Management of freshwater fisheries

Abstract

This chapter describes approaches to the management of habitat, people and fish stocks that make up freshwater fisheries. Habitat management is advisable whenever habitat bottlenecks limit the productivity of a fishery. Harvest regulations are a useful conservation strategy when fishing mortality is high or specific sizes of fish are to be protected. Finally, stocking may be useful in situations where natural recruitment is lacking or extirpated species are to be restored. Planning of interventions necessitates a rigorous approach based on principles of adaptive management and structured decision-making. Given the many stakeholders affected by fisheries management measures in fresh water, an integrative, stakeholder-inclusive approach is recommended.

Social‐ecological outcomes in recreational fisheries: the interaction of lakeshore development and stocking

“…Management regulations like catch-and-release in highly developed lakes may increase the adult fish population if post-hook mortality rates are not too high (Muoneke and Childress 1994), however, lack of natural recruitment will inevitably lead to loss of the population without expensive inputs of extendedgrowth fingerlings (Arlinghaus et al 2015). Management regulations like catch-and-release in highly developed lakes may increase the adult fish population if post-hook mortality rates are not too high (Muoneke and Childress 1994), however, lack of natural recruitment will inevitably lead to loss of the population without expensive inputs of extendedgrowth fingerlings (Arlinghaus et al 2015).…”

“…Co-management in fisheries through stakeholder involvement in setting regulations is recommended to overcome "wicked" problems, which are defined as having many stakeholders with conflicting perspectives, unknowns, and no clear right/wrong solutions (Jentoft and Chuenpagdee 2009). Specifically, in regard to habitat and stocking regulations in recreational fisheries a stakeholder inclusive approach is recommended (Arlinghaus et al 2015).…”

“…The institutional arrangements that determine stocking decisions are diverse and can be structured into operational rules, collective choice rules, and external arrangements (see Lorenzen 2005Lorenzen , 2008 for a detailed description). However, a structured decision-making process that includes stakeholder input on stocking decisions is recommended and often employed (WDNR 2014, Arlinghaus et al 2015. Stocking has become the most dominant management panacea for recreational fisheries worldwide (Eby et al 2006, van Poorten et al 2011, and it has implications for nearly every aspect of aquatic food webs including trophic interactions, nutrient cycling, cross-ecosystem linkages, and genetic and species diversity (Eby et al 2006).…”

Fishing for conservation of freshwater tropical fishes in the Anthropocene

“…For example, fisheries can benefit from conservation research by designing system-specific fishery management plans that account for, and are sensitive to, local fish community ecology. Identifying key habitat areas, migration pathways and increasing understanding of food web and population dynamics have direct utility when designing fisheries management that is more synergistic with system production (Arlinghaus, Lorenzen, Johnson, Cooke, & Cowx, 2015). The future of freshwater fishes and fisheries is dependent on integration and accurate valuation of its contribution in freshwater governance.…”

Relationship between fish assemblage and angler catch in the Sulejów Reservoir, central Poland, in the context of a warming climate

“…Changes throughout the world are forcing inland fisheries managers to seek new approaches to cope with current and future climates and ecosystem and social challenges (Arlinghaus, Lorenzen, Johnson, Cooke & Cowx, ; Cooke, Arlinghaus, Johnson & Cowx, ; Hunt et al., ). Reservoirs are relatively novel, artificial and heavily modified water bodies with many characteristics and functions that are not comparable to natural lakes and might require different approaches and solutions (Blabolil et al., ; Launois, Veslot, Irz & Argillier, ).…”