Stock enhancement in a commercial mullet,Mugil cephalus L., fishery in Hawaii

Abstract This study showed that cultured striped mullet, Mugil cephalus L., released as juveniles can make a significant contribution to landings in an island commercial fishery. Following pilot hatchery releases from 1990 to 1993, striped mullet fisheries in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, USA, were sampled to recover cultured fish from the bay-wide catch. Direct sampling of 181 fishing trips resulted in recovery of 211 cultured striped mullet. By autumn 1994, cultured fish comprised 13.0% (2.8%) of the commercial mullet catch in Kaneohe Bay, and the percentage was increasing logarithmically. This study corroborated predictions from previous studies of juveniles about effects of release strategies on survival of cultured mullet. Following summer releases, recapture rates were strongly affected by fish size-at-release, with a critical release size of 60 mm total length (the smallest size released that was subsequently detected in the fishery). Over 30 000 juveniles stocked in 1990 (but not in a nursery habitat preferred by striped mullet) apparently suffered complete mortality.     

Straying of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, from delayed and coastal releases in the Baltic Sea, with special focus on the Swedish west coast

Abstract  Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., reared from two Baltic strains were released around the islands Bornholm and Møn in the Baltic Sea between 1995 and 1999. A total 600 000 reared salmon were released from net pens using the delayed release technique, keeping the salmon in net pens for approximately 3 months after smolting, and 208 000 were released directly from the hatchery. Of these, 15 958 were tagged with Carlin tags. Additionally, 65 300 coded wire tagged salmon were released as delayed release salmon close to Bornholm in 2000. Recaptures from the five years of Carlin tagged releases varied between 2.8% and 21.2% (average 13.1%). Most recaptures were from within the Baltic Sea (average 98%), but some were recaptured outside the Baltic Sea, either in the sea (1%) or in fresh water (1%). Recaptures outside the Baltic Sea and in fresh water were higher for releases at Møn in the western part of the Baltic, than releases at Bornholm. Straying rates from the releases into six rivers on the Swedish west coast were estimated using information from capture in traps and sport and broodstock fisheries. The proportion of straying salmon in rivers on the Swedish west coast was about 3.8% of the salmon run, but with large variations between rivers. Releases were discontinued because of possible deleterious effect on the local wild salmon populations.     

大亚湾黑鲷标志放流及回捕率调查

为评价大亚湾海域黑鲷(Acanthopagrusschlegelii)增殖放流效果,使用塑料椭圆标志牌(plasticovaltags,POTs),开展了黑鲷幼鱼标志保持率与生长实验。结果显示,背鳍鳍棘基部第4～6鳍棘下方5mm左右的背部肌肉为最适标志位置, 90 d后标志保持率为81.76%。POTs标志黑鲷幼鱼45 d内生长与对照组无显著性差异(P>0.05),而90 d后标志组生长显著缓于对照组(P<0.05)。并于2014—2016年每年1次在大亚湾开展黑鲷幼鱼标志放流试验。采用有奖回收方式进行标志鱼回捕,测量体长、体重,收集回捕日期、回捕地点、回捕方式等信息,整理分析相关数据。3年共放流标志黑鲷幼鱼60115尾,共2758尾回捕标志鱼被定置网、流刺网及垂钓捕获(总回捕率4.59%);大规格放流苗种回捕率高于小规格放流苗种;垂钓回捕鱼数量占总回捕数量的比例为62.08%。通过对反馈信息的分析,认为放流后的标志鱼最初主要沿湾内和湾外两个方向呈近岸辐射状扩散,最远扩散距离约70 km。放流后1～2个月标志黑鲷生长较慢,随后相对加快,放流5～7个月后,黑鲷幼鱼体长、体重分别增长59.51%～127.20%和322.75%～989.83%。结论认为,POT是黑鲷幼鱼体外标志的适宜选择;在研究海域,放流后的标志黑鲷更易于被垂钓方式捕获;丰富的食物和可供躲避敌害的空间是影响其扩散、生长的因素。     

厦门杏林湾鲻鱼年龄和生长的研究

厦门杏林湾鲻鱼鳞片年轮可作为年龄鉴定依据。鳞片边缘增长率a的周年变化，表明鳞片年轮每年形成一次，新年轮主要在10-11月间出现。已计算出鲻鱼体长与鳞长、体长与体重的关系式。3龄鱼以前属于幼鱼生长阶段，体长和体重的相对增长率较大，生长指标较高；3龄鱼以后则进入成鱼生长阶段。其生长适合于von Bertalanffy生长方程，体重生长曲线的拐点位于2龄至2．5龄之间，其生长速度和加速度曲线能反映生长过程的变化特征，合理捕捞的生物学指标应以生长转折点较为适当，限制捕捞1龄和2龄的港养鲻鱼是提高单位面积产量的关键之一。     

The enhancement of cod stocks

Atlantic cod have been a primary target for marine stock enhancement since the 1880s. In the early part of this period, hatched larvae were released in Norway, the USA and Canada. The last larval releases were conducted in Norway in 1971, and a century of cod larvae releases were halted without any clear evidence of benefit. Since the early 1980s, the focus has been on production of larger, more viable juvenile cod. Emphasis has been given to the design of tag–release programmes involving large-scale releases and ecosystem analysis in selected ecosystems. Most of this research has been carried out in Norway, where more than one million tagged juvenile cod have been released. Smaller stocking experiments have also been performed in Denmark, Sweden, the Faroe Islands and the USA.
This paper reviews the major findings from these programmes. We include summaries and evaluations of rearing techniques for juvenile cod, methods of tagging and recapture, experimental fishing, migration, mortality and growth rates in the different habitats, genetic analysis, and ecosystem studies that have tried to describe the variation in the cod carrying capacity of selected release areas.
Despite relatively large variation in environmental conditions, in cod production and in fishing mortality along the Norwegian coast, results indicate that, under the conditions experienced during the 1980s and 1990s, releases of juvenile cod did not significantly increase cod production and catches. The biological limitations and future prospects of Atlantic cod stock enhancement are addressed.     

Release during night enhances survival of wild Atlantic salmon smolts

The effect of nocturnal and diurnal releases on survival and migration of wild and hatchery‐reared Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, L., smolts (n = 82) was investigated by releasing acoustically tagged smolts at the lower end of the River Vosso, Norway. Hatchery smolts was registered in the estuary within hours of their release, whereas wild smolts migrated over a prolonged period. The time of estuary exit was affected by river discharge but not by time of release. Progression rates were slow through the estuary (0.25 BL/s ± 0.18 SD) and fast through the fjord (1.80 BL/s ± 0.69 SD), and they were not affected by the time of release or origin. Survival to the fjord was low (0%–15%). Survival was not affected by body length but was lower for wild smolts than for hatchery smolts, and survival of the former was lower when the fish were released in daylight.     

The enhancement of abalone stocks: lessons from Japanese case studies

The dramatic declines in abalone Haliotis spp. fishery production have been documented all over the world. Release of hatchery‐reared juveniles into natural habitats has been considered as one measure to sustain and/or augment the current fishery production of abalone, as well as to restore collapsed abalone stocks. However, attempts at abalone release programmes have only been undertaken at experimental scales, except for Japan, where large‐scale stock enhancement programmes for abalone have been undertaken since late 1960s. To evaluate the potential of stock enhancement for abalone, we analysed the release surveys of 13 case studies in Japan in terms of the overall recapture rate (number of recaptures through a lifetime/number of juveniles released), yield per release (YPR, yields from released individuals), the economic efficiency of releases (ratio of income from recaptured abalone to release cost) for each release year, and the contribution of hatchery releases to total catches for each fishing year. The average estimates for overall recapture rates (0.014–0.238) and YPR (3.1–60.3 g/individual) varied between locations and release years. The economic efficiency was estimated at 0.4–6.2. The released abalone contributed 6.9–83.5% to total catches. Hatchery releases could augment total production at some locations, but the success of release programmes would be limited by the carrying capacity at release areas, because density‐dependent mortality occurred following releases in some cases. Throughout Japan, the annual catch of abalone has continuously declined from ～6500 t in 1970 to ～2000 t in the mid‐1990s, despite the increase in the number of hatchery releases. Based on the estimates for YPR, the magnitude of the abalone releases on a national scale has not been sufficiently large to sustain the total production of Japanese abalone, which has primarily fluctuated according to the abundances of wild populations. Our results suggest that releases should be targeted at local populations in regions where stock enhancement is predicted to have the greatest chance of success, and the magnitude of releases should be considered carefully and determined for each region by taking the local carrying capacity into account. We also address the future prospects of abalone stock enhancement.     

Life‐history differences of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha across rearing locations in the Shasta River,California

Salmon from different locations in a watershed can have different life histories. It is often unclear to what extent this variation is a response to the current environmental conditions an individual experiences as opposed to local‐scale genetic adaptation or the environment experienced early in development. We used a mark–recapture transplant experiment in the Shasta River, CA, to test whether life‐history traits of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha varied among locations, and whether individuals could adopt a new life history upon encountering new habitat type. The Shasta River, a Klamath River tributary, has two Chinook salmon spawning and juvenile rearing areas, a lower basin canyon (river km 0–12) and upper basin spring complex (river km 40–56), characterised by dramatically different in‐stream habitats. In 2012 and 2013, we created three experimental groups: (i) fish caught, tagged and released in the upper basin; (ii) fish caught at the river mouth (confluence with the Klamath River, river km 0), tagged and released in the upper basin; and (iii) fish caught at the river mouth, tagged and released in the lower basin. Fish released in the upper basin outmigrated later and at a larger size than those released in the lower basin. The traits of fish transplanted to the upper basin were similar to fish originating in the upper basin. Chinook salmon juvenile life‐history traits reflected habitat conditions fish experienced rather than those where they originated, indicating that habitat modification or transportation to new habitats can rapidly alter the life‐history composition of populations.     

Haematozoa of marine fishes from the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. Blood samples from 961 estuarine and marine fish comprising 44 species from the northern Gulf of Mexico were examined for haematozoa. Trypanosoma mugilicola n. sp., characterized by an anteriorly situated nucleus (NI = 3.8), is described from the striped mullet ( Mugil cephalus ); it was also found in the hog-choker ( Trinectes maculatus ). Unidentified trypanosomes occurred in the hogchoker and bay whiff (Citharichthys spilopterus). Trypanoplasma bullocki is recorded for the first time from both the Gulf of Mexico, and from the southern flounder ( Para-lichthys lethostigma ) and Atlantic croaker ( Micropogonias undulatus ). Three species of haemogregarines are identified for the first time from the Gulf of Mexico, Haemo-gregarina platessae in the southern flounder, hogchoker, lined sole ( Achirus lineatus ) and blackcheek tonguefish (Symphurus plagiusa); H. mugili in the striped mullet; and H. delagei in the clearnose skate ( Raja eglantera ). A few piscivorous leeches from the region are evaluated as potential vectors.     

象山港黄姑鱼增殖放流效果评估及增殖群体利用方式优化

以回捕渔获重量和对繁殖群体的补充能力为评价指标,借助标志放流-回捕实验,利用模型模拟分析方法,定量评估浙江象山港黄姑鱼(Nibea albiflora)的增殖放流效果;同时,结合其增殖目标定位,探索构建生态高效的增殖群体利用方式。研究结果表明,象山港黄姑鱼增殖群体的捕捞死亡系数为1.31,在该捕捞强度下,11055尾增殖放流鱼苗可产生737 kg回捕渔获收益,同时还向增殖水域补充了554尾初次性成熟个体,增殖放流活动在一定程度上起到了修复象山港黄姑鱼资源、促进渔民增产增收的效果。结果表明,捕捞强度过大是制约象山港黄姑鱼增殖放流功效发挥的重要因素,捕捞死亡系数应降至0.46,同批次黄姑鱼增殖放流所能提供的回捕渔获重量和性成熟个体尾数可分别较现行捕捞强度提升41.49%和326.90%。综上述,象山港黄姑鱼增殖放流的生态和经济功效较为显著,合理降低对增殖群体的捕捞强度是进一步提升其增殖放流效果的必要措施。     

Stocking of brown trout, Salmo trutta L.: effects of acclimatization

One-year-old hatchery brown trout, Salmo trutta L., ( n  = 16 520) from a sea-run, local brood stock were marked and released (scatter-planted) into the River Laisälven in northern Sweden. Eight different groups were created using Alcian blue and Visible Implant Elastomer tags. Half the fish were kept in small enclosures in four stocking areas for 6 days before release. The other half were released just after transportation. To evaluate the effect of acclimatization on post-stocking performance, the areas were electric fished 2 months later. During the electric fishing survey, a higher number of the acclimatized hatchery fish were recaptured than those released immediately. The growth rate of stocked fish differed significantly between stocking areas and fish held in enclosures grew more than those released directly. The rate of recapture of hatchery fish varied between stocking areas (6.4–17.4%). Movements of juveniles within and between the stocking areas were low, and only 3.6% of the recaptured fish were found in an area not originally stocked. These results showed that acclimatization of fish before release increases the number and size at recapture within a stocking area.     

Assessment of recapture rates after hatchery release of Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis in Jiaozhou Bay and Bohai Bay in 2012 using pedigree tracing based on SSR markers

We calculated the recapture rates for Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis following hatchery release in Jiaozhou Bay and Bohai Bay in 2012 based on parentage identification using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The results and process were as follows: In total, 3 × 10⁵ postlarval Chinese shrimp (inner marker), comprising six full-sib families, were released into Jiaozhou Bay with a hatchery release of approximately 9 × 10⁷ same-sized stock in the spring. Eight shrimp (inner marker) were identified from 2,507 recapture catches in the autumn, with information about eight SSR loci available by using Cervus 3.0. Similarly, another six full-sib families, comprising 2.04 × 10⁵ postlarvae, were released into Bohai Bay with a hatchery release of approximately 1.6 × 10⁸ same-sized Chinese shrimp of postlarval stock, and four shrimp were identified from 3,232 recapture catches in the autumn. Furthermore, we calculated the number of released stock in the recapture catches, i.e., 2,400 and 3,137 in Jiaozhou Bay and Bohai Bay, respectively. Combined with statistics for Chinese shrimp resources during the autumn fishing season, we calculated that the recapture rates for Jiaozhou Bay and Bohai Bay were 2.70 and 2.59 %, respectively, being slightly lower but more precise compared with results obtained using traditional methods (2.81 and 2.67 %).     

Homing patterns of Baltic salmon, Salmo salar L., from smolts released from two hatcheries in the River Dalälven, Sweden

The River Dalälven Baltic salmon, Salmo salar L., population has been maintained by stocking reared fish since the early 1920s. Initially, all rearing was carried out at one hatchery, but since the late 1980s two have been used. Both hatcheries are situated 9–10 km from the river mouth but some 600 m apart. All broodfish were caught in a single fish trap situated some 700 m upstream of the upper hatchery. The salmon smolts were released just below the water outlets of each hatchery, respectively. About 2% of the released smolts from each hatchery were tagged annually with Carlin tags. Total recapture rates were higher for smolts from the lower hatchery. A higher proportion of recaptured fish was reported from the home river for salmon from the upper hatchery. The migration within the river to the fish trap was more precise for fish from the upper station. Strays were very late in the season and of a higher number from the lower hatchery. Observations of jumping salmon by the outlet from the lower station indicated that salmon returned to that point. The lower recaptures in the trap were considered a result of a shorter river migration of salmon from the lower hatchery.     

Lateral movement of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) in a large lowland river and floodplain

Abstract –  Common carp ( Cyprinus carpio L.) are a major freshwater invader and knowledge of their movements is important for planning control efforts. To investigate the movement patterns of common carp, radio-tags were implanted into 46 adult fish; 37 near a large floodplain wetland, the Barmah-Millewa forest, and 9 in the Murray River approximately 175 km upstream. Tagged fish were located every second week between August 1999 and March 2001. Common carp occupied total linear ranges (TLR) between 0.4 and 238 km (mean 30 ± 61 km), with 25 fish (62.5%) occupying a TLR < 10 km. Two fish made large distance movements approximately 650 km downstream. Fish sex, the number of locations, time at large, or tagging location explained little variability ( P  > 0.05) in TLR. Monthly distance from release varied from 0.04 to 238 km (mean 15 ± 44 km), and was not significantly related to river discharge and water temperature, but 29 of 31 (93.5%) fish tagged at Barmah moved from the Murray River into adjacent floodplain habitats upon flooding. Five fish (12.5%) moved large distances (>127 km) upstream of the Barmah-Millewa forest. Fourteen fish (35%) showed site fidelity to within 20 m and usually occupied one or two home sites. Twenty-six fish (65%) showed site fidelity to within 100 m occupying up to five sites during the study period. Movement patterns of common carp were complex, and individuals exhibited different strategies, which is typical of invasive species. Efforts to control and potentially reduce common carp populations in regulated river-floodplain environments should target key floodplain access points and over-wintering habitats to reduce adult biomass, spawning and recruitment levels.     

Impacts of in-stream acclimatization in post-stocking behaviour of European grayling in a Swedish stream

Abstract The post-stocking behaviour of hatchery-reared juvenile European grayling, Thymallus thymallus (L.), with in-stream acclimatization in a pool for 4, 8, and 12 days before release was compared with fish released directly into a 370-m long seminatural stream during 1995 and 1996. The behaviour of these groups was compared with fish acclimatized for 16 h in a holding pen (0.7 m³) in a more fast-flowing part of the stream. All fish were released in the experimental stream at the same time. Initially groups of 30 individuals were compared, but this was reduced because of the mortality during acclimatization. Temporal and spatial distribution, feed intake in relation to sex and size of fish were followed for 7 days after release. Between 33 and 59% of all groups of fish released into the pool left the experimental area and were recaptured in a trap at the downstream end of the experimental stream. The acclimatization period had no significant influence on the percentage of fish moving downstream. Significantly more grayling left the stream from the holding pen (76.7%) than fish released in the pool (47.2%). Of the recaptured fish, 77% had been feeding. Fish recaptured within a week had lost more than 10% of their initial weight measured at the hatchery. Fish recaptured more than 2 weeks after release had lost a significantly smaller percentage of their initial weight compared with fish recaptured in the first 2 weeks. No differences were found in spatial distribution or feeding activity between sexes.     

No difference in survival, growth and morphology between offspring of wild-born, hatchery and hybrid brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Abstract –  We studied survival, growth and morphological characters in the offspring of native hatchery and wild-born anadromous brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) and their hybrids (wild-born female × hatchery male and wild-born male × hatchery female) in a 1-year field experiment. We also conducted laboratory studies where we examined social interactions between the offspring of the same hatchery and wild-born trout. All offspring were raised in a hatchery and nose tagged before being released into the stream. In total, 1125 individuals were released into the stream (1999) and a total of 614 individuals were recovered (2000). We found no differences in growth and survival between the offspring of hatchery, wild-born and hybrid trout. Morphology was also similar among groups, where only 38% females and 36% males were classified into the right category, which were only 12% better than random classification. In the laboratory experiment, we compared only the offspring of hatchery and wild-born trout with respect to growth, dominance, aggressiveness, feeding and activity. We found small differences between the offspring of hatchery and wild-born fish with respect to growth but this effect was not found in the field experiment. Our result suggests that the offspring of hatchery trout and hybrids between hatchery and wild-born trout performed equally well to the offspring of wild-born trout.     

Effect of intraperitoneal passive implantable transponder (PIT) tags on the growth and survival of juvenile snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch and Schneider)

Abstract. This study examined whether passive implantable transponder (PIT) tags could be used to mark individually juvenile snapper, Pagrus auratus (Bloch and Schneider), without affecting their growth. Fifty juvenile snapper (25 tagged and 25 untagged controls) were placed in each of four 2000–1 tanks. At the start of the experiment the snapper had a mean weight of 59 ± 18g (SD). After 70 days, the mean weight of all fish was 115 ± 31 g (SD) and there was no significant difference between the growth of tagged and untagged fish. Apparent tag loss ranged from 4 to 8%.     

Use of tag data to compare growth rates of Atlantic coast striped bass stocks

Migratory stocks of Atlantic coast striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), range primarily from North Carolina (NC) northward to Canadian waters. Between 1986 and 2000, 267 045 wild striped bass were tagged and released from NC to Massachusetts as part of the Cooperative Striped Bass Tagging Program. Direct measurements of growth of individual fish can be obtained from tag data and are useful for understanding the dynamics of fish populations. Growth rates from regressions of length‐increment vs. time‐at‐liberty were estimated for striped bass tagged and released in three southern states [NC, Virginia (VA) and Maryland (MD)] and three northern states (New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island). Striped bass tagged in waters of northern states grew faster (significantly steeper regression slopes) than those tagged in southern areas. Migratory patterns, stock mixing, and unmeasured biotic and abiotic influences on growth precluded conclusions that observed growth patterns are stock‐specific. These results, however, indicate latitudinal differences in growth rates, and should be considered in future research and management of Atlantic coast striped bass.