Stocking densities

[rob39]

Hi all

A bit of an off beat question but are there guidelines to the stocking densities fisheries have to abide by for the sake of fish welfare. Read an article once where a fishery stocked 260lb of fish per peg. What does your fishery stock and does it affect catch weights?

[lutra]

Hi all

A bit of an off beat question but are there guidelines to the stocking densities fisheries have to abide by for the sake of fish welfare. Read an article once where a fishery stocked 260lb of fish per peg. What does your fishery stock and does it affect catch weights?

I don't think stocking a water by the number of pegs its got is a very intelligent way of doing it, but it wouldn't surprise me if some did.

[Angly]

I've certainly seen figures quoted (usually per acre I think), but can't remember where. Steve Burke will know I'm sure.

 

Edit: A very quick Google search and I think the Environment Agency recommend a maximum of 400lbs per acre.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Angly

[Steve Walker]

I don't think stocking a water by the number of pegs its got is a very intelligent way of doing it, but it wouldn't surprise me if some did.

 

Looking at this thread, lb/peg seems to be a metric of interest to the people who run and fish "commercials". I think it's indicative of an attitude that reflects very badly on that kind of fishing.

[J.K]

Im surprised they can suggest a lb per acre figure. Wouldnt make more sense to make it Xlb per species per acre and allow for future growth & population explosions ?

 

400lb of tench, bream & silver fish will be different to 400lb of just carp for example.

Edited May 3, 2009 by J.K

[lutra]

Looking at this thread, lb/peg seems to be a metric of interest to the people who run and fish "commercials". I think it's indicative of an attitude that reflects very badly on that kind of fishing.

Like i said Steve, I'm not surprised, but the trouble is i think these kinds of fisheries reflect badly on all of us coarse anglers. Ive enjoyed coarse fishing since i was a young boy but the way some waters are stocked can make it hard for me to defend my own sport.

[Angly]

If you think commercial lake's stocking densities are high, take a look at most peoples aquariums!

[gozzer]

Looking at this thread, lb/peg seems to be a metric of interest to the people who run and fish "commercials". I think it's indicative of an attitude that reflects very badly on that kind of fishing.

 

 

The type of comments that are expressed in that thread, make my blood boil.

 

The activity that goes on at those places might be classed as fishing, but it's certainly not angling.

 

Then some of the dickheads even complain that the mass of fish attracts plenty of predators!

Was it 'Field of Dreams'? "You build it and they will come".

Stocking at these densities is like providing an artificial 'bait ball', for such as otters, mink, cormorants, grebe etc. What do they expect?

 

It's an attitude that reflects badly on angling, not only from an 'outsiders' viewpoint, but from that of any thinking angler as well.

 

John.

[poledark]

I don't really think that "outsiders" care much about stocking levels at all. Most seem to think that the fish are there for (A) to be eaten by Grebes, ( to provide food for Otters. © provide food for voracious monster pike. which also eat stray donkeys and ducks.

 

Further more, most of them seem surprised that there are any fish in most lakes.

 

Having said that, I have to admit to having fished a few grossly overstocked muddy puddles in the past, but also some grossly overcrowded lakes which have never been stocked, but ended up stuffed with hungry fish.

 

Den

[Worms]

Im surprised they can suggest a lb per acre figure. Wouldnt make more sense to make it Xlb per species per acre and allow for future growth & population explosions ?

 

400lb of tench, bream & silver fish will be different to 400lb of just carp for example.

Commonsense would also dictate that aquatic plants, shade plants, marginal plants, invertebrate food availability, water quality, predators etc.... would be included in any calculations.

 

I would also have thought that a volume of water would be of more use than an area when calculating fish numbers. E.g. A one acre pond with an average depth of two feet compared with a one acre pond with an average depth of six feet.

 

All of the above (and more) are used when calculating suitability for native species re-introductions etc...........hmm, say no more!

Edited May 4, 2009 by Worms