Value of Fish Restocking by Clubs in New Brunswick

1
Value of Fish Restocking by Clubs in New Brunswick

• By
• Justin Mackenzie
• Jeffrey MacLaggan

2
Why we restock

• Chinese known to have practiced fish culture from
  almost prehistoric times.
• In Canada the value of restocking was realized in
  1853.
• Abundant rivers lead to reckless wastefulness,
  lead to enforcement of protective laws
  supplemented with artificial fish culture.

3
New Brunswicks Fish Stocking History

• Initiated by the Federal Department of Fisheries
  and Oceans (DFO) in the 1870s
• NB Department of Natural Resources (DNR) raised
  fish for stocking fish in 1976
• In 2004 decommission of the provincial fish
  hatchery

4
History Cont.

• In 2005 a mandatory 5 Fish Stocking
  Conservation Fee was added to fishing licenses
  (few exceptions)
• Approximately 64,000 fishing licenses sold
  320,000 in conservation funds
• This is to generate revenue for fish rearing and
  stocking services
• http//www.gnb.ca/0254/FishStocked-e.asp

5
Joint Operation

• NBs (DNR) Canadas (DFO) share the
  responsibility for management of freshwater
  fisheries here in NB
• DNR has a primary responsibility for 19
  recreational fish species
• These include landlocked Atlantic Salmon
  various trout species

6
Can Anyone Stock Fish?

• To stock fish in NB waters one must first contact
  DFO
• Secondly must follow DFOs Procedural Guide
  which outlines stocking requirements, principles
  and procedures
• This does not apply to stocking efforts for
  recovering species at risk

7
Clubs that Restock Fish in New Brunswick

• The New Brunswick Salmon Council Inc (NBSC)
  Trout Stocking
• Fredericton Fish Game Association
• Trout Stocking Program (Killarney Lake)
• Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre
• Miramichi Salmon Association Inc.
• - Salmon fingerlings

8
Miramichi River StockProgram

• 20 - 40 fingerlings
• 50 - 110 fingerlings
• 100 - 225 fingerlings
• 500 - 1200 fingerlings
• 1,000 - 2500 fingerlings
• Same rates apply to Miramichi speckled trout
• http//www.salmoncentre.ca/miramichiriverstock.htm
  l
• http//chl.erdc.usace.army.mil/chl.aspx?pFullSize
  ImageaImageFile_ID1743

9
Potential Fingerlings

• With a rate of 1,000 2500 fingerlings
• 320,000 produce from the conservation fee of
  fish licenses
• 800,000 fingerlings

10
Miramichi River Stock Program Cont.

• All of the salmon fingerlings are released
  between October 15 and November 15 each year
• Young salmon are fin-clipped for future
  identification
• http//www.salmoncentre.ca/miramichiriverstock.htm
  l

11
What is Fish Restocking Used For?

• To restore fish populations that are no longer
  self-sustaining
• Where appropriate, enhance recreational fishing

12
DNRs Stocking Policy

• Wild strains of fish native to NB may be stocked
  in NB waters where justified on the basis of
• ecological, economic and social costs/benefits
• http//www.gnb.ca/0254/FishStocked-e.asp

13
Downside to Fish Stocking

• When used haphazardly, can harm wild fish
  populations loss of resources through
  competition, predation and gene pool dilution
• Hatchery-produced fish can lead to
  disease/reduce genetic fitness of natural fish
  and reproducing of fish

14
To Minimize negative impacts

• DNR only stock fish that are
• 1. Native to New Brunswick
• 2. Genetically-appropriate for the
  receiving water
• 3. Certified disease free
• 4. Of a Wild NB strain
• (no exotic fish)

15
Minimize negative impacts Cont.

• DNR only stock fish that are
• 1. Suitable to support stocked fish
• 2. Previously supported fish species
• being stocked
• 3. Accessible to the public
• http//www.gnb.ca/0254/FishStocked-e.asp

16
DNR Will Not Stock

• Waters already have an acceptable fishing
  standards
• Waters producing target species or near max
  levels (trout, landlocked salmon)
• For fishing tournaments or commercial benefits

17
DNR Will Not Stock Cont.

• Previous poor stocking results determined by
  DNR
• Where stocked fish could harm other species at a
  population level
• Without prior consultation with appropriate
  representatives from near by jurisdictions when
  stocked fish could migrate to those jurisdictions

18
DNR Stocking Target/Yr.

• Spring 46,000 1yr. old landlocked
• Atlantic salmon
• Spring 100,000 1yr. Old brook trout
• Fall 60,000 8 month old brook trout
• Regional biologists determine locations based on
  population Habitat assessments
• http//www.gnb.ca/0254/FishStocked-e.asp

19
Requirements Before Initiating Fish-stocking

• Clear objectives of the project and how to
  measure its success
• Review ecological, economic and social impacts of
  project
• Make sure that stocking is the appropriate
  management strategy

20
Requirements Cont.

• Make sure the appropriate species, strain, age
  class and stocking rate
• Proper permitting from New Brunswick Introduction
  and Transfers Committee (IT Committee)

21
IT Committee

• IT committees Procedural Guide Private Sector
  Involvement in Enhancement of the Public
  Fisheries and Resources
• This Procedural Guide is available from IT
  committee at [phone]
• http//www.gnb.ca/0078/policies/FWB0192006E.pdf

22
Ideal Restocking Stages

• Determine the habitat requirements of the target
  species
• Survey the current population and habitat for the
  species
• Identify threats for the target species
• Determine the cause of the original decline of
  the species population for the area

23
Ideal Restocking Stages Cont.

• 5. fade away the cause for the population decline
• 6. Re-stock to assist population recovery
• 7. Monitor population to assess the effect of
  restocking and habitat restoration

24
DNRS Fish Standards

• Species focused on brook trout, and landlocked
  salmon
• Strain maintain genetic integrity of wild
  populations (only wild NB fish strains)
• Fish age generally fall fingerlings (age 0)
  or spring yearlings (age 1)

25
DNRS Fish Standards

• Health condition all fish stocked in NB must
  meet DFOs Health requirements Fishery
  Regulations
• Also must meet quality standards by DNRs fishery
  biologist
• Marking/Tagging each fish must be given a mark
  or tag prior to stocking for follow-up
  evaluations
• http//www.gnb.ca/0078/policies/FWB0192006E.pdf

26
Two Stocking Strategies

• Fishery Enhancement provide increased
  recreational fishing opportunities.
• Where stocked fish will not significantly impact
  the naturally-occurring aquatic community

27
Two Stocking Strategies Cont.

• 2. Re-habilitation fish stocking is used to help
  a locally or regionally depressed wild, native
  fish population return to a self-sustaining stage
• This is in conjunction to changes in fish
  regulations and other appropriate management
  strategies

28
Illegal Stocking

• It is Illegal to transfer or stock fish without
  approval
• Its ILLEGAL to
• Moving smallmouth bass to new waters
• Moving chain pickerel to new waters
• Stocking rainbow trout
• Letting goldfish swim freely

29
Spreading of Unwanted Species by

• Releasing ships ballast water containing exotic
  organisms
• Water transportation by boating, bait handling
  and releasing fish from different locations
• www.ec.gc.ca/.../zebra_mussels_DFO3_l
  .jpg

30
Dangers of Unwanted Species

• A new species can disrupt an ecosystem and impact
  native fish
• Introduce diseases and parasites to fish
  populations
• New species may compete/prey on salmon trout
• http//www.gnb.ca/0078/policies/FWB0192006E.pdf

31
Diluting genetic diversity

• Less fishing of natural population, but still
  causing problems.
• Escape of farmed, release of stocked, and their
  interaction with wild population.
• -90 of the salmon in the Baltic Sea and
  between 25 and 40 of the salmon in the North
  Atlantic Ocean are cultured fish.
• What dose this mean?

32
Artificial selection

• Selection Index
• - Optimal body weight
• - Low fat consumption
• - Late sexual maturity
• - Flesh color
• Genotype and phenotype different from that of
  natural population.
• - Resulting in genetic repercussions within
  wild population

33

Image source http//www.bossbait.co.uk/images/stor
e/149.jpg
Image source http//www.scientificillustrator.com/
art/fish/rainbow_trout.jpg
Image source http//medallion.files.wordpress.com/
2006/11/summer-2006-arctic-char.jpg
34
Back peddling evolution

• Traits introduced by means other then natural
  selection.
• - ? overall fitness of population
• Re-introducing traits that have possibly already
  been breed out naturally.

35
Genetic differences aside

• Stocking creates larges then natural fish.
• - High resources
• - Regulator feeding
• Competition with wild fish
• - (Food, habitat, and mates)

36
Limiting repercussions

• Attention to time and place of release to
  minimize adverse effects.
• Species specific
• Measuring to evaluate success.

37
Limiting repercussions cont Gene banking

• Gene banking
• - To cryogenically freeze sperm and ova in an
  effort to broaden allele frequencies
• - Later to be cloned to restore traits within
  population.

Image Source www.brc.riken.jp/inf/en/lab/intro_dna
.shtml
38
Effect on fishable population

• Stock fish are released in New Brunswick in May.
• - Will not reach catchable size till
  September.
• No effect on fishable population first year!

Image source http//uk.geocities.com/waafisher/waa
restocking20063.jpg
39
Winter mortality

• Tagging program study showed approximately 80
  mortality rate for the first winter for stocked
  fish
• Wild fish of the same age showed a 70-35
  survival rate.
• Why?????

40
Poor performance

• Genetic short comings (mentioned earlier)
• Human rearing
• - regular feeding causing a decline in foraging
  abilities.

41
Poor performance

• Aquaculture tanks absent of natural predators
• -More likely to not perceive predators as a
  threat and are therefore more likely to confront
  them.
• Highly aggressive, high risk fish.

Image source http//www.salmoncentre.ca/index.html
42
Cant we all just get along?

• These fish are also more likely to engage in
  male-male competitive fighting.

Image Source www.costume-shop.com
43
Fight and lose

• Stocked fish are commonly larger then the wild
  fish population
• Wild fish seem to have the advantage in male to
  male competitive fighting.
• - Sea smarts

44
Economically successful

• Brook trout released in New Brunswick are between
  6-7 inches.
• At an average cost of 1.075
• - As stated by Miramichi Fisheries

Image source http//pond.dnr.cornell.edu/nyfish/Sa
lmonidae/rainbow_trout.jpg
45
Economically successful?

46
Economically successful?

• There are ways to off set these costs
• - 5 of every fishing licence goes to hatchery
  for salmon farming (after 2004 closure of
  Miramichi salmon and trout.)
• What about trout?
• - April 17 2007

47
Economically successful?

• The one million dollars over 5 years.
• - 200,000 dollars per year allows for about
  160,000 tiny trout to be stocked each year for
  the next 5 years.
• 160,000 trout GREAT RIGHT?

48
Economically successful?

• Remember mortality
• - As stated earlier mortality rate for these
  fish is about 80
• - 160,000 trout released 32,000 survive to join
  the catchable population the following season.
• 32,000 Not Bad Right?

49
Economically successful?

• When you consider the 64,000 anglers who purchase
  a New Brunswick fishing licence each year!
• Is it really helping the natural population?

50
Economically successful?

• Well yes right it is 32,000 extra fish
• One extra trout for every 2 anglers per season
• Is it worth 200,000 per year????

51
Better place for this money?

• Is this money more beneficial if spent else
  where?
• - Implementing a catch and release policy
• - Enforcing
• - Better rearing techniques

52
Better place for this money?

• Explaining where the money was spent
• - No immediate effect
• - Better in the long run

53
Million dollar Question

• Value?
• - What I learned!
• - Im not convinced
• Need?
• - Better on paper then in practice leads to
  everyone happy but inefficient.
• - overall yes

54
References

• CBC News April 18, 2007 1M to go to N.B.
  fish hatcheries
• Jonsson, B., 1997 Areview of ecological and
  behavioral interactions between cultured and wild
  Atlantic salmon ICES Journal of Marine Science
  54 1031-1039
• Miramichi Salmon Conservation Center- Miramichi
  Fisheries
• Pennsylvania Fish Boat Commission Late season
  trout-stocking mortality rates
• Thorgaard, G.H., P.A.Wheeler, J.G. Cloud and T.R.
  Tiersch, 1998. Gene banking efforts for
  endangered fishes in the United States. In
  Action before Extinction An International
  Conference on Conservation of Fish Genetic
  Diversity. B. Harvey, C. Ross, D. Greer and J.
  Carolsfeld, eds. World Fisheries Trust, Victoria,
  British Columbia, pp. 181-185,

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References

• http//www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/home-accueil_e.htm
• http//www.gnb.ca/0254/FishStocked-e.asp
• http//www.freewebs.com/fishandgame/troutstockingp
  rogram.htm
• http//www.miramichisalmon.ca/
• http//www.nbsalmoncouncil.com/
• http//www.salmoncentre.ca/miramichiriverstock.htm
  l