Examining current best-practices for the use of wild post-larvae capture, culture, and release for fisheries enhancement

Abstract

Demand for marine fisheries is rising despite global impacts on the productive capacity of wild fish stocks due to overfishing, habitat loss, and global warming. Fisheries enhancement programs—aimed at augmenting stocks by releasing juveniles into the wild—are expected to play an increasingly important auxiliary role in addressing capture-based fishery limitations into the future. However, concerns exist over the impacts and efficacy of aquaculture-based enhancement (ABE), releasing captive-bred fish into wild populations. An alternative but understudied approach for fisheries enhancement is wild post-larvae capture, culture, and release (PCCR). Here, we provide an overview of the PCCR process, from initial planning to measuring success, providing an overview of its implementation in a viable finfish fishery, the white seabream Diplodus sargus in the Mediterranean. We discuss management application of PCCR-based enhancement and its limitations, highlighting existing knowledge gaps and future research required to realize the full potential of this alternative approach. Notwithstanding some limitations–including limited uptake for full evaluation, some species restrictions, density-dependent mortality, and the remaining open challenge for stock enhancement generally of tracking released fish through to reproduction–PCCR offers potential as a credible auxiliary management tool for fisheries restoration.

Restoration of herbivory on Caribbean coral reefs: are fishes, urchins, or crabs the solution?

“…Currently, we are unaware of any attempt to rear surgeonfish or parrotfish for restoration purposes. Anecdotal reports describe aquarist culture of convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus) from wild-spawned eggs, and wild postlarvae capture, culture, and release may hold promise for some reef species (Richardson et al, 2023). There is still much to be done in this field, but the best option appears to be protecting existing stocks from fishing.…”

Appropriateness Evaluation of Releasing Area for Four Marine Organisms in Stock Enhancement: A Fatty Acid Approach

“…Since the onset of the 21st century, there has been a discernible decline in global fishery resources due to a confluence of factors including overfishing, climate change, environmental degradation, and habitat destruction [1]. Stock enhancement is a strategy employed to replenish fishery resources and rehabilitate stocks and community structures by releasing artificially cultivated larvae or adults of marine organisms into their native aquatic habitats, which is one of the most essential and efficacious methods for facilitating the restoration of fishery resources [2][3][4]. Despite the global expansion of stock enhancement initiatives, numerous efforts within this domain exhibit little efficacy in terms of fishery resources recovery, and the associated economic, social, and ecological advantages are often insufficient, resulting in a failure to meet anticipated outcomes [5].…”