Posts: 512
| Correction to my earlier post as the article does not specifically mention pike. I believe the text from the article below to be the appropriate data which is general in nature:
HARVEST EFFECTS
ON FISH SIZE
Genetic Indicators—
Harvesting the largest individuals
from a fish population
introduces genetic changes
that harm the overall fish population,
according to a study
published in the February issue
of Ecology Letters. Removing
the large fish over several
generations caused the
remaining fish to become progressively
smaller.
Researchers conducted harvest experiments
on Atlantic silversides under a variety
of regimens. They reared the fish through five generations,
selectively removing the largest individuals
from each. They then evaluated multiple traits, such
as body size, from the fifth generation. “We found that
removing the large fish in each generation, as in most
fisheries, caused declines in many aspects of the life
history, physiology, and behavior of this marine fish,”
Matthew R. Walsh says.
Walsh observes that commercially exploited populations
of fish often are slow to recover because fishing
selects for evolutionary changes in the life history
of the fish. “To effectively manage exploited fisheries,
the impacts of these genetic changes must be considered
and accounted for. Because changes in the fish are
genetic, they don’t immediately go away when fishing
ceases,” he says.
In-Fisherman
Adapted from Fisheries News column, Fisheries, Vol. 31, No. 2.
Edited by tmag 10/24/2007 12:01 PM
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