Premium
Fyke‐netting and coarse fisheries in lowland Britain: practical advice for fishery owners and managers
Author(s) -
NAISMITH I.A.,
KNIGHTS B.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
fisheries management and ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1365-2400
pISSN - 0969-997X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2400.1970.tb00010.x
Subject(s) - netting , fishery , otter , perch , fishing , juvenile , recreational fishing , fisheries management , biology , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , business , finance
The by‐catches of fish, mammals and birds from a fyke‐net survey of eel, Anguilla angilla (L.), stocks (total effort 1593 end days) at 45 sites in rivers and lakes in the Thames catchment and tidal river were examined. Sizes and compositions of by‐catches varied between sites, yielding a total of 21 fish species representative of the types of water body sampled. The largest catches were of shoaling juvenile perch (especially in lakes). Small roach, perch and ruffe were also fairly frequent in running waters (especially the tidal and non‐tidal Thames). Carp, tench and pike were less frequently caught (mainly in still waters and upper tributaries). Juvenile flounders and smelt were fairly common in the tidal Thames. Salmonids were rarely caught and fish mortalities overall were very low. Few mammals, wildfowl or crustaceans were trapped, but it is important that nets are set below water level to avoid trapping birds swimming on the surface, and the use of otter guards is recommended. Fouling of fishing tackle was rare. Recommendations are made for practical steps that can be taken to minimize undesirable impacts of commercial fyke‐netting, whilst realizing the potential financial and management benefits. The cost‐effective uses of fyke‐nets for sampling and culling fish for management purposes are discussed.