Causes and Controls of Freshwater Drum Mortality during Transportation

Abstract
The freshwater drum A. grunniens is an abundant and underutilized species in Lake Erie [USA]. Transportation of live fish from commercial shore seines to pay-fishing lakes causes high immediate and delayed mortality during warm summer months. Freshwater drums transported 6 h had 4% immediate mortality and 94% delayed mortality (over 1-2 wk). Salt (5 g/l NaCl), low hauled-fish densities (60 g fish/l water) and late-summer transport significantly (P < 0.05) reduced delayed mortality. Fish tagged after transportation had a significantly higher delayed mortality than those not tagged. Capture stress in seines was a more important cause of delayed mortality than transportation or stocking in ponds.

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