Fisheries News & Science

Understanding the “who, what, when, where, and why” of angler harvest is a critical component of managing fisheries with harvest-based regulations.

Today’s article addresses a popular topic in fishing circles, the impact of forward facing sonar on angler catch rates. If you talk to veteran fisheries managers, you will hear that this discussion has played out many times over the years, and that technological advances are going to impact fish populations.

Understanding the dynamics of disease transmission and outcomes for impacted individuals is challenging in natural systems, so fish health experts often try to replicate natural conditions in the laboratory. However static baths, often used for dosing studies, are not reminiscent of flowing water riverine environments.

Today’s paper is an assessment of angler attitudes regarding Striped Bass populations, angling tactics, and regulations.  It’s the culmination of a substantial online survey of anglers (N=1,651), and provides a wide variety of angler perspectives. 

The project looked at zooplankton harvest from fishless aquaculture ponds, what impacts that had on the phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in those ponds, and how that compared to control systems.  It also included the rationale for why one might want to undertake such an activity…

Today’s paper caught my attention, as it looks at the relationship between fish and water quality.  That’s long been an area of interest for me.  The title addresses changing water clarity, but the causal factor is invasive mussels in the Great Lakes.

“Failing to respond to efforts restricting climate change research, scientific knowledge sharing, and management strategies to alleviate human-caused climate change will continue to have ever-more dire consequences for human societies and our planet.”

Today’s paper is from NAJFM, and it caught my attention because it reminded me about the great Black Bass 2025 meeting that was held in association with the AFS Annual Meeting. The paper also relied on angler-derived data, which I think is a substantial area of growth for fisheries management. 

Today is a special Fishy Friday, because you get both a paper and a video! Today’s paper is from TAFS, and it documents fish passage in the Eel River, Indiana, following the installation of a Kynard fishway at a lowhead dam.  The accompanying video addresses this type of innovative fishway, and its success in passing small bodied fish.