Capture severity, infectious disease processes and sex influence post-release mortality of sockeye salmon bycatch.

ABSTRACT: Bycatch is a common occurrence in heavily fished areas such as the Fraser River, British Columbia, where fisheries target returning adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) en route to spawning grounds. The extent to which these encounters reduce fish survival through injury and physiological impairment depends on multiple factors including capture severity, river temperature and infectious agents. In an effort to characterize the mechanisms of post-release mortality and address fishery and managerial concerns regarding specific regulations, wild-caught Early Stuart sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) were exposed to either mild (20 s) or severe (20 min) gillnet entanglement and then held at ecologically relevant temperatures throughout their period of river migration

SUBMITTER: Teffer AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5569998 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature