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Are sawfishes still present in Mozambique? A baseline ecological study.

ABSTRACT: Sawfishes (Pristidae) were formerly abundant in the western Indian Ocean, but current data on sawfish presence and distribution are lacking for most of the region. This paper summarises historical records of sawfishes in Mozambican waters and presents the findings of the first assessment of the presence and status of sawfishes in Mozambique. A countrywide baseline assessment was undertaken between May and July 2014, using interviews with artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial fishers, fish traders and fisheries monitoring staff as the primary source of information on sawfish distribution, recent catches, socio-economic value and cultural importance. Additional interviews were conducted via email or telephone with individuals running sport fishing operations or who otherwise had considerable experience interacting with the fishing sectors or the marine environment in Mozambique. Where encountered, sawfish rostra were photographed and a series of measurements and associated data were collected. In total, 200 questionnaire surveys and seven interviews with recreational fishing and dive operators were conducted, and 19 rostra were documented from museum archives and private collections, belonging to two sawfish species, the Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis pristis) and Green Sawfish (P. zijsron). The most recent captures of sawfishes were reported to have occurred in 2014. Two key sites were identified where both recent encounters were reported and numerous Largetooth Sawfish rostra were documented. Gill nets were the fishing gear most commonly attributed to sawfish catches. Sawfishes did not hold any cultural importance in Mozambique, but they have at least some socio-economic importance to artisanal fishers, primarily through the sale of their fins. The meat did not appear to be held in high regard and was usually consumed locally. Sampling and further research is now required to confirm the presence of sawfishes and to assess the primary threats to sawfishes in those areas. At one site where a number of rostra were present and where fishers stated that they still catch sawfish, gill nets are being provided to fishers as an alternative to beach seining. This may have a serious impact on the local sawfish population and more broadly for other elasmobranchs in the area. Immediate action is required to develop a landings monitoring programme in this and other key habitats, and to encourage fishers to release sawfishes alive.

SUBMITTER: Leeney RH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5292025 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Are sawfishes still present in Mozambique? A baseline ecological study.

Leeney Ruth H RH

PeerJ 20170202

Sawfishes (Pristidae) were formerly abundant in the western Indian Ocean, but current data on sawfish presence and distribution are lacking for most of the region. This paper summarises historical records of sawfishes in Mozambican waters and presents the findings of the first assessment of the presence and status of sawfishes in Mozambique. A countrywide baseline assessment was undertaken between May and July 2014, using interviews with artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial fishers, fish tr ...[more]

PMID: 28168114

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Project description:IntroductionVaccine efficacy testing requires engagement of willing volunteers with high disease incidence. We evaluated factors associated with willingness to participate in potential future HIV vaccine trials in Maputo, Mozambique.MethodsAdults aged 18-35 years without HIV and who reported at least two sexual partners in the 3 months prior to screening were enrolled into a 24-month observational study. They were asked at screening and exit if they would be willing to participate in a theoretical HIV vaccine study. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done between willingness to participate, demographic, sexual behavior, and motivational factors for screening visit data. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors potentially associated with willingness to participate for data from both visits.ResultsA total of 577 participants without HIV were eligible, including 275 (48%) women. The mean age was 22.2 (SD ± 3.9) years. At screening 529 (92%) expressed willingness to participate and the proportion remained stable at 378 (88%) of the 430 participants retained through the exit visit (p = 0.209). Helping the country (n = 556) and fear of needles (n = 26) were the top motive and barrier for willingness to participate, respectively. Results from the GEE binary logistic regression (screening visit and exit visit) showed that wanting to learn how to avoid risk behaviors (aOR 3.33, 95% CI: 1.61-6.86) and feeling protected against HIV infection (aOR 2.24, 95% CI: 1.07-4.7) were associated with willingness to participate in HIV vaccine studies.ConclusionThe majority of our study population in Mozambique expressed willingness to participate in a theoretical HIV vaccine trial. Participation in a HIV vaccine trial was seen as a way to contribute to the fight against HIV but was associated with some unrealistic expectations such as protection against HIV. This reinforces the need for continuous mobilization and awareness of potential participants to HIV vaccine trial.

Project description:BackgroundUndernutrition and diarrhoea have a high burden in children under 5 in low/middle-income countries. Having data-driven quality health services for these two diseases is key in order to address the high burden of diseases; therefore, health systems must provide data to monitor, manage, plan and decide on policies at all levels of health services.ObjectiveWe aimed to assess the quality of nutrition and diarrhoea routine data on children under 5 in Mozambique.DesignA longitudinal ecological study was implemented. Secondary data were used to assess the quality of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), deworming and rotavirus vaccine indicators based on the data's completeness, presence of outliers and consistency, and seasonality analysis in the form of time series analysis was performed.SettingWe used monthly district-level count data from 2017 to 2021, from all health facilities, from the Mozambican health information system (Sistema de Informação de Saúde para Monitoria e Avaliação, or District Health Information System version 2).ResultsThe rotavirus vaccine indicators presented better completeness when compared with other indicators under analysis. Extreme outliers were observed for deworming and rotavirus vaccines, with a higher number of outliers in the Zambezia and Nampula Provinces. Better consistency over time was observed when analysing the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, for all of the indicators and across provinces. Indicators of MAM and MAM-recovered showed more consistency issues over time in both periods of 2017-2019 and 2018-2021. In terms of seasonality analysis, for the MAM and MAM-recovered indicators, lower variation was observed, and heterogeneous patterns were seen across provinces for the rotavirus vaccine, which had the most pronounced negative seasonality components in Maputo City.ConclusionMajor deficits regarding the analysed quality indicators were observed for Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Zambezia, Tete, Manica, and Maputo City and Province.

Project description:IntroductionAdolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYAH) have the lowest rates of retention in HIV care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, partly due to the demands of school associated with this life stage, to HIV-related stigma and to fears of serostatus disclosure. We explore the implications of school-based stigma and disclosure on the development of agency during a critical life stage in rural Kenya and Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study in the baseline year of the SEARCH Youth study, a combination intervention using a life-stage approach among youth (15-24 years old) living with HIV in western Kenya and southwestern Uganda to improve viral load suppression and health outcomes. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews in 2019 with three cohorts of purposively selected study participants (youth [n = 83], balanced for sex, life stage and HIV care status; recommended family members of youth [n = 33]; and providers [n = 20]). Inductive analysis exploring contextual factors affecting HIV care engagement revealed the high salience of schooling environments.ResultsStigma within school settings, elicited by non-consensual serostatus disclosure, medication schedules and clinic appointments, exerts a constraining factor around which AYAH must navigate to identify and pursue opportunities available to them as young people. HIV status can affect cross-generational support and cohort formation, as AYAH differ from non-AYAH peers because of care-related demands affecting schooling, exams and graduation. However, adolescents demonstrate a capacity to overcome anticipated stigma and protect themselves by selectively disclosing HIV status to trusted peers and caregivers, as they develop a sense of agency concomitant with this life stage. Older adolescents showed greater ability to seek out supportive relationships than younger ones who relied on adult caregivers to facilitate this support.ConclusionsSchool is a potential site of HIV stigma and also a setting for learning how to resist such stigma. School-going adolescents should be supported to identify helpful peers and selectively disclose serostatus as they master decision making about when and where to take medications, and who should know. Stigma is avoided by fewer visits to the clinic; providers should consider longer refills, discreet packaging and long-acting, injectable ART for students.

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Are sawfishes still present in Mozambique? A baseline ecological study.

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Are sawfishes still present in Mozambique? A baseline ecological study.

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