Considerations for Water Temperature-Related Fishery Closures in Recreational Atlantic Salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i>) Catch and Release Fisheries: A Case Study from Eastern Canada

Van Leeuwen, Travis E.; Lehnert, Sarah J.; Breau, Cindy; Fitzsimmons, Michelle; Kelly, Nicholas I.; Dempson, J. Brian; Neville, Victoria M.; Young, Mark; Keefe, Donald; Bird, Tomas J.; Cote, David

doi:10.1080/23308249.2023.2242959

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Therefore, in this study we make the assumption that fish were not leveraging thermal refugia not detected by the installed loggers. However, given the minimal variation in water temperatures among loggers in this watershed and others described in Newfoundland (Van Leeuwen et al, 2023) it is likley that the water temperatures experienced by the fish were indeed comparable or the same as those recorded by the loggers. Second, adding to the complexity of evaluating thermal history at warm water temperatures, conditions usually only occur for short duration during the migration, which limits the scope of time in which studies can take place.…”

Section: Fishsupporting

confidence: 49%

Water temperature at the time of the catch‐and‐release event is a better predictor of survival in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) than acute water temperature changes before and after

Van Leeuwen,

Keefe,

Young

et al. 2024

Journal of Fish Biology

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Despite studies on the effect of catch‐and‐release on the survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) being widespread in the literature, studies to date have failed to evaluate the potential role of thermal history. Herein, we show that despite cooler conditions post‐release, 4/18 (22%) salmon died when caught‐and‐released at water temperatures ≥20°C, whereas 1/13 (8%) salmon caught‐and‐released at water temperatures ≤20°C, but who encountered mean water temperatures ≥20°C post‐release, died. We conclude water temperature at time of the catch‐and‐release event remains the most suitable predictor of post‐release survival.

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Section: Fishsupporting

confidence: 49%

Water temperature at the time of the catch‐and‐release event is a better predictor of survival in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) than acute water temperature changes before and after

Van Leeuwen,

Keefe,

Young

et al. 2024

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…Many rivers that sustain fisheries for stream salmonids have implemented management strategies to protect salmonid populations during these warm events. The purpose of the management actions with respect to warm-water events is commonly geared towards the protection of the adult life stages from exposure to recreational fishery [124,131], although actions also exist to protect specific cold-water refuges overall [26]. The evidence that the post-release survival of adult salmonids decreases as a function of increasing water temperature after species/population-specific thresholds are surpassed is convincing [131][132][133][134].…”

Section: Management and Conservation Actions In Response To A Warming...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The purpose of the management actions with respect to warm-water events is commonly geared towards the protection of the adult life stages from exposure to recreational fishery [124,131], although actions also exist to protect specific cold-water refuges overall [26]. The evidence that the post-release survival of adult salmonids decreases as a function of increasing water temperature after species/population-specific thresholds are surpassed is convincing [131][132][133][134]. Depending on what management measures are implemented to protect the adults, the juvenile life stages may also benefit from these measures.…”

Section: Management and Conservation Actions In Response To A Warming...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…VanLeeuwen et al [131] recently reviewed when and how water temperature-related fishery closures are best implemented. The trade-offs in these management strategies are clear.…”

Section: Management and Conservation Actions In Response To A Warming...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Various protocols are used to implement water temperature-related protections, and common strategies include closures of selected cold-water pools, closures of whole or larger sections of river, or restricting the timing of fishing activities within the day after pre-determined temperature thresholds are exceeded [131]. One of the strategies that appear to offer a promising balance between continued fishing vs. temperature-related closure is the implementation of a "morning only" fishery that would safeguard fishing opportunities for anglers who may have traveled a long distance for their fishing opportunity, while protecting the salmonid population during the most stressful time of the day [131]. Hourly water temperature consistently reaches its minimum at a predictable morning hour, e.g., 9:00 AM in the Miramichi River [135].…”

Section: Management and Conservation Actions In Response To A Warming...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Cold-Water Thermal Refuges for Stream Salmonids in a Changing Climate—Experiences from Atlantic Canada

Linnansaari,

O’Sullivan,

Breau

et al. 2023

Fishes

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Thermal refuges are becoming increasingly influential for dictating the population status and spatial distribution of cold-water stenotherm salmonids in the mid- to southern extent of their range. The global climate is predicted to continue to warm, and therefore, the overall thermal suitability of freshwater habitats for stream salmonids is predicted to decline in concert. However, stream and river thermal heterogeneity will offer considerable resiliency for these populations. Thermal refuges are formed by many physical processes; common natural refuges include cold tributary plumes, groundwater springs, alcoves, and hyporheic upwellings. However, many anthropogenically formed refuges (such as stratified reservoirs or cold-water tailrace outflows) also exist in hydropower-regulated rivers. The significance of these refuges to stream salmonids depends on their size and temperature differential, but also other habitat characteristics such as their depth, flow velocity, Froude number, and many biotic factors within the refuges. Modern technologies such as drone-mounted thermal infrared cameras and other remote sensing techniques allow for the efficient identification of such refuges, and inexpensive options include the identification of refuges during ice cover using orthophotographs. Behavioural thermoregulation, i.e., salmonids aggregating in cold-water refuges, can be either facultative or obligate and the timing of these events is governed by life stage, species, and population-specific physiologically regulated cumulative thresholds that are inherently related to the recent thermal history, or hysteresis, of each individual. Salmonids appear to have an excellent spatial cognition for locating and relocating cold-water refuges, and their spatial distribution is largely affected by the availability of the cold-water refuges during the warm-water period in many thermally stressed rivers. Gregarious behaviour is the norm for salmonid fishes within the thermal refuges; however, the size/microhabitat hierarchy appears to dictate the within-refuge distribution at the micro-scale. There continues to be a great impetus for protecting—and in carefully determined cases creating—cold-water refuges in the future. A thorough understanding of what a “goldilocks” refuge is for various salmonids and their different life stages will be imperative as cold-water restoration is gaining popularity. Finally, disentangling the roles of the climate-induced and landscape activity-induced warming potential of fluvial freshwater will be important to ensure continued environmentally responsible landscape activities in future waterscapes.

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Salmonids in hot water: An unprecedented warm‐water event in Labrador, a subarctic region of Canada

Geissinger,

Van Leeuwen,

Kelly

et al. 2024

Fisheries Management Eco

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Unprecedented warm river temperatures in July 2023 in Labrador, a subarctic region of Canada, were the highest since monitoring began (1994–2023) and ranged from 19.4°C (Hunt River) to 22.5°C (Eagle River). Incipient lethal water temperatures were exceeded for adult Atlantic salmon and brook trout (≥25°C) on 14 days in five of seven rivers and Arctic charr (≥24°C) on 17 days in six of seven rivers. Consequently, Labrador had the greatest number of angling restrictions and closures in 2023. Recent warming serves as a warning to fishery managers of regions historically unaffected by heat waves of the need to prepare action plans that mitigate the effects of a warming climate on fishes.

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Considerations for Water Temperature-Related Fishery Closures in Recreational Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Catch and Release Fisheries: A Case Study from Eastern Canada

Cited by 3 publications

References 77 publications

Water temperature at the time of the catch‐and‐release event is a better predictor of survival in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) than acute water temperature changes before and after

Water temperature at the time of the catch‐and‐release event is a better predictor of survival in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) than acute water temperature changes before and after

The Role of Cold-Water Thermal Refuges for Stream Salmonids in a Changing Climate—Experiences from Atlantic Canada

Salmonids in hot water: An unprecedented warm‐water event in Labrador, a subarctic region of Canada

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