A caution for conservation stocking as an approach for recovering Atlantic eels

• DOI: 10.1002/aqc.2498
• Publication Date: 2014-09-05T13:36:00Z
• Authors: Joshua A. Stacey; Thomas C. Pratt; Guy Verreault; Michael G. Fox
• Keywords: Life History Theory; Anguilla rostrata

Abstract Worldwide concerns about declining eel stocks have resulted in the increased use of conservation stocking (i.e. translocation early life‐stages from areas high recruitment to experiencing declines) as a recovery tool. North Atlantic eels complicated and incompletely understood life‐history strategies with major differences parameters across species’ broad distributions, these may be important for migrating spawning successfully. Sex ratio, growth rate size age at maturation American ( Anguilla rostrata ) stocked into St. Lawrence River basin donor over 2000 km away differing characteristics were compared those naturally recruited assess effectiveness potential programme maintaining sub‐population unique (largest species range, exclusively female). Stocked exhibited faster annual growth, had different sex matured outmigrated smaller sizes ages than eels. Conservation should applied caution, appear following patterns comparable conspecifics geographic range streams where they collected. These findings cast doubt on generally accepted hypothesis that mechanisms driving variation are environmentally induced, suggest more care taken assessing matching recipient sub‐populations if is expected an option restoration. © 2014 Her Majesty Queen Right Canada. Aquatic Conservation: Marine Freshwater Ecosystems John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.