Premium
Effects of Walleye Stocking on Year‐Class Strength
Author(s) -
Li Jingyin,
Cohen Yosef,
Schupp Dennis H.,
Adelman Ira R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1996)016<0840:eowsoy>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - stocking , stizostedion , fishery , abundance (ecology) , reproduction , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , population , ecology , demography , sociology
The success of stocking programs involving walleye Stizostedion vitreum has frequently been judged by the contributions of the stocked walleye to the abundance of year‐classes. But evaluation methods based only on contributions to the year‐class augmented may be biased. We developed a method of estimating walleye year‐class strength based on catch‐at‐age data from routine fish population assessments. We then examined the effect of walleye stocking on the stocked year‐class and other year‐classes by using catch‐at‐age data from walleyes in 200 Minnesota lakes. Although stocking increased the abundance of a year‐class in lakes with natural walleye reproduction, stocking, especially of fingerlings, decreased the abundance of year‐classes 1 year younger and 1 year older than the stocked year‐class. In lakes without natural walleye reproduction, stocking did not affect adjacent year‐classes significantly.