda

Date: October 24th

Time: 13:30-15:40

Location: Institute of Freshwater Biology Conference Room, 1088 Komaki, Ueda City, TEL 0268-22-0594

  1. Opening Ceremony

  2. Survey of glass eels in Miyazaki, Teru Takahashi/Shuichi Hayashida (online) (13:30-13:50)

  3. Glass eel survey in Wakayama, Yoshitsugu Kaji (13:50-14:10)

  4. Glass eel survey in Kagoshima, Takashi Shiosaki (14:10-14:30)

10 minute break (14:30-14:40)

  1. Glass eel survey in Fukuoka, Noritaka Mochioka (14:40-15:00)

  2. Glass eel survey in Chiba, Yasuhiko Mabuchi (15:00-15:20)

  3. General discussion (15:20-15:40)

  4. Conclusion

10-minute break (15:40-15:50)

Data Analysis Session

Time: 15:50-18:00

  1. Time series data analysis 2 by Hakoyama Hiroshi (15:50-16:10)

  2. Discussion of Analysis of Survey Data from Each JV (16:10-18:00, with breaks)

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