Successful mechanical eradication of spotted bass (<scp><i>Micropterus punctulatus</i></scp> (Rafinesque, 1819)) from a South African river

Walt, Johannes A. van der; Marr, Sean M.; Wheeler, Marius; Impson, N. Dean; Garrow, Craig; Weyl, Olaf L. F.

doi:10.1002/aqc.3035

Cited by 18 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…We cannot definitively demonstrate successful eradication given that we do not have estimates of gear efficiency and capture probability for all sampling methods utilized, but we were able to suppress nonnative fish to the point where they were not detected during several years of successive surveys. Our data demonstrated that Channel Catfish and Green Sunfish were suppressed to levels of extreme rarity and may be eradicated given that these species have not been captured for at least three consecutive years, which has been the benchmark for eradication in similar studies (Taylor and Pacas 2015; van der Walt 2019). Ultimately, continued monitoring will reveal whether eradication has been achieved and will help to detect any new introductions or invasions of nonnative fishes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Successful Restoration of a Native Fish Assemblage in the Blue River, Arizona

Hickerson

Grube

Mosher

et al. 2021

N American J Fish Manag

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Translocation is one of the most commonly proposed management actions for securing and recovering native fish species. However, the success of native fish translocations has varied widely due to several limiting factors, including the presence of nonnative fishes. The Blue River Native Fish Restoration Project involved construction of a fish passage barrier, removal of nonnative fish, translocation of three native fish species (Spikedace Meda fulgida, Loach Minnow Rhinichthys cobitis, and Roundtail Chub Gila robusta), and monitoring to determine the success of these actions. After construction of a physical fish passage barrier, the three focal species were stocked several times upstream of the barrier. Nonnative fish were removed annually using multiple gear types, including spearfishing, backpack electrofishing, and trapping. Monitoring data demonstrated a significant shift in the fish assemblage from one with a substantial component of nonnative fishes to one that was exclusively native fishes. Persistence, reproduction, increased abundance, and dispersal were documented for all three focal species within the study area, meeting criteria for establishment success. All nonnative fishes, including the primary targets of removal efforts—Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus and Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus—were successfully suppressed, if not eradicated entirely, during the study period. Our results illustrate the importance of long‐term monitoring to track and successfully achieve native fish recovery goals. In addition, our results demonstrate that nonnative fish can be mechanically removed from warmwater streams if initial abundance is low, distribution is restricted, and fish passage barriers are in place. Results from this study may be informative for managers hoping to improve the conservation status of warmwater stream fishes through creation of a fish passage barrier, nonnative species removal, and native fish translocation efforts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Successful Restoration of a Native Fish Assemblage in the Blue River, Arizona

Hickerson

Grube

Mosher

et al. 2021

N American J Fish Manag

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“…One study has been undertaken in Asia, where pheromone traps were used to capture invasive largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) as they moved into spawning areas in a Japanese lake (Fujimoto et al, 2020). A single study was found in Africa, which used a purpose-built rock gabion to exclude spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) from the headwaters of a stream in South Africa ( Van der Walt et al, 2019).…”

Section: Global Research Effortmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following the success of the Rondegat River rehabilitation, a smaller-scale operation was undertaken in the nearby Thee River, where a new rock gabion weir was constructed to exclude spotted bass, and manual removal techniques deployed to remove the bass upstream of the weir. This project experienced several setbacks and reinvasions, but after 3 years of non-detection of bass and the recolonisation of the managed reach by native cyprinids and galaxiids, the eradication was declared a success (Van der Walt et al, 2019).…”

Section: Africa: Controlling Invasive Fish Using Barrier Enhancement and Piscicidementioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Barriers to Limit the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Animal Species: A Global Review

et al. 2021

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Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are one of the principal threats to freshwater biodiversity. Exclusion barriers are increasingly being used as a management strategy to control the spread of AIS. However, exclusion barriers can also impact native organisms and their effectiveness is likely to be context dependent. We conducted a quantitative literature review to evaluate the use of barriers to control animal AIS in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. The quantitative aspect of the review was supplemented by case studies that describe some of the challenges, successes, and opportunities for the use of the use of AIS exclusion barriers globally. Barriers have been used since the 1950s to control the spread of AIS, but effort has been increasing since 2005 (80% of studies) and an increasingly diverse range of AIS taxa are now targeted in a wide range of habitat types. The global use of AIS barriers has been concentrated in North America (74% of studies), Australasia (11%), and Europe (10%). Physical barriers (e.g., weirs, exclusion screens, and velocity barriers) have been most widely used (47%), followed by electric (27%) and chemical barriers (12%). Fish were the most targeted taxa (86%), followed by crustaceans (10%), molluscs (3%) and amphibians (1%). Most studies have been moderately successful in limiting the passage of AIS, with 86% of the barriers tested deterring >70% of individuals. However, only 25% of studies evaluated barrier impacts on native species, and development of selective passage is still in its infancy. Most studies have been too short (47% < 1 year, 87% < 5 years) to detect ecological impacts or have failed to use robust before-after-control-impact (BACI) study designs (only 5%). Hence, more effective monitoring is required to assess the long-term effectiveness of exclusion barriers as an AIS management tool. Our global case studies highlight the pressing need for AIS control in many ecoregions, and exclusion barriers have the potential to become an effective tool in some situations. However, the design and operation of exclusion barriers must be refined to deliver selective passage of native fauna, and exclusion barriers should only be used sparingly as part of a wider integrated management strategy.

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“…The impacts of invasive alien fishes (Ellender & Weyl, 2014) are a major contributor to the global freshwater biodiversity crisis (Darwall et al, 2018). As a result, attempts to rehabilitate aquatic ecosystems through eradication of alien fishes are becoming common management interventions (Britton et al, 2010;Shelton et al, 2018;van der Walt et al, 2019;Weyl et al, 2014). Of the available methods, piscicides are the most effective at achieving fish eradications (see Rytwinski et al, 2019) but are also the most controversial as the collateral impacts on non-target taxa have not been extensively F I G U R E 7 (a) Zooplankton densities (individuals L −1 ) and (b) chlorophyll-a concentration (mg L −1 ) recorded in the untreated (Driefontein) and treated (Kranskloof) reservoirs during the pre and post-treatment phases.…”

Section: Conservation and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

Dalu

Bellingan

Gouws³

et al. 2020

Aquatic Conservation

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The control of invasive alien fish populations using piscicides to alleviate impacts on native biota is a controversial conservation strategy because the collateral impacts on non‐target taxa are not well documented. This article documents the responses of water quality, plankton and macroinvertebrate communities to an eradication of the globally invasive common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus 1758, using the piscicide rotenone in a small South African reservoir. Treated and untreated reservoirs were sampled before and at intervals following rotenone treatment. Sampling endpoints included water quality parameters, plankton, macroinvertebrates and fish. These endpoints were selected to gain an understanding of the ecological impacts of the treatment at various biological levels and to document possible recovery following treatment. The study showed that: (i) the common carp were successfully removed; (ii) water clarity improved following the removal of fish; (iii) invertebrate communities, including macroinvertebrates and large zooplankton, recovered within 6 months of treatment; and (iv) that small zooplankton (i.e. Rotifera) dynamics were complex but rotifer abundances had returned to pre‐treatment levels within 6 months of treatment. There was a 56% similarity between the macroinvertebrate assemblages before and 6 months after treatment, showing a substantial turnover in taxa following treatment. The phytoplankton community of the treated reservoir was dominated by blue‐green and green algae prior to the treatment. The blue‐green algal communities were not present 6 months after the treatment, possibly indicating a change in the nutrient status of the reservoir resulting from lower nutrient concentrations in the water column. The phytoplankton community of the reservoir changed from a community typical of eutrophic waters to a community typical of a lower nutrient state. Within each group, there were species changes, but we suggest these are likely to be part of the altered biological interaction dynamics resulting from fish removals, rather than a direct effect of rotenone.

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Successful mechanical eradication of spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus (Rafinesque, 1819)) from a South African river

Cited by 18 publications

References 30 publications

Successful Restoration of a Native Fish Assemblage in the Blue River, Arizona

Successful Restoration of a Native Fish Assemblage in the Blue River, Arizona

The Use of Barriers to Limit the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Animal Species: A Global Review

Ecosystem responses to the eradication of common carp Cyprinus carpio using rotenone from a reservoir in South Africa

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