Flink , H , Nordahl , O , Hall , M , Rarysson , A , Bergstrom , K , Larsson , P , Petersson , E , Merila , J & Tibblin , P 2021 , ' Examining the effects of authentic C &R on the reproductive potential of Northern pike ' , Fisheries Research , vol. 243 , 106068 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106068
Title: | Examining the effects of authentic C&R on the reproductive potential of Northern pike |
Author: | Flink, Henrik; Nordahl, Oscar; Hall, Marcus; Rarysson, Anton; Bergstrom, Kristofer; Larsson, Per; Petersson, Erik; Merila, Juha; Tibblin, Petter |
Contributor organization: | Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme Ecological Genetics Research Unit |
Date: | 2021-11 |
Language: | eng |
Number of pages: | 9 |
Belongs to series: | Fisheries Research |
ISSN: | 0165-7836 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106068 |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10138/334186 |
Abstract: | The practice within recreational fisheries to release captured fish back to the wild, known as catch-and-release (C&R), is an increasingly important strategy to protect fish stocks from overexploitation. However, C&R is a stressor and since animal reproduction is particularly sensitive to stress there is reason to suspect that such a practice induces sublethal fitness consequences. Here, we investigated whether and how C&R fishing influenced the reproductive potential in an anadromous population of Northern pike (Esox lucius). First, female pike were exposed to authentic C&R using rod-and-reel fishing in a coastal foraging habitat prior to the spawning period. Next, we observed the migration to the freshwater spawning habitat and compared both the timing of arrival and maturity stage between C&R-treated and control individuals. Finally, to evaluate effects on the quality and viability of eggs we stripped captured control and recaptured C&R-treated females, measured egg dry mass to assess nutrient content, conducted artificial fertilisations and incubated eggs in a controlled laboratory experiment. We found no evidence of C&R causing alterations in either arrival time, maturity stage, or the quality and viability of fertilised eggs. In combination, our results suggest that long-term effects of C&R-induced stress on key reproductive traits of pike, if any, are minor. |
Subject: |
Angling
Migration Recreational fishing Reproduction Stress WILD ATLANTIC SALMON RELEASE ANGLING ALTER ESOX-LUCIUS POSTRELEASE MORTALITY CATCH BEHAVIOR QUALITY FISH CONSEQUENCES SURVIVAL 1172 Environmental sciences |
Peer reviewed: | Yes |
Rights: | cc_by |
Usage restriction: | openAccess |
Self-archived version: | publishedVersion |
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