Effects of post-capture ventilation assistance and elevated water temperature on sockeye salmon in a simulated capture-and-release experiment

• DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cot015
• Publication Date: 2013-07-12T03:52:13Z
• Authors: K. A. Robinson; S. G. Hinch; M. K. Gale; T. D. Clark; S. M. Wilson; M. R. Donaldson; A. P. Farrell; S. J. Cooke; D. A. Patterson
• Keywords: Catch and release; Chinook wind

The live release of wild adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) following capture is a management tactic often used in commercial, aboriginal, and recreational fisheries. Fisheries handling can be both exhausting stressful to fish, which limit their ability swim survive after release. As result, researchers have assessed methods intended improve post-release survival by assisting the flow water over gills fish prior Such approaches use recovery bags or boxes that direct restrained fish. This study evaluated method ventilation mimics one employed anglers (i.e. holding facing into current). Under laboratory conditions, Fraser River sockeye nerka) either received manual assistance for 1 min using jet focused at mouth were left recover unassisted capture-and-release simulation. A control group consisted not exposed simulation assistance. experiment was conducted 16 21°C, average peak summer temperatures River, monitored 33 days. At all perished within 3 days treatment experimental groups, highlighting consequences during elevated migration temperatures. Survival higher 16°C, with surviving on 15-20 treatment. did affect males; however, female poor compared groups. Our results suggest tested this may enhance migrating fresh water.