Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Black Bass ◽  
Variable Recruitment ◽  
Sport Fish ◽  
Annual Mortality

<em>Abstract</em>.—We conducted a stock assessment of Shoal Bass <em>Micropterus cataractae</em> in the upper Chipola River in Jackson and Calhoun counties, Florida from 2007 to 2012 to aid in the species’ conservation. Shoal Bass are currently listed as a species of special concern by the American Fisheries Society and are a recreational sport fish species in Florida. Previous Shoal Bass research in Florida was limited in terms of quantified habitat use or population abundance. Although one of the potential threats to Shoal Bass in the Chipola River has been described as sedimentation, little information existed regarding abundance, growth, mortality, or fishing effort. Shoal Bass and sympatric Largemouth Bass <em>M. salmoides</em> were collected by electrofishing from three study reaches. Modified Schnabel population estimates from mark– recaptured fish were used to describe abundance in 2009, 2010, and 2011. A roving creel survey was conducted in 2010 and 2011 to provide effort, total catch, catch per unit effort (fish caught per angler-hour), and harvest estimates. Mean total length at age was described by von Bertalanffy growth curves for Shoal Bass collected in 2008 and 2010, and growth differed between years. Total annual mortality (<EM>A</EM>) for Shoal Bass averaged 57% and was greater than total annual mortality for Largemouth Bass (<EM>A </EM>= 32%, <EM>P </EM>= 0.009) at this system. Missing or underrepresented year-classes from the 2008 and 2010 Shoal Bass age samples suggested highly variable recruitment. Strong Shoal Bass year-classes were associated with low median flows and low flow variation in spring and summer. An abundant population of Shoal Bass exists in the Chipola River, and the fishery received low angling harvest and directed effort. However, Shoal Bass remain potentially threatened by sedimentation, variable hydrologic events, and its confined range and habitat requirements.

scholarly journals Evidence Dorsal Spine Removal is Nonlethal and Unharmful for Largemouth Bass in Florida

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Summer Lindelien ◽  
Andrew C. Dutterer ◽  
Paul Schueller ◽  
Chris C. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Research Management ◽  
Dorsal Spine ◽  
Black Bass ◽  
New Research ◽  
Sport Fish ◽  
Management And Conservation

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, Florida Bass M. floridanus, and their intergrade are socially and economically valuable sport fish. In the southeastern United States, it is customary to age black bass (Micropterus) spp. using sagittal otoliths which requires killing the fish. Presently, fisheries managers and black bass anglers show reluctance to sacrifice large individuals. Development of a nonlethal ageing technique would not only allay concerns of sacrificing large black bass, but it could offer a pathway for new research, management, and conservation. We excised dorsal spines III–V from Largemouth Bass in Florida varying from 30–57 cm total length to evaluate the effects of the procedure on survival over 35 days. No mortalities were observed for fish with excised dorsal spines, and experiment-wide survival was 0.94 (0.87–1.00; 95% confidence interval). No significant differences in survival, weight change, or incidence of external injuries were observed between control and excised fish. The areas of spine excision healed with no visible infection or inflammation at the conclusion of the experiment. Therefore, dorsal spine removal offers managers a nonlethal option for collecting ageing structures of adult Largemouth Bass in Florida, including large individuals, and this result likely extends to other Micropterus spp. as well.

Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Minimum Length ◽  
Catch And Release ◽  
Black Bass ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Sport Fish

<em>Abstract</em>.—Largemouth Bass (LMB) <em>Micropterus salmoides</em> is one of the most popular sport fish in the United States and is intensively managed across much of its range. Beginning in 1989, Wisconsin implemented more restrictive harvest regulations for LMB, including greater minimum length limits, reduced bag limits, and a catch-and-release-only season during the spawning period across much of northern Wisconsin. We tested for trends in LMB relative abundance, growth, and angler catch and harvest in relation to LMB management policies from 1990 to 2011. We also tested for potential sport fish community responses to changes in LMB abundances using Walleye (WAE) <em>Sander vitreus</em> as an example. Angler catch rates and electrofishing catch per unit effort of LMB greater than 8 and 14 in increased significantly statewide. Mean length of age-6 LMB decreased significantly statewide. Release rates of LMB increased from about 80% in 1991 and then plateaued at more than 96% from 2005 to 2011. Concurrent with increases in LMB, adult WAE densities declined in lakes containing LMB. Ongoing research is being conducted to test for interactions between LMB and WAE and to test for additional environmental drivers, such as climate warming, that may be associated with increased LMB abundances. Largemouth Bass abundances have increased in Wisconsin, possibly in response to changes in harvest regulations, angler behavior, and potentially other environmental drivers. These increases in LMB abundances have had negative intraspecific effects on growth and may be negatively affecting WAE stocks. We recommend that management goals for LMB consider intra- and interspecific consequences, particularly in water bodies where multispecies fisheries are desired.

Managing Centrarchid Fisheries in Rivers and Streams

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Kilpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Rate Function ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Black Bass ◽  
High Flows ◽  
Basic Biology ◽  
Flint River ◽  
Annual Mortality

<em>Abstract.</em>—Black bass <em> Micropterus </em>spp. are important components of river fisheries in the southeastern U.S., but little is known about their basic life history and population characteristics in these systems. Largemouth Bass <em> M. salmoides </em>and Shoal Bass <em> M. cataractae </em>were collected from three areas in the Flint River on multiple occasions from 2005 through 2013. Collections were taken from the undammed section of the Flint River above Lake Blackshear, within Lake Blackshear, and the regulated reach of river below Lake Blackshear. Shoal Bass do not occur in Lake Blackshear, so only Largemouth Bass were collected. Population and life history data such as body condition, growth, mortality, and recruitment variability were examined for these species in all three areas. Shoal Bass and Largemouth Bass appeared to have similar scopes of growth in this system, reaching similar maximum sizes. However, Largemouth Bass grew slower than Shoal Bass in both river sections. Growth of both species was slower in the upper versus lower area of the river; growth of Largemouth Bass was similar between the lower Flint River and Lake Blackshear. Female Largemouth Bass grew faster than males in both sections of the river; whereas, growth of Shoal Bass was similar between sexes. Longevity of Largemouth Bass appeared to be slightly higher than Shoal Bass, with correspondingly lower annual mortality. Age frequencies and annual mortality was similar between the sexes for both species in all areas. Recruitment of Largemouth Bass was negatively affected by high flows in the spring in the upper Flint River and Lake Blackshear; whereas, Shoal Bass recruitment in the upper Flint River was not correlated to any flow measure. The opposite pattern was found in the lower Flint River, with recruitment of Largemouth Bass unaffected by flow but Shoal Bass recruitment negatively affected by high flows. Shoal Bass exhibited numerous differences from Largemouth Bass in the Flint River, including growth, mortality, and recruitment, demonstrating the danger in applying rate function data or basic biology concepts from one species to another closely related one. Results from this study will help biologists better understand the potential and limitations of black bass fisheries in rivers, and thereby enable more effective management.

scholarly journals Assessing the Potential of Catch-Only Models to Inform on the State of Global Fisheries and the UN’s SDGs

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6101
Author(s):  
Rishi Sharma ◽  
Henning Winker ◽  
Polina Levontin ◽  
Laurence Kell ◽  
Dan Ovando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
The State ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Traditional Assessment ◽  
Stock Status ◽  
Stock Assessments ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Measure Of Performance

Catch-only models (COMs) have been the focus of ongoing research into data-poor stock assessment methods. Two of the most recent models that are especially promising are (i) CMSY+, the latest refined version of CMSY that has progressed from Catch-MSY, and (ii) SRA+ (Stock Reduction Analysis Plus) a recent developments in field. Comparing COMs and evaluating their relative performance is essential for determining the state of regional and global fisheries that may be lacking necessary data that would be required to run traditional assessment models. In this paper we interrogate how performance of COMs can be improved by incorporating additional sources of information. We evaluate the performance of COMs on a dataset of 48 data-rich ICES (International Council for the Exploration of Seas) stock assessments. As one measure of performance, we consider the ability of the model to correctly classify stock status using FAO’s 3-tier classification that is also used for reporting on sustainable development goals to the UN. Both COMs showed notable bias when run with their inbuilt default heuristics, but as the quality of prior information increased, classification rates for the terminal year improved substantially. We conclude that although further COM refinements show some potential, most promising is the ongoing research into developing biomass or fishing effort priors for COMs in order to be able to reliably track stock status for the majority of the world’s fisheries currently lacking stock assessments.

Exploitation status and stock assessment by pseudo-cohort analysis of the bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia)

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1315-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalifa Dhieb ◽  
Mohamed Ghorbel ◽  
Othman Jarboui ◽  
Abderrahmen Bouaïn
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Individual Growth ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Pomatomus Saltatrix ◽  
Gulf Of Gabes ◽  
Gulf Of Gabès ◽  
Exploitation Status ◽  
The One

The bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, is quite abundant in the Gulf of Gabes, off the south-eastern coast of Tunisia. It is commercially exploited by artisanal gears and trawlers all year round, and by purse seine nets from May to August (bluefish fishery season). Catches of bluefish, in the period 1996–2004 fluctuated between 365.6 t and 1240.1 t with an annual average of 805 t. This fluctuation, partially due to the migratory nature of the species, could be also attributed to the fleet activities that sometimes changed at the mercy of the operators. The analysis of the virtual population of bluefish in the Gulf of Gabes showed that, in 2002, the stock that had just recovered rightly after an excessive fishing in 1996–1997 was again subject to a fishing effort that passed its capacity (E=0.71; E>0.5). The biomass (B) estimated to be ~2178.9 t only tolerated the extraction of 713.4 t (more or less one-third of B). However, the three fleets in use removed 1029.1 t with a yield per recruit (Y/R) of 70.5 g. As a result of this over-fishing, the actual stock of bluefish in the Gulf of Gabes was characterized by individuals having a mean total length of 17.88 cm, a size which is much lower than the one at first sexual maturity (23.5 cm). The turnover (D/B) being of 75.23%, it did not allow the reconstitution of the stock. The total removals (~1639 t) due to both natural mortality (M=0.28) and fishing mortality (F=0.675) had to be compensated especially by individual growth (1534.2 t; 93.6%) because of the low weight of the recruits.

Grenadiers of the World Oceans: Biology, Stock Assessment, and Fisheries

2008 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Total Body Length ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Northeast Atlantic ◽  
The North ◽  
Mid Atlantic Ridge ◽  
Total Body

<em>Abstract</em>.—Total body length of roundnose grenadier <em>Coryphaenoides rupestris </em>reaches 123 cm at maximum observed age of 30 years. In the Northwest Atlantic, predominating length is 50–70 cm, in the area of Mid-Atlantic Ridge and off Europe, 50–90 cm. Average length at maturity is 76 cm. Main spawning takes place in the Northeast Atlantic in summer-autumn. Mean fecundity is 30,000 eggs. Grenadier occur mainly near the bottom, but somtimes in the pelagic layer. Vertical migrations are very variable. Long distance horizontal migrations of adults have not been recorded. There is no consensus about population structure. In the Northwest Atlantic the greatest catch (83,700 t) was taken in 1971. Since then the fishery declined until it was stopped completely. On the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the maximum catch (29,900 t) was taken in 1973, after which catches decreased. In the last 15 years, in the European waters, catches increased and reached 28,900 t in 2004. In the majority of the areas the stock size is at the low level. In the Northeast Atlantic (including the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) the fishery is regulated by NEAFC by the restriction of fishing effort and closed areas. In the Northwest Atlantic, directed fishery is banned by NAFO. In the North Atlantic, in the whole fishing period, the international catch amounted to about 1,000,000 t.

scholarly journals Managing fisheries in a world with more sea turtles

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1930) ◽  
pp. 20200220
Author(s):  
Nathan F. Putman ◽  
Jesse Hawkins ◽  
Benny J. Gallaway
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Green Turtles ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Turtle Population

For decades, fisheries have been managed to limit the accidental capture of vulnerable species and many of these populations are now rebounding. While encouraging from a conservation perspective, as populations of protected species increase so will bycatch, triggering management actions that limit fishing. Here, we show that despite extensive regulations to limit sea turtle bycatch in a coastal gillnet fishery on the eastern United States, the catch per trip of Kemp's ridley has increased by more than 300% and green turtles by more than 650% (2001–2016). These bycatch rates closely track regional indices of turtle abundance, which are a function of increased reproductive output at distant nesting sites and the oceanic dispersal of juveniles to near shore habitats. The regulations imposed to help protect turtles have decreased fishing effort and harvest by more than 50%. Given uncertainty in the population status of sea turtles, however, simply removing protections is unwarranted. Stock-assessment models for sea turtles must be developed to determine what level of mortality can be sustained while balancing continued turtle population growth and fishing opportunity. Implementation of management targets should involve federal and state managers partnering with specific fisheries to develop bycatch reduction plans that are proportional to their impact on turtles.

Effects of lunar cycles on the activity patterns and depth use of a temperate sport fish, the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. HANSON ◽  
S. ARROSA ◽  
C. T. HASLER ◽  
C. D. SUSKI ◽  
D. P. PHILIPP ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Lunar Cycles ◽  
Sport Fish ◽  
Depth Use

scholarly journals The effects of seasonal processes on size spectrum dynamics

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samik Datta ◽  
Julia L. Blanchard
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Size Spectrum ◽  
Interspecies Interactions ◽  
Community Size ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Batch Spawning ◽  
Similar Growth

The recent advent of dynamic size spectrum models has allowed the analysis of life processes in marine ecosystems to be carried out without the high complexity arising from interspecies interactions within dense food webs. In this paper, we use “mizer”, a size spectrum modelling framework, to investigate the consequences of including the seasonal processes of plankton blooms and batch spawning in the model dynamics. A multispecies size spectrum model is constructed using 12 common North Sea fish species, with growth, predation, and mortality explicitly modelled, before simulating both seasonal plankton blooms and batch spawning of fish (using empirical data on the spawning patterns of each species). The effect of seasonality on the community size spectrum is investigated; it is found that with seasonal processes included, the species spectra are more varied over time, while the aggregated community spectrum remains fairly similar. Growth of seasonally spawning mature individuals drops significantly during peak reproduction, although lifetime growth curves follow nonseasonal ones closely. On analysing properties of the community spectrum under different fishing scenarios, seasonality generally causes more varied spectrum slopes and lower yields. Under seasonal conditions, increasing fishing effort also results in greater temporal variability of fisheries yields due to truncation of the community spectrum towards smaller sizes. Further work is needed to evaluate robustness of management strategies in the context of a wider range of seasonal processes and behavioural strategies, as well as longer term environmental variability and change.

Hierarchical model-based estimation of population growth curves for redfish (Sebastes mentella and Sebastes fasciatus) off the Eastern coast of Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel G. Cadigan ◽  
Steven E. Campana
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Large Dataset ◽  
Production Models ◽  
Sources Of Variation ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Sebastes Mentella

Northwest Atlantic (NWA) redfish (Sebastes mentella and Sebastes fasciatus) stocks are currently assessed using survey indicators and age-aggregated production models rather than age-based models because routine age readings are not available due to the difficulty in obtaining reliable measurements for these fish. However, recruitment is highly variable for redfish species so age-aggregated production models are not a good approach to provide short-term harvest advice. Recently a relatively large dataset of validated age readings was published that provide a good basis to model growth and its variability [i.e. population growth curve (PGC)]. In this article we propose a hierarchical random effects growth model that includes between-individual variation to estimate PGCs for 10 NWA redfish stocks and for males and females separately. These growth curves are required to develop age-based stock assessment models. External estimates of measurement error in length and age are included in our model to separate these sources of variation from the PGC variability. The hierarchical approach leads to more realistic growth curves than if each stock and sex are modelled separately. Model results indicated that S. mentella usually grow to larger sizes than S. fasciatus and that females of both these species grow to larger sizes than males. There was little evidence of a change in growth rates over time.

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