Modeling and management options for Salmonid sport fisheries: a case study from Patagonia, Argentina

RECHENCQ M; VIGLIANO P.H; LIPPOLT G.E; ALONSO M.F; MACCHI P.J; ALVEAR P.; HOUGHAM V; DENEGRI M.A; BLASETTI G; JUNCOS R; FERNANDEZ MA; LALLEMENT M.E; JUAREZ S.M

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND ECOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2017

0969-997X

Stakeholder perceptions, which do not take into account the biological and ecological constrains acting upon aquatic resources, are usually the norm guiding Salmonid sport fishery management on Argentine Patagonia. Traful Lake? s management policies, where Atlantic salmon was actively re-stocking during the last decade in an attempt to change the fish assemblage structure and attain a highly valuable sport fishery, are a clear example of such practices. In this paper the likelihood of these strategy actually achieving such assemblage structure change is analyzed through the study of suitability of streams as spawning and breeding grounds, lake fish assemblage parameters, trophic diversity and possible competition due to diet overlap. This study also evaluates alternative management practices through population simulations and Bioenergetic modeling under diverse catch size limit scenarios, and concludes that trying to generate a unique and distinctive sport fishery by re-stocking Atlantic salmon in an already renowned fishing destination in Northern Patagonia is not advisable. Instead, a more comprehensive framework for decision-making it is suggested, involving short-term studies that go beyond the target species and specific problem and incorporate the whole fish assemblage using diverse approaches and modeling strategies