Biochemical genetics and fishery management: an historical perspective

Abstract

This paper traces the development of applications of biochemical genetic methods to problems of fishery management over a period of four decades. In the 1950s, details of presumed genetic structuring of fish species appeareddestined for revelation through Mendelian characters identified by immunogenetic procedures. In the 1960s, immunogenetic methods were displaced by protein electrophoresis, with a proliferation ofreports of genotypic and allelic data for protein-coding loci. In the 1970s, disagreement about the biological significance of protein polymorphisms delayed acceptance of management applications of this variation. In the 1980s, management applications included identification of relationships among populations, analyses of mixed stock fisheries, and uses in fish culture, conservation biology and forensics. The complementary relationship between proteinelectrophoresisandnucleicacid technologiesisstressed, with aplea torecognize the unique attributes of properly applied protein electrophoresis in fishery management.

Genetic assessment of the reproductive success of Atlantic salmon precocious parr by means of VNTR loci

“…Negative consequences of introducing foreign genomes into natural populations have been extensively reported (e.g. Hindar et a!., 1991;Utter, 1991), the conclusions being related to the reduction in size of the populations and to the loss of local adaptations.…”

Genetic variation in natural stocks of Sardina pilchardus (sardines) from the western Mediterranean Sea

“…In *Correspondence: E-mail: dbsmrjO@ps.uib.es several species with little genetic variability (for example squid, Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon and many lobsters and prawns) biochemical studies need extremely large sample sizes and the dependence of the analysis on a few polymorphic gene loci has been severely criticized by some authors (Shaklee, 1983;Smith et cii., 1990). Nevertheless, some species show high genetic variation and in this case, the allozyme polymorphisms have been widely applied (Altukhov & Salmenkova, 1987;Shaklee et a!., 1990;Skaala et a!., 1990;Utter, 1991).…”

Genetic biodiversity in the Baltic Sea: species-specific patterns challenge management

“…In the absence of evidence for strong selection, it is commonly assumed that the detected genetic variation is selectively neutral, reflecting the evolutionary processes of mutation, migration and drift (Utter 1991;McCusker and Bentzen 2010). Under this assumption, converging patterns among species, such as similar degrees of genetic differentiation and isolation by distance, may be shaped by similar dispersal patterns, common colonization histories, and life-history characteristics (Wares et al 2001;Schmitt 2007;Pelc et al 2009;Kelly and Palumbi 2010).…”