Efficiency of a new artificial canal for safer release of sturgeon fry into the Caspian Sea through Bujagh Wetland, Northwestern Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

International Sturgeon Research Institute, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rasht, Iran, PO Box: 41635-3464

10.22124/cjes.2024.8017

Abstract

Numerous juvenile sturgeons are released into the Caspian Sea every year mainly through the Sefid-Rud River. This river has experienced various crises in the last decade including water drought, fishing, pollution, and especially the proliferation of hydraulic structures and lack of secured effective artificial canal for juvenile sturgeon release into the Caspian Sea. To challenge the problem of decreasing trends in sturgeon stocks of the Caspian Sea, a study was conducted to select and adapt a suitable, safe, and enemy-free artificial canal to safely release sturgeon juveniles to the Caspian Sea with the highest possible survival ratio. Therefore, the Kiashahr Waterway located in Bujagh Wetland, Southwest Caspian Sea was selected and investigated thoroughly as an alternative to the Sefid-Rud River. Water quality and quantity as well as sediment type were analyzed before and during the introduction of juveniles to the Kiashahr Waterway. Sturgeon juvenile release was conducted in June and July 2019 and 2020. The physical parameters of water, i.e., temperature, pH, transparency and chemical parameters including dissolved oxygen (2.41 ± 7.17 mg L-1), and orthophosphate (0.10 ± 0.27 mg L-1), nitrate (0.14 ± 1.37 mg L-1), nitrite (0.02 ± 0.03 mg L-1), ammonium (0.05 ± 0.43 mg L-1) and COD (50.2 ± 120 mg L-1) were determined. A huge pen was installed in the waterway and sturgeon fry were stocked in this pen for adaptation. Following days of adaption, some 192000 sturgeon juveniles were transported in floating cages and along the waterway to the estuary and released into the Caspian Sea safely in a very healthy shape and activity in 2019 and 2020. The survival rate of the released juveniles was monitored using a cast net (mesh size 0.7 cm) for several hours at the estuary (mesh = 0.7cm). No mortality was observed. All juveniles (100%) were transported in 12 portions, and released into the sea, and disappeared in its open waters. We suggest investigating other migration paths for the safer release of the precious sturgeon juveniles in the future to enhance the stocks in the Caspian Sea.

Keywords

References

Billard, R & Lecointre, G 2000, Biology and conservation of sturgeon and paddlefish, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 10: 355-392.
Chang, J & Cao, W 1999, History and prospect of conservation on Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River, Acta Hydrobiologica Sinca, 23: 712-720 (In Chinese).
Chebanov, MS & Galich, EV 2013, Sturgeon hatchery manual. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Ankara, No. 558, p. 338.
Cocherell, DE, Kawabata, A, Kratville, DW, Cocherell, SA, Kaufman, RC, Anderson, EK, Chen, ZQ, Bandeh, H, Rotondo, MM, Padilla, R, Churchwell, R, Kavvas, ML & CechJr, JJ  2011, Passage performance and physiological stress response of adult White sturgeon ascending a laboratory fishway, Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 27: 327-334.
Fadaei, B, Bahmani, M, Parandavar, H, Yakhu, MR, Imanpour, J & Jooshideh, H 1998, The study of released sturgeon fry from the beginning of release to entering the sea in 1998. International Research Institute of Caspian Sea, p. 166.
Gholizadeh, M & Heydari, O 2020, surface water quality indicators in Gonbad Kavous. Iranian Journal of Health and Environment, 13: 33-48.
Griffioen, AB & Winter, HV 2017, Fish migration river monitoring plan monitoring program on the effectiveness of the FMR at Kornwerderzand. Wageningen Marine Research, Report C012, 17C, p. 50.
Holcik, J 1989, Freshwater fishes of Europe (Vol. I, part II), General introduction to fishes and Acipenseriformes. Wiesbaden, Aula Verlag, 469 p.
Hu, J, Zhang, Z, Wei, Q, Zhen, H, Zhao, Y, Peng, H, Wan, Y, Giesy, JP, Li, L & Zhang, B 2009, Malformations of the endangered Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis, and its causal agent. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), USA, 106: 9339–9344.
Ingram, EC & Peterson, DL 2018, Seasonal movements of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in the Altamaha River, Georgia, John Wiley & Sons, 1-10, Ltd, DOI: 10.1002/rra.3322.
Jager, HI, Parsley, MJ, Cech, JJ, McLaughlin, RL, Forsythe, PS, Elliott, RF& Prachell, BM 2016, Reconnecting fragmented sturgeon populations in North American rivers. Fisheries, 41: 141-148.
Katopodis, C 2005, Developing a tool kit for fish passage, ecological flow management, and fish habitat works. Journal of Hydraulic Research (JHR), 43: 451-467.
Katopodis, C & Williams, JG 2012, The development of fish passage research in a historical context. Ecological Engineering, 48: 8-18.
Katopodis, C & Williams, JG 2016, Not all fishways are created equal. Paper 26152. In: JA, Webb, JF, Costelloe, Casas-Mulet, R, Lyon, JP, Stewardson, MJ (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, 7-12 February 2016 ISBN: 978 0 7340 5339 8.
Lucas, MC & Baras, E 2001, Migration of freshwater fishes, Blackwell Science Ltd, 440 p.
Lu, Cai & Johnson, D 2019, Sturgeon survival: The role of swimming performance and fish passage Research, Christos Katopodis. Fisheries Research, 212: 162-171.
Nagpal, NK, Pommen, LW & Swain, LG 1995, Approved and working criteria for water quality. Water Quality Branch, Environmental Protection Department. British Columbia Ministry of the Environment. Victoria, British Columbia,  45 p.
Ronyai, A & peteri, A 1990, Comparison of the growth of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) and its hybrid with Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus, Acipenser baeri) in recirculation system. Aquaculture Hungrica (Szarwas), 5: 185-192.
Silva, AT, Lucas, MC, Castro-Santos, T, Katopodis, C, Baumgartner, LJ, Thiem, JD, Aarestrup, K, Pompeu, PS, O’Brien, GC, Braun, DC, Burnett, NJ, Zhu, DZ, Fjeldstad, H, Forseth, T, Rajaratnam, N, Williams, JG & Cooke, SJ 2018, The future of fish passage science, engineering, and practice. Fish Fisheries, 19: 340-362.
Thiem, JD, Binder, TE, Dawson, JW, Dumont, P, Hatin, D, Katopodis, C & Cooke, SJ 2011, Behaviour and passage success of upriver-migrating lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in a vertical slot fishway on the Richelieu River, Quebec, Canada. Endangered Species Research, 15: 1-11.
Turvey, ST, Barrett, LA, Hao, Y, Zhang, L, Zhang, X, Wang, X, Huang, Y, Zhou, K, Hart, T & Wang, D 2010, Rapidly shifting baselines in Yangtze fishing communities and local memory of extinct species. Conservation Biology, 24: 778-787.
Wang, Y, Crawford, MA, Chen, J, Li, J, Ghebremeskel, K & Campbell TC 2003, Fish consumption, blood docosahexaenoic acid and chronic diseases in Chinese rural populations, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A, 136: 127-140.
Wei, Q 2003, Reproductive behavioral ecology of Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray) with its stock assessment. Institute of Hydrobiology-Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 121 p.  (In Chinese)
Welcomme, RL & Cowx, IG 1998, Rehabilitation of rivers for fish, FAO and Fishing News Books, Wiley–Blackwell, 304 p.
Winter, HV, Griffioen, AB & Keeken, OAV 2014, De Vismigratierivier: Bronnenonderzoek naar gedrag van vis rond zoet - zout overgangen [The Fish Migration River: Source research into fish behavior around fresh-salt transitions]. IMARES (Institute for Marine Resources & Ecosystem Studies), Ijmuiden. 127 p.
 
 
Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 18 September 2024

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics