Management of Management of Undesirable Fish SpeciesUndesirable Fish Species
Chapter 15Chapter 15
Undesirable SpeciesUndesirable Species Any species that Any species that
does not meet does not meet human needshuman needs
Undesirable SpeciesUndesirable Species Not contribute to Not contribute to
sport fishery, sport fishery, forage baseforage base
Inhibit Inhibit development, development, maintenance of maintenance of desirable fishdesirable fish
Detrimental to Detrimental to biological balancebiological balance
Undesirable SpeciesUndesirable Species Reservoir for Reservoir for
pathogenic pathogenic organisms organisms (aquaculture)(aquaculture)
Interfere with Interfere with other wildlife other wildlife management management practicespractices
Most Control EffortsMost Control Efforts Herrings (gizzard Herrings (gizzard
shad)shad) Minnows (common Minnows (common
carp)carp) Sunfish Sunfish Suckers Suckers Bullhead catfishesBullhead catfishes
Control MethodsControl Methods ChemicalChemical BiologicalBiological MechanicalMechanical
Chemical ControlChemical Control Usually used for Usually used for
complete removalcomplete removal Also effective for Also effective for
partial removalspartial removals Spawning sitesSpawning sites Lake sectionsLake sections ““Thinning” of Thinning” of
stunted game fish stunted game fish stocksstocks
Ideal ChemicalIdeal Chemical Species-specificSpecies-specific Easy/safe to applyEasy/safe to apply Quickly degrades Quickly degrades
to harmless form to harmless form without need for without need for detoxicantsdetoxicants
Harmless to Harmless to nontarget nontarget organismsorganisms
Ideal ChemicalIdeal Chemical Effective across Effective across
range of water range of water qualityquality
Registered for Registered for aquatic useaquatic use
NO SUCH NO SUCH CHEMICAL!CHEMICAL!
Current Registered Current Registered PiscicidesPiscicides
Rotenone and Rotenone and antimycinantimycin
General fish General fish toxicantstoxicants
Current Registered Current Registered PiscicidesPiscicides
TFM and TFM and BayluscideBayluscide
LampricidesLampricides
LampricidesLampricidesSea lamprey
Larva or ammocoete
LampricidesLampricidesLarva or ammocoete
Granular Bayluscide
Chemical ControlChemical Control Effective time Effective time
period - 1 to 15 period - 1 to 15 years most years most commoncommon
Some up to 30 Some up to 30 yearsyears
Biological ControlBiological Control Predators to Predators to
control forage, control forage, stunted fishstunted fish
Biological ControlBiological Control Problems:Problems:
Gizzard shadGizzard shad Yellow perchYellow perch ““Sunfish”Sunfish” Common carpCommon carp Other minnowsOther minnows
Solutions:Solutions: Largemouth bassLargemouth bass WalleyeWalleye Northern pikeNorthern pike Striped bassStriped bass Striped bass Striped bass
hybridshybrids Muskellunge Muskellunge
Biological ControlBiological Control Controlling Controlling
reproductionreproduction Forage fish Forage fish
introductionsintroductions Unwanted Unwanted
competitive competitive interactionsinteractions
Underexploited Underexploited fishesfishes Encourage new sport, Encourage new sport,
commercial fisheriescommercial fisheries
Mechanical ControlMechanical Control Water level Water level
manipulationsmanipulations Only on reservoirsOnly on reservoirs
Mechanical ControlMechanical Control TrapsTraps BarriersBarriers Commercial fishingCommercial fishing ElectricityElectricity
Labor-intensive - Labor-intensive - CPUE declines CPUE declines with decreasing with decreasing populationspopulations
Problems:Problems: Common carpCommon carp Other minnowsOther minnows SuckersSuckers ““Sunfish”Sunfish” Yellow perchYellow perch