Captive-bred Atlantic salmon released into the wild have fewer offspring than wild-bred fish and decrease population productivity.

ABSTRACT: The release of captive-bred animals into the wild is commonly practised to restore or supplement wild populations but comes with a suite of ecological and genetic consequences. Vast numbers of hatchery-reared fish are released annually, ostensibly to restore/enhance wild populations or provide greater angling returns. While previous studies have shown that captive-bred fish perform poorly in the wild relative to wild-bred conspecifics, few have measured individual lifetime reproductive success (LRS) and how this affects population productivity. Here, we analyse data on Atlantic salmon from an intensely studied catchment into which varying numbers of captive-bred fish have escaped/been released and potentially bred over several decades. Using a molecular pedigree, we demonstrate that, on av

SUBMITTER: O'Sullivan RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7661298 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature