Extinction of one of the world's largest freshwater fishes: Lessons for conserving the endangered Yangtze fauna

Zhang, Hui; Jarić, Ivan; Roberts, David L.; He, Yongfeng; Du, Hao; Wu, Jin‐Ming; Wang, Chengyou; Wei, Qiwei

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136242

Cited by 123 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Broadly, K‐selected fishes are considered one of the most at‐risk groups of fishes in the world (Olden, Poff, & Bestgen, 2008; Parent & Schriml, 1995; Pikitch, Doukakis, Lauck, Chakrabarty, & Erickson, 2005). Unless commercial and recreational fisheries for K‐selected fishes are carefully managed, declines in abundance or fishery collapse is probable (Zhang et al., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fort Peck paddlefish population survival and abundance in the Missouri River

et al. 2020

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Excessive fishing pressure can induce population declines or complete collapse of fisheries. Unless commercial and recreational fisheries for K‐selected fishes, or those with slow growth and late maturation, are carefully managed, declines in abundance or fishery collapse is probable. Paddlefish Polyodon spathula,are a K‐selected species that experienced historical declines in abundance as a result of habitat degradation and overfishing. Mark‐recapture studies are well‐suited for long‐lived fishes by providing information on population density and vital rates. For sustainable commercial or recreational fisheries targeting species such as the paddlefish, managers require accurate estimates of population vital rates including survival, abundance, and exploitation. We used a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) mark‐recapture dataset and modified Jolly‐Seber (POPAN) models to estimate survival, recapture, probability of entry, and abundance of 8,518 tagged paddlefish over a 25‐year period. With many supporting estimates including stable survival (0.92 for females, mean of 0.82 for males), low exploitation rates (means of 2.6% for females and 2.9% for males), and stable abundance estimates (25‐year mean of 12,309 individuals for both sexes), the Fort Peck paddlefish population appears to be stable and well‐managed over the past 25 years. Presently, this is the only study focused on paddlefish in North America that has estimated survival and abundance for both male and female paddlefish using contemporary analyses. This research provided a unique opportunity to highlight that the effort exerted by management agencies to collect long‐term field data is extremely useful to our understanding of fish populations and management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fort Peck paddlefish population survival and abundance in the Missouri River

et al. 2020

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“…Based on our experience, the recreational fisheries catch could be very high; thus, effective regulatory management will be required in the near future (Ma et al, 2018). According to a basin‐wide capture survey during 2017–2018 in the Yangtze River, a total of 25 exotic species have been recorded, out of which 11 had never been previously observed in the basin, such as several kinds of tilapia, largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides , Centrarchidae) and freshwater pompano ( Piaractus brachypomus , Serrasalmidae) (Zhang et al, 2020, unpublished data). Moreover, the abundance of exotic species gradually increases from the Yangtze estuary to the headwater, implying that the upstream regions are of greater concern in this regard.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Functionally extinct species (i.e. Baiji, Chinese paddlefish and Reeves shad) (Turvey et al, 2007; Zhang et al, 2020) will become completely extinct if no further rescue measures are undertaken.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sixty‐five Yangtze River fish species (15.6% of total) were registered in various threatened categories of the China Species Red List (Ye et al, 2011). The Baiji (Turvey et al, 2007), Chinese paddlefish ( Psephurus gladius , Polyodontidae) (Zhang et al, 2020) and Reeves shad ( Tenualosa reevesii , Clupeidae) are thought to be functionally extinct because no living specimens of these species have been found for over 15 years (Yang et al, 2007, 2009, 2011). The Yangtze finless porpoise and Chinese sturgeon ( Acipenser sinensis , Acipenseridae) are highly endangered (Mei et al, 2014; Wu et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rapid change in Yangtze fisheries and its implications for global freshwater ecosystem management

et al. 2020

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Freshwater capture fisheries are globally essential for food security and aquatic biodiversity conservation. The Yangtze River Basin is the third longest and one of the most human-influenced drainage basins worldwide. Since the founding of P. R.China in 1949, this large river system has suffered increasing human perturbation and its sustainable development is now severely challenged. Meta-analysis showed that Yangtze River fisheries have experienced an extraordinary process of utilization-over-exploitation-protection during the past 70 years, to an extent that other globally important rivers may never have encountered. Its fisheries appear to have collapsed over the past four decades, with yield decreasing to only 25% of an historical peak of 400,000 metric tonnes in the late 1950s. Endemic, migratory and rare fishes have been highly threatened with obvious changes in fish community structure and aquatic biodiversity. Anthropogenic activities, including impoundment of water in dams, discharge of pollutants and riverine modification for vessel navigation, have caused large decreases in fisheries yields. Projections from surplus production modelling showed potential for improvement under fishing ban scenarios, but without any prospect for full recovery to historical stock status. This study revealed that the change in fisheries resources was dominated by the social-ecological watershed system, and an integrated approach to river basin management is warranted. Better management of freshwater ecosystems to integrate food security with biodiversity conservation is urgently needed throughout the world, and the changes evident in the Yangtze River fish populations can serve as an informative global reference. K E Y W O R D Sbiodiversity conservation, China, fishing ban, food security, human impact, inland fishery

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“…As the last survivor of the family Polyodontidae, with the declaration of the Chinese paddlefish Psephurus gladius as extinct (Zhang et al ., 2020), a comparison of the American paddlefish Polyodon spathula to its nearest sturgeon relatives within order Acipenseriformes is the next logical step (Grande and Bemis, 1991). In contrast to shovelnose sturgeon, intersex specimens have not been reported for paddlefish, despite their greatly overlapping geographical ranges, similar reproductive development and many similar life‐history attributes such as potadromy, slow maturation and long lifespan (Russell, 1986; Keenlyne, 1997; Scarnecchia et al ., 2007, 2011; Tripp et al ., 2009).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

First observations of intersex development in paddlefish Polyodon spathula

Schooley¹,

Geik

Scarnecchia

2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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This study reports the first cases of intersex (abnormal development of both male and female reproductive tissues in a gonad) paddlefish Polyodon spathula, an Acipenseriform species of large rivers in the central U.S. and in aquaculture worldwide. Despite a large, multi‐decadal data set in Oklahoma, Montana, and North Dakota, intersex development was not observed until 2019, when two individuals were harvested from the Grand Lake/Neosho River stock in Oklahoma. This suggests that intersex development in mid‐water, zooplanktivorous paddlefish is rarer than in bottom‐dwelling sturgeons for which intersex development is regularly observed. Although contaminants are implicated in causing intersex development in other Acipenseriformes, more investigation is needed.

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Extinction of one of the world's largest freshwater fishes: Lessons for conserving the endangered Yangtze fauna

Cited by 123 publications

References 29 publications

Fort Peck paddlefish population survival and abundance in the Missouri River

Fort Peck paddlefish population survival and abundance in the Missouri River

Rapid change in Yangtze fisheries and its implications for global freshwater ecosystem management

First observations of intersex development in paddlefish Polyodon spathula

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