Article (Scientific journals)
Glass Eel Restocking Experiments in Typologically Different Upland Rivers: How Much Have We Learned about the Importance of Recipient Habitats?
Nzau Matondo, Billy; François Fontaine; Olivier Detrait et al.
2023In Water, 15 (17)
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Keywords :
silvering; growth; density; survival; yields; freshwater; habitat; conservation; endangered species
Abstract :
[en] The efficiency of glass eel restocking as a conservation measure to restore the altered local eel stocks has never been evaluated by integrating the dimension of typological diversity of freshwater habitats in eel recruitment performance in terms of the abundance, density, growth, silvering, survival, catchability and eel yields. Here, we used the electrofishing method during a 6-year study to catch eels, and the most appropriate Jolly–Seber model was applied to estimate the demographic parameters in open populations. We found that most eels were yellow eels in the growth phase with a low abundance (eels 3+: 2.8% and eels 5+: 7.1%) of silver eels, which were only males at the MII migrating phase. Eel recruitment performance varied between sector/river habitats. Restocked eels showed annually positive allometric growth type with good length increments and better condition factors. They have survived in almost all sectors with a survival rate > 0.810. Eels were more abundant and denser (maximum 0.128 individuals m−2) in one sector with a high quality of habitats offering optimal living conditions in terms of the protection against predators and water flow, settlement and food availability, as revealed by it having the highest eel yields. In contrast, no eels were found in two sectors whose habitats offered a high threat of predation, poor burial properties and insufficient protection against water flow. Sector/river habitats play a key role in the success of yellow eel production and certainly, over time, future genitor production. This study provides recommendations for the management of eels and their habitats during restocking aimed at the conservation of this threatened species.
Research center :
FOCUS - Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch - ULiège
AFFISH-RC - Applied and Fundamental FISH Research Center - ULiège
Disciplines :
Zoology
Author, co-author :
Nzau Matondo, Billy  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS)
François Fontaine;  SPW
Olivier Detrait;  spw
Catherine Poncelet;  spw
Stéphanie Vandresse;  SPW
Patrice Orban;  SPW
Gelder, Justine  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS) ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Gestion des ressources aquatiques et aquaculture
Renardy, Séverine  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS) ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Gestion des ressources aquatiques et aquaculture
Benitez, Jean-Philippe  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS) ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Gestion des ressources aquatiques et aquaculture
Dierckx, Arnaud ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS)
Frédéric Dumonceau;  SPW
Xavier Rollin;  SPW
Ovidio, Michaël  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS) ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Gestion des ressources aquatiques et aquaculture
More authors (3 more) Less
Language :
English
Title :
Glass Eel Restocking Experiments in Typologically Different Upland Rivers: How Much Have We Learned about the Importance of Recipient Habitats?
Publication date :
31 August 2023
Journal title :
Water
eISSN :
2073-4441
Publisher :
MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
Special issue title :
Freshwater Biodiversity: Conservation and Management
Volume :
15
Issue :
17
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Development Goals :
14. Life below water
Name of the research project :
Définitions des bases scientifiques et techniques pour une optimisation et une évaluation de L’efficacité des pratiques de repeuplements en civelles d’anguille européenne (Anguilla anguilla)
Funders :
SPW - Public Service of Wallonia [BE]
Funding number :
FEAMP 44-16042-008
Funding text :
The research was funded by the ‘Definition of the scientific and technical bases for an optimisation and evaluation of the efficiency of European glass eel (Anguilla anguilla) restocking practices’ project financially supported by the European Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Fund and the Wallonia Public Service, grant number FEAMP No. 44-1604-008.
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