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Characteristics of spawning‐run smelt, Osmerus eperlanus (L.), from a Scottish river, with recommendations for their conservation and management
Author(s) -
HUTCHINSON P.,
MILLS D. H.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.1987.tb00145.x
Subject(s) - smelt , fishery , overexploitation , biology , stock (firearms) , estuary , fish stock , spawn (biology) , fish <actinopterygii> , geography , archaeology
. Overexploitation and pollution has led to the decline of Scotland's traditional smelt fisheries. The one remaining commercial fishery is on the River Cree in south‐west Scotland and the characteristics of the spawning runs of the smelt, Osmerus eperlanus (L.), on which this fishery is based have been studied with a view to conservation and re‐establishment of the species elsewhere in Scotland. The spawning‐runs which started in early March when water temperatures were greater than 5°C were characterized by marked temporal changes in size, age and sex ratio. The fish enter the spawning stock at 1+ years of age and, in common with other estuarine smelt populations, are highly fecund. The spawning stock was composed mainly of two age‐classes (1+ and 2+ years) and fish of the 1978 year‐class dominated the spawning stock in 1980 and 1981. Spawning, which was interrupted during periods of high flow, lasted about 1 week. Male fish tended to remain on the spawning grounds after females had vacated the area. Recommendations for management and re‐establishing smelt stocks are discussed.