Thursday, July 7, 2011

Less Shad Stocked

But strong spawning run raises hopes:
Fishery managers stocked sharply fewer American shad around the Chesapeake this spring than in most years of the past two decades; but biologists said efforts to rebuild the shad population might be helped by a spawning run that appeared stronger than those of recent years...
Apparently the high waters hampered the egg collecting efforts.
Counter to the below-average numbers of fish stocked, many biologists believe the size of this year's spawning run increased. Biologists were hoping that larvae produced by the spawning fish might have good survival, as high flows can expand nursery areas, and even make the water cloudy enough to protect them from predators.
However, the high flows tend to favor the recruitment of most of the anadromous fish, so perhaps (but maybe only perhaps), the higher flows offset the inability of the fisheries managers to stock them.  It would be better in the long run if we did not have to rely on stocking efforts, and the natural spawning and recruitment would suffice.

Previous shad posts.

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