| 1. Fisheries and Fish Biology |
| 1e. Role of hatcheries in management and conservation |
| Marine stock enhancement has grown substantially over the last two decades, and stock enhancement programs are now in place for more than 60 marine species in over 30 countries. Results of large-scale releases have demonstrated that artificial propagation can provide benefits to fishery production; on the other hand, releases of juveniles in numbers that exceed the carrying capacity can replace wild fish and cause deleterious genetic effects on wild populations. When using artificial propagation for enhancement and conservation of natural populations, potential benefits and risks should carefully be considered. Although some published studies have evaluated the potential of marine stock enhancement programs, very few have tried to answer the question: under what circumstances can hatchery-releases play an effective role in fisheries management and conservation? The objective of this sub-session is to address this question based on empirical examples. The role and effective use of artificial propagation for conservation and enhancement of natural populations will be discussed. |
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