9314

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9314
• Author: Wick, E. J. and J. A. Hawkins.
• Title: Colorado Squawfish Winter Habitat Study.
• USFW Year: 1989.
• USFW - Doc Type: Fort Collins.
• Copyright Material: NO

Box 7. Guidelines for preparation of a stocking plan for release of captive
-reared endangered and candidate fishes.
1. Define objectives for stocking fish and relationship between
these objectives and the Recovery Plan.
2. Identify alternative management options that could achieve the same
objectives and discuss why stocking was selected over these options.
3. Provide justification of stock selected for the stocking effort
(i.e., broodstock developed from a wild stock inhabiting the river
reach to be stocked or nearest neighbor).
4. Provide the criteria (e.g., geographic distribution and abundance,
identified spawning sites, migrations, known movement and interchange
between stocks, and data from genetic surveys) used for identification
and characterization of the captive fish stock to be used in the
effort.
5. Describe the status and trends of the target fish stock including
biological, demographic, and environmental data for that specific
stock.
5. Describe the breeding strategy used to maintain genetic diversity in
the captive-reared fish.
7. Describe the stocking location including the available habitat for
each life stage of the fish species.
8. Provide rationale for the size of fish to be stocked and the mark or
tag used to identify stocked fish if recaptured.
9. Provide rationale for the numbers of fish to be stocked.
10. Describe the timing of stocking, including frequency if repeated
stocking is planned.
11. Discuss the likelihood of success as well as genetic risks to the
target stock and risks to other endemic fish species in the
ecosystem.
12. Describe methods for systematic monitoring, evaluation, and reporting
of the stocking effort.
fish from pedigreed family lots at the time of release will provide genetic diversity
that will maximize effective population size and reduce the potential for inbreeding
while enhancing the potential for adaptation and survival after stocking (Allendorf
1993: Kapuscinski et al. 1993). Captive rearing results in a gain in total offspring
but there may be a simultaneous reduction in the effective population size (Ryman and
Laikre 1991). A reduction in effective population size will be accompanied by
excessive loss of genetic heterozygosity. This is especially true if the absolute size
of the wild population is small. Ryman and Laikre (1991) strongly recommend that the
risk of losing genetic variability through captive breeding should be carefully
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