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doi: 10.1002/fsh.10219pmid: N/A
In the Marvel Comics movie “Avengers: Infinity War,” the god‐like character Thanos regulates resources by eliminating half the human population. The goal (not the mechanism) is shared with fishery scientists who labor to allocate resources fairly and sustainably in open‐access fisheries. Minimizing human exploitation is perceptively easier via catch‐and‐release fishing. This widespread and voluntary form of fishing has improved sustainability of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides. As a fishery manager for bass in Maryland, I therefore asked whether scientists need to manage catch‐and‐release fisheries. I used an age‐structured population model to test for circumstances under which catch‐and‐release fishing may not sustain Largemouth Bass populations. As was observed for a wild riverine population, I found that low to moderate levels of exploitation (e.g., catch‐and‐release mortality) could cause negative impacts when habitat loss also restricted recruitment. Although Thanos may have been wrong when thinking that reduced exploitation always leads to more resources, the wisdom in that admission encourages fishery and environmental agencies to jointly manage fish habitat and ensure the sustainability of sport fish.
Rypel, Andrew L.; Simonson, Timothy D.; Oele, Daniel L.; Griffin, Joanna D. T.; Parks, Timothy P.; Seibel, David; Roberts, Craig M.; Toshner, Scott; Tate, Lori S.; Lyons, John
doi: 10.1002/fsh.10228pmid: N/A
Successful fisheries management practices developed for one ecosystem can often be used in similar ecosystems. We developed a flexible lake classification framework in collaboration with ~100 fisheries biologists for improved fisheries conservation management in Wisconsin, USA. In total, 5,950 lakes were classified into 15 lake classes using a two‐tiered approach. In tier‐one, lakes were clustered into “simple” and “complex” sportfish assemblages. In tier‐two, lakes were further clustered using accumulated degree days, water clarity, and special cases. We focus on temperature and clarity because these factors often drive fisheries change over time—thus a lake's class can change over time. Lake class assignments were refined through a vetting process where fisheries biologists with expert knowledge provided feedback. Relative abundance, size‐structure, and growth rates of fishes varied significantly across classes. Biologists are encouraged to utilize class interquartile ranges in fisheries metrics to make improved fisheries assessments. We highlight hard‐won lessons from our effort including: (1) the importance of co‐developing classification frameworks alongside fisheries biologists; and (2) encouraging frameworks where lakes can shift classes and fisheries expectations over time due to factors like climate change and eutrophication.
Karnauskas, Mandy; Allee, Rebecca J.; Craig, J. Kevin; Jepson, Michael; Kelble, Christopher R.; Kilgour, Morgan; Methot, Richard D.; Regan, Seann D.
doi: 10.1002/fsh.10216pmid: N/A
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