Survival and distribution of pond- and hatchery-reared 0+ brown trout, Salmo trutta L., released in a Swedish stream

During 1985-88, a total of 17500 under-yearling (0+) brown trout. salmo trutta L., were released in Låktabäcken Creek in Swedish Lapland. Of these, 15500 had been reared in a pond adjacent to the creek during their first summer, where they fed on natural prey. The other 2000 were conventionally reared hatchery fish fed dry food pellets. All fish were released in the autumn (size 6O-70mm) at the confluence of the pond outlet and the creek. Electrofishing revealed that the stocked fish gradually spread downstream from the point of release at the expense of the resident wild trout population. In 1989, stocked fish accounted for 70-90% and 30-50% of the trout population in the upper and lower stretches of the creek respectively. No long-term changes in total trout densities or standing crop occurred as a result of stocking. First-year survival of fish released in the creek varied between 15 and 30% over the 4 years. After 3 years, 5% of the stocked fish remained in the creek. Planted fish grew less rapidly than wild fish during the first year in the creek. Pond fish had a higher survival rate than hatchery fish and showed a greater propensity to disperse from the point of release.