Fisheries

The Republic of Kiribati's Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), located in the equatorial central Pacific, is the largest and deepest UNESCO World Heritage site on earth. Created in 2008, it was the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) of its kind (at the time of inception, the largest in the world) and includes eight low-lying islands, shallow coral reefs, submerged shallow and deep seamounts and extensive open-ocean and ocean floor habitat. Due to their isolation, the shallow reef habitats have been protected de facto from severe exploitation, though the surrounding waters have been continually fished for large pelagics and whales over many decades. PIPA was created under a partnership between the Government of Kiribati and the international non-governmental organizations-Conservation International and the New England Aquarium. PIPA has a unique conservation strategy as the first marine MPA to use a conservation contract mechanism with a corresponding Conservation Trust established to be both a sustainable financing mechanism and a check-and-balance to the oversight and maintenance of the MPA. As PIPA moves forward with its management objectives, it is well positioned to be a global model for large MPA design and implementation in similar contexts. The islands and shallow reefs have already shown benefits from protection, though the pending full closure of PIPA (and assessments thereof) will be critical for determining success of the MPA as a refuge for open-ocean pelagic and deep-sea marine life. As global ocean resources are continually being extracted to support a growing global population, PIPA's closure is both timely and of global significance.

Iridoviruses, especially megalocytiviruses, are related to severe disease resulting in high economic losses in the aquaculture industry worldwide. The ornamental fish industry has been affected severely due to Megalocytivirus infections. Megalocytivirus is a DNA virus that has three genera; including red sea bream iridovirus, infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus, and turbot reddish body iridovirus. Megalocytivirus causes non-specific clinical signs in ornamental fish. Cell culture, histology, immunofluorescence test, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay have been used to diagnose megalocytiviruses. Risk factors such as temperature, transportation (export and import), and life stages of ornamental fish have been reported for the previous cases due to Megalocytivirus infections. In addition, other prevention and control methods also have been practiced in farms to prevent Megalocytivirus outbreaks. This is the first review of megalocytiviruses in ornamental fish since its first detection in 1989. This review discusses the occurrences of Megalocytivirus in ornamental fish, including the history, clinical signs, detection method, risk factors, and prevention measures.