Report to the fish farmers: Status of warmwater fish farming and progress in fish farming research
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Recreational angler surveys typically collect information on how anglers access a fishery. Yet, it is unclear how this information is useful for fisheries management and conservation. The objective of this study was to compare behavior (e.g., party size, time fished, and numbers of fish released and harvested) of bank and boat anglers, representing two angler-access types. Bank and boat anglers were surveyed across 29 Nebraska waterbodies from April through October, 2007–2017. We documented behavioral differences between bank and boat anglers that varied as a function of waterbody size and season. Patterns of party size, time fished, and numbers of fish released and harvested for bank and boat anglers differed across extra small, small, medium, and large waterbodies and across spring, summer, and fall. How anglers choose to access a fishery appears to be a source of heterogeneity within angler populations. Accounting for these spatial and temporal behavioral differences between angler-access types will be important for designing and implementing management regulations. We predict that angler-access types may respond uniquely to different management actions (e.g., size and bag limits, access maintenance, and cleanliness of amenities) that could lead to local and regional changes within and across fisheries (e.g., shift the composition of angler-access types). Continued collection and assessment of angler-access information is warranted and should lead to improved management and conservation of recreational fisheries.
The April bottom trawl survey and Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus population assessment provides science to inform Lake Ontario fisheries management. The 2023 survey included 215 trawls in the main lake and embayments, and sampled depths from 6.5 to 252 m (21-833 ft). The survey captured 1,012,178 fish from 32 species with a total weight of 12,136 kg (26,700 lbs.). Alewife were 92% of the catch by number while Rainbow Smelt, Osmerus mordax , Deepwater Sculpin, Myoxocephalus thompsonii , and Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus , comprised 3%, 3%, and 1% of the catch, respectively. To improve the accuracy of prey fish biomass and density estimates we reanalyzed trawl sensor data from each of three participating survey vessels and created vessel-specific relationships predicting how bottom trawl bottom contact time, wing width, and area-swept varies with depth. Total Alewife biomass increased in 2023 due to growth and survival of the abundant 2020 year class (now age-3) and an abundant 2022 year class (age-1). The 2023 mean Alewife biomass (81.1 kg·ha -1 ) was the largest since whole lake sampling began in 2016 and was the ninth largest value observed in the modern time series (1997-2023, maximum value in 2000 = 91.8 kg·ha -1 ). The 2023 Alewife density (6795 n·ha -1 ) was the greatest density observed in the modern time series. These high biomass and density values are due to above average Alewife reproductive success in 2020 and 2022. Simulation modeling suggests the 2024 and 2025 Alewife biomass index may be substantially higher than the 2023 observations. In 2023, the Rainbow Smelt biomass index increased relative to the 2022 index, as did the biomass index for Cisco, Coregonus artedi . In contrast, Emerald Shiner Notropis atherinoides and Threespine Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus , biomass values continue to be low (< 0.01 kg·ha -1 ). Three Bloater Coregonus hoyi , were captured during the 2023 survey. Hydroacoustic sampling conducted during the bottom trawl survey estimated prey fish densities in pelagic habitats not sampled by the bottom trawl (3 m below the surface to 3 m above the lake bottom) and these densities were hundreds to thousands of times lower than bottom trawl-based densities. These results support the idea that, in April, when the warmest water is on the lake bottom, Alewife and most other pelagic prey fish are near the lake bottom and can be effectively sampled with bottom trawling.
Since 1952, the Japanese have operated a large salmon driftnet fishery in the northern North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. This fishery is divided into two components: the high-seas mothership fleet, which consists of several processing ships and their numerous, smaller catcher boats that remain at sea during the entire fishing season, and the land-based fleet, which consists of independent fishing boats that catch and store their own fish and return to Japan at more frequent intervals (Sanger 1976; Fredin et al. 2 ). A similar fishery in the North Atlantic between 1965 and 1976 was responsible for the deaths of large numbers of the thick-billed murre, Uria lomvia , and significant reductions in its breeding populations (Tull et al. 1972). Recent work in the North Pacific and Bering Sea by Sana (1978) and King et al. (1979) indicated that large numbers of seabirds are killed annually in the Japanese salmon fishery also.
Home range is a vital component to understanding animal ecology and can vary with factors like species, body size, and habitat. Artificial reefs are increasingly used to supplement or enhance habitat for reef fish. Quantifying reef fish home range sizes and the factors affecting home ranges is thus critical to understanding the efficacy of artificial reefs to sustain communities that reflect those on natural reefs. We estimated home ranges of reef fishes at artificial reefs in the southeast United States, evaluated what factors affected those home ranges, and compared them to home ranges of similarly sized fish on natural reefs. From June–October 2021 and 2022, we deployed acoustic tags on five fishery targeted reef species, black sea bass ( Centropristis striata ), gag ( Mycteroperca microlepis ), greater amberjack ( Seriola dumerili ), almaco jack ( S. rivoliana ), and red snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus ), on four artificial reefs near Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Tagged fish were tracked using a fine-scale positioning system for ~ 120 days. Home ranges varied by species and fish size (i.e., total length). Black sea bass had the smallest home ranges (mean = 6266 m 2 ), gag and red snapper had moderate home ranges (38,265 m 2 and 53,553 m 2 , respectively), and almaco jack and greater amberjack had the largest (152,146 m 2 , and 414,107 m 2 , respectively). Black sea bass, gag, and red snapper displayed increased home range size with total length while greater amberjack and almaco jack home ranges remained relatively constant across lengths. Greater amberjack home ranges were further influenced by artificial reef complex area with an increase in reef area leading to a larger home range. Our data from artificial reefs showed considerable overlap in the relationship between home range and body size when compared to similarly sized predatory reef fish on natural reefs. This information will be vital in improving ecological understanding of how artificial reefs can influence area use of reef-associated species to help inform future artificial reef deployments. Moreover, these results provide an important comparison between artificial reefs and natural reefs as habitats for reef-associated species, a topic that will become increasingly important as the quantity of artificial structures in our oceans increases. deployments. Moreover, these results provide an important comparison between artificial reefs and natural reefs as habitats for reef-associated species, a topic that will become increasingly important as the quantity of artificial structures in our oceans increases.
The Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program’s Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element is designed to monitor and assess long term trends in the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). To accomplish this, standardized methods are used that allow for comparisons across pools and rivers. In recent years, other projects and other agencies have adopted the LTRM fish methodologies for use outside the UMRR. To determine how widespread the use of the Fish Component’s methods are, a twelve question survey was delivered via SurveyMonkey.com through the states comprising the American Fisheries Society (AFS) North Central Division and the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee. Approximately 2,000 professionals were reached with ≈11 percent participating. Results indicate that nearly all (95 percent) respondents use standardized methods in their sampling and 48 percent are familiar with the LTRM fish methodologies. Roughly one-third (35 percent) of all respondents have used the methods in the past and most (78 percent) of those have modified the methods to suit the information needs specific to their fishery. Results indicate that the LTRM methods have indeed spread outside the UMRR and are now a well-known and potentially widely used technique to sample fish communities.
Maintaining a balance between predator and prey populations can be an ongoing challenge for fisheries managers, especially in managing artificial ecosystems such as reservoirs. In a high-elevation Utah reservoir, the unintentional introduction of the Utah Chub Gila atraria and its subsequent population expansion prompted managers to experimentally shift from exclusively stocking Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to also stocking tiger trout (female Brown Trout Salmo trutta × male Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis ) and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii utah (hereafter, Cutthroat Trout) as potential biological control agents. We measured a combination of diet, growth, temperature, and abundance and used bioenergetic simulations to quantify predator demand versus prey supply. Utah Chub were the predominant prey type for tiger trout, contributing up to 80% of the diet depending on the season. Utah Chub represented up to 70% of the total diet consumed by Cutthroat Trout. Although Utah Chub dominated the fish biomass in the reservoir, we still estimated abundances of 238,000 tiger trout, 214,000 Cutthroat Trout, and 55,000 Rainbow Trout. Consequently, when expanded to the population level of each predator, tiger trout and Cutthroat Trout consumed large quantities of Utah Chub on an annual basis: tiger trout consumed 508,000 kg (2,660 g/predator) of the standing prey population, and Cutthroat Trout consumed an estimated 322,000 kg (1,820 g/predator). The estimated combined consumption by Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout exceeded the estimate of Utah Chub annual production. As such, our results suggest that the high rates of piscivory exhibited by Cutthroat Trout and tiger trout in artificial lentic ecosystems are likely sufficient to effectively reduce the overall abundance of forage fishes and to prevent forage fishes from dominating fish assemblages. Collectively, this research provides the first documented findings on tiger trout ecology and performance, which will aid managers in designing and implementing the best stocking strategy to optimize sport fish performance, control undesirable forage fish, and enhance and maintain angler satisfaction.
Lagoons provide critical habitats for many fishes, including coregonine whitefishes, which are a mainstay in many subsistence fisheries of rural communities in Arctic Alaska. Despite their importance, little is known about the overwintering habits of whitefishes in Arctic Alaska due to the challenges associated with sampling during winter. We developed a habitat suitability (HS) model to understand the potential range of physical conditions that whitefishes experience during the Arctic winter, using three indicator lagoons that represent a range of environmental characteristics. The HS model was built using a three-step approach. First, remote sensing that uses interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) identified areas of floating and bottomfast ice. Second, through in-field ground-truthing, we confirmed the presence and quality of liquid water (water depth, temperature, and dissolved oxygen) beneath the ice cover. Third, we assessed the suitability of that liquid water as habitat for whitefishes based on published literature and expert interpretation of water quality parameters. InSAR determined that 0, 65.4, and 88.2% of the three lagoons were composed of floating ice corresponding with areas of liquid water beneath a layer of ice. The HS model indicated that all three lagoons had reduced suitability as whitefish habitat in winter than in summer due to the loss of habitat because of the presence of bottomfast ice and a reduction in the quality of liquid water due to cold temperatures, high salinities, and low dissolved oxygen levels. However, only the shallowest lagoon had lethal conditions and zero suitability as whitefish habitat. The methods outlined here provide a simple, cost-effective method to identify habitats that consistently provide critical winter habitat and integrate remote sensing in a HS model framework.
Because they have the potential to provide the best remaining standards of relatively unmodified landscapes, protected areas in North America (such as wilderness areas and national parks) have tremendous ecological and scientific value (Cole and Landres 1996). Although the montane ecosystems of western North America are particularly well represented in this complex of protected lands, aquatic habitats within these protected areas are often subject to management practices that are inconsistent with the goal of maintaining natural processes. The most prevalent of these practices is the introduction of salmonid fishes (such as trout) into historically fishless ecosystems to create recreational fisheries.
Prairie streams are known for their harsh and stochastic physical conditions, and the fish assemblages therein have been shown to be temporally variable. We assessed the spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblage structure in five intermittent, adventitious northwestern Great Plains streams representing a gradient of watershed areas. Fish assemblages and abiotic conditions varied more spatially than temporally. The most important variables explaining fish assemblage structure were longitudinal position and the proportion of fine substrates. The proportion of fine substrates increased proceeding upstream, approaching 100% in all five streams, and species richness declined upstream with increasing fine substrates. High levels of fine substrate in the upper reaches appeared to limit the distribution of obligate lithophilic fish species to reaches further downstream. Species richness and substrates were similar among all five streams at the lowermost and uppermost sites. However, in the middle reaches, species richness increased, the amount of fine substrate decreased, and connectivity increased as watershed area increased. Season and some dimensions of habitat (including thalweg depth, absolute distance to the main-stem river, and watershed size) were not essential in explaining the variation in fish assemblages. Fish species richness varied more temporally than overall fish assemblage structure did because common species were consistently abundant across seasons, whereas rare species were sometimes absent or perhaps not detected by sampling. The similarity in our results among five streams varying in watershed size and those from other studies supports the generalization that spatial variation exceeds temporal variation in the fish assemblages of prairie and warmwater streams. Furthermore, given longitudinal position, substrate, and stream size, general predictions regarding fish assemblage structure and function in prairie streams are possible. ?? American Fisheries Society 2011.
Mortality and physiological responses of adult striped bass Morone saxatilis angled from Lake Murray, South Carolina, and held in live-release tubes were evaluated during the spring and summer of 2003. To estimate mortality, we attached external ultrasonic transmitters to 59 striped bass (mean total length [TL] = 585 mm). Striped bass were caught with angling gear, tagged, and immediately released or held in live-release tubes for 2, 4, or 6 h prior to release. No mortality of striped bass was observed during spring. Overall mortality during summer was 83%. Mortality of summer-caught striped bass was not related to tube residence time, fish TL, depth of capture, or surface water temperature. To characterize physiological stress, we measured the plasma cortisol, glucose, lactate, and osmolality levels of 62 additional striped bass (mean TL = 563 mm) that were angled and immediately released or angled and held in live-release tubes. Plasma cortisol, glucose, lactate, and osmolality were positively related to tube residence time. When the hematological characteristics were considered only in relation to tube residence time, responses indicative of physiological stress continued for about 150 min, after which blood chemistry began to return to normal. Live-release tubes appear to be useful for keeping striped bass alive when they are angled from cool water, but they are not effective for striped bass angled from warm water. The high summer mortality of striped bass suggests a need for restrictive fishing regulations during the summer for the Lake Murray striped bass fishery. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.
Lake Erie sustained large populations of ciscoes ( Salmonidae : Coregoninae ) 120 years ago. By the end of the 19 th century, abundance of lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis ) had declined drastically. By 1925, the lake herring (a cisco) population (Coregonus artedii) had collapsed, although a limited lake herring fishery persisted in the eastern basin until the 1950s. In the latter part of the 20 th century, the composition of the fish community changed as oligotrophication proceeded. Since 1984, a limited recovery of lake whitefish has occurred, however no recovery was evident for lake herring. Current ecological conditions in Lake Erie probably will not inhibit recovery of the coregonine species. Recovery of walleye ( Sander vitreus ) and efforts to rehabilitate the native lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) in Lake Erie will probably assist recovery because these piscivores reduce populations of alewife ( Alosa psuedoharengus ) and rainbow smelt ( Osmerus mordax ), which inhibit reproductive success of coregonines. Although there are considerable spawning substrates available to coregonine species in eastern Lake Erie, eggs and fry would probably be displaced by storm surge from most shoals. Site selection for stocking or seeding of eggs should consider the reproductive life cycle of the stocked fish and suitable protection from storm events. Two potential sites in the eastern basin have been identified. Recommended management procedures, including commercial fisheries, are suggested to assist in recovery. Stocking in the eastern basin of Lake Erie is recommended for both species, as conditions are adequate and the native spawning population in the eastern basin is low. For lake herring, consideration should be given to match ecophenotypes as much as possible. Egg seeding is recommended. Egg seeding of lake whitefish should be considered initially, with fingerling or yearling stocking suggested if unsuccessful. Spawning stocks of whitefish in the western basin of Lake Erie could be utilized.
The Michigan waters of northern Green Bay are an important center for commercial and sport fishing. This 400-square-mile area has supported a commercial fishery for many years but the development of the intensive sport fishery is more recent, mostly since World War II. The commercial fishery is based on several species, whereas anglers are particularly interested in the walleye, Stizostedion v. vitreum . Broad objectives of tagging studies initiated in September 1957 were to obtain information on the heterogeneity, movement, and exploitation of the walleye population of northern Green Bay. The statistical data on the commercial fishery are very sound but other information on the Green Bay walleye has been sketchy.
The lake trout is a keystone species in the Laurentian Great Lakes that supported valuable fisheries throughout the basin. However, lake trout populations declined to near extirpation in nearly all of the lakes because of the combined effects of over-fishing, sea lamprey predation, and habitat degradation. To restore self-sustaining lake trout populations in Lake Superior, state, provincial, federal, and tribal agencies agreed to an interjurisdictional management framework that allowed them to articulate and institute: (1) clear and common goals and actions for recovery; (2) early and intensive lake-wide stocking of hatchery-reared lake trout to enhance failing stocks; (3) early and effective lake-wide controls on mortality caused by sea lampreys and fisheries; and (4) standardized lake-wide evaluations of population trajectories and performance. Stocking was initiated in Lake Superior in 1950 and expanded after 1953, prior to effecting sea lamprey or fishery controls, thereby introducing large numbers of hatchery-origin fish that grew to maturity shortly after mortality was reduced. Abundant suitable nearshore spawning habitat was widely available for naïve lean hatchery-origin lake trout, and native lean lake trout persisted in some areas. The sea-lamprey-selective pesticide TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) was applied first in Lake Superior in 1958, because of the presence of remnant native lake trout populations, which set the stage for closure of fisheries and good survival of newly stocked and remnant wild fish. As a consequence of these four factors, stocked fish exceeded historical density of wild fish by the 1980s in many areas, and thereby generated enhanced reproductive potential when combined with remnant wild fish. Lake trout recovery in Lake Superior is an extraordinary example of agency cooperation toward a common goal for managing recovery of an ecologically important shared resource.
Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss is a species that is of high economic value that supports popular sport fisheries across the Pacific Northwest. The Clearwater River in Idaho provides a trophy steelhead fishery, and it is home to both wild- and hatchery-origin steelhead. To manage the fishery effectively, information is needed about the spatial and temporal overlap of wild and hatchery steelhead in the Clearwater River, as well as the activity of anglers. We conducted a radiotelemetry study to describe the distribution of steelhead and their final fate in the Clearwater River, and creel surveys were used to describe the distribution of anglers. In total, 289 wild (Potlatch River and Lochsa River) and hatchery (from Dworshak National Fish Hatchery and South Fork Clearwater River) steelhead were radio-tagged at Lower Granite Dam, 51 river kilometers (rkm) downstream from the mouth of the Clearwater River. Fish were monitored upon their entry into the Clearwater River by using mobile tracking surveys (boat and vehicle) and stationary antennas. The majority of wild and hatchery steelhead arrived in the Clearwater River in the fall with the exception of those from the Lochsa River, which arrived in the fall and following spring. Average daily movement of the fish was minimal (range = 0.3–4.7 km/d) and dependent on water temperature and flow. The fates of wild and hatchery steelhead varied. Fish returned to spawning grounds, were harvested by anglers (hatchery fish only), or had unknown fates. Both wild and hatchery steelhead returned at high rates to their natal tributaries and release locations. No straying was observed in either group; however, occasions when steelhead have overshot their natal tributaries and release locations were documented. Spatial and temporal overlap of the distributions of wild and hatchery steelhead was minimal. The distribution of anglers overlapped with that of hatchery steelhead in the fall, winter, and spring. The distributional overlap of anglers and wild steelhead was minimal and largely occurred in September in the lower Clearwater River. This suggests that the Clearwater River has a highly compartmentalized fishery and that current fishing regulations in the Clearwater River are providing for a diversity of angling opportunities while conserving wild steelhead and offering harvest of hatchery fish. The results from this study have important implications for the conservation and management of wild and hatchery steelhead.
Analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) is an emerging technique used to detect aquatic species through water sampling and the extraction of biological material for amplification. Our study compared the efficacy of eDNA methodology to American Fisheries Society (AFS) standard snorkeling surveys with regard to detecting the presence of rare fish species. Knowing which method is more efficient at detecting target species will help managers to determine the best way to sample when both traditional sampling methods and eDNA sampling are available. Our study site included three Navajo Nation streams that contained Navajo Nation Genetic Subunit Bluehead Suckers Catostomus discobolus and Zuni Bluehead Suckers C. discobolus yarrowi . We first divided the entire wetted area of streams into consecutive 100-m reaches and then systematically selected 10 reaches/stream for snorkel and eDNA surveys. Surface water samples were taken in 10-m sections within each 100-m reach, while fish presence was noted via snorkeling in each 10-m section. Quantitative PCR was run on each individual water sample in quadruplicate to test for the presence or absence of the target species. With eDNA sampling techniques, we were able to positively detect both species in two out of the three streams. Snorkeling resulted in positive detection of both species in all three streams. In streams where the target species were detected with eDNA sampling, snorkeling detected fish at 11–29 sites/stream, whereas eDNA detected fish at 3–12 sites/stream. Our results suggest that AFS standard snorkeling is more effective than eDNA for detecting target fish species. To improve our eDNA procedures, the amount of water collected and tested should be increased. Additionally, filtering water on-site may improve eDNA techniques for detecting fish. Future research should focus on standardization of eDNA sampling to provide a widely operational sampling tool.
Seafood is a growing part of the economy, but its economic value is diminished by marine diseases. Infectious diseases are common in the ocean, and here we tabulate 67 examples that can reduce commercial species' growth and survivorship or decrease seafood quality. These impacts seem most problematic in the stressful and crowded conditions of aquaculture, which increasingly dominates seafood production as wild fishery production plateaus. For instance, marine diseases of farmed oysters, shrimp, abalone, and various fishes, particularly Atlantic salmon, cost billions of dollars each year. In comparison, it is often difficult to accurately estimate disease impacts on wild populations, especially those of pelagic and subtidal species. Farmed species often receive infectious diseases from wild species and can, in turn, export infectious agents to wild species. However, the impact of disease export on wild fisheries is controversial because there are few quantitative data demonstrating that wild species near farms suffer more from infectious diseases than those in other areas. The movement of exotic infectious agents to new areas continues to be the greatest concern.
Movement ecology is an important component of life history and population dynamics, and consequently its understanding can inform successful fishery management decision-making. While lake trout populations in Lake Huron have shown signs of recovery from near extinction in recent years, knowledge of their movement behavior remains incomplete. We used acoustic telemetry to describe and compare movement patterns of two Lake Huron lake trout populations: Drummond Island and Thunder Bay. Both populations showed high spawning site fidelity, with no evidence of co-mingling during non-spawning season. Detections between spawning periods were mainly limited to receivers within 100 km of spawning locations, and suggested that the two populations likely remained segregated throughout the year. Drummond Island fish, which spawn inside the Drummond Island Refuge, primarily dispersed east into Canadian waters of Lake Huron, with 79–92% of fish being detected annually on receivers outside the refuge. In contrast, Thunder Bay fish tended to disperse south towards Saginaw Bay. Large proportions (i.e., > 80%) of both populations were available to fisheries outside the management zone containing their spawning location. Thunder Bay fish moved relatively quickly to overwinter habitat after spawning, and tended to repeat the same post-spawning movement behavior each year. The consistent, predictable movement of both populations across management zones highlights the importance of understanding population dynamics to effective management of Lake Huron lake trout.