2009-2010 Annual Report - Alabama Department of Conservation ...

Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division
Fisheries Section
The Fisheries Section,
with assistance from other
sections of the Alabama
Wildlife and Freshwater
Fisheries Division, conducted
63 community fishing events
reaching 15,629 participants,
plus their families
and volunteers.
Fisheries Section
A total of 129,204
anglers fished in state
lakes, and a total of
224,515 fish weighing
169,196 pounds were
harvested. Each angler
averaged 2.6 fish and
1.3 pounds of per
angler trip.
n Other work included installation of directional and logo signs,
litter removal, repairing parking lots, repairing piers and access
area ground maintenance.
Fish Hatcheries:
n Due to the discontinuance of the Farm Pond Stocking Program,
which ended in FY 2008-09, fish production efforts at the
Carbon Hill, Eastaboga and Marion State fish hatcheries
underwent a change in FY 2009-10. The elimination of the
Farm Pond Program did not have a significant impact on the
production of fish during the April-June spring culture season
but there was a major shift in fish production goals during the
July-September summer culture season. Much of the hatchery
pond space that had in previous years been devoted to the
production of bluegill and redear sunfish to support the Farm
Pond Program and which also produced large numbers of fish
for public water stockings was shifted to the production of
larger, advanced largemouth bass fingerlings and the forage
species necessary to feed them. The advanced largemouth
bass, of both Florida strain and Mobile-Tensaw Delta strain,
were produced to provide fish for experimental stockings in
Demopolis Lake and selected locations in the Mobile-Tensaw
Delta. As a result of this change in fish production strategies
there was a considerable reduction in the total number of fish
produced and stocked in public waters as compared to previous
years.
n A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between
ADCNR, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries
and Parks (MDWFP) and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
for cooperation in efforts to restore native southern walleye
populations within the Mobile River Basin. Adult broodfish were
exchanged between hatcheries of the three agencies and 8,000
southern walleye fingerlings were obtained from MDWFP for
stocking in White Plains Lake in Calhoun County. The purpose
of this stocking was to begin the establishment of a “captive”
population of brood stock for future propagation purposes.
n Other fish species were also stocked into public waters
statewide through the Fisheries Section’s program, which
include public fishing lakes. This totaled 2,252,427 fish. This
information is provided in Table 1 on Page _##_.
Presentations:
n Fisheries Section biologists attended public meetings and
workshops on fisheries resource topics around the State,
and they made 509 presentations on various fisheries topics
including displays at boat shows and fairs.
Publications:
n The Fisheries Section had three fisheries articles published in the
Department’s Outdoor Alabama magazine: “Creek Kids,” “Raising
Smallmouths,” and “Bright Future for Coffee County Lake.”
n Two articles were written for Alabama Wildlife Federation’s
magazine. One article was on the catfish length limit, and the
other was about apple snail infestation.
n One peer reviewed scientific manuscript was published this year
in The American Malacological Bulletin.
n Work on an additional manuscript is ongoing as well as work on
a book chapter on Alabama rivers and streams.
n Two peer reviews were undertaken for articles in The
Southeastern Naturalist and the Journal of the Texas Academy of
Science.
n The website continued to grow and includes 3,000 pages of
information and links about the aquatic environment.
Research:
n Through the Investigation and Management Techniques for
Public Waters Project (F-40), there were four new contractual
studies that were initiated this year, all with the Auburn
University Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures.
These studies involved research on: the sport fish population
dynamics of the regulated flow portion of the Tallapoosa River
between R. L. Harris Dam and Lake Martin; the role of introduced
yellow perch with regard to native fish populations in Lake
Martin and Lake Yates; the economic value of striped bass
fishing on Lewis Smith Lake; and adult striped bass habitat use
in Lake Martin.
n Two final reports for field studies completed by Auburn
University researchers during FY 2009 were accepted in FY
2010. F-40 Study No. 57 was a four-year study of the largemouth
bass population of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta that investigated
bass population characteristics, genetics, forage utilization,
and habitat factors. F-40 Study No. 59 was a three-year study
to determine the extent of population interactions between
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ALDCNR 09-10 Annual Report