Journal
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND ECOLOGY
Volume 24, Issue 4, Pages 265-273Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/fme.12219
Keywords
aquaculture; behaviour; escapees; mortality; site fidelity; telemetry
Categories
Funding
- European Union's 7th Research Framework Prevent Escape [226885]
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To examine site fidelity and potential for ecosystem impacts, 20 escapee cod (Gadus morhua L.) from fjord-based cod farms were tagged with acoustic transmitters, released in the vicinity of the same farm, and their subsequent behaviour and survival monitored using a fixed array of acoustic receivers. Most individuals demonstrated high fidelity to their farm where tagged, and this increased during the polar night. Only five individuals (25%) were occasionally detected at another farm (4 km distance), and only three cod (15%) migrated out of the fjord during the 6-month study period. Vertical movements were consistently greater in the hours around noon than at night, a behaviour inconsistent with that observed for wild fish. A high mortality rate (40%) was observed during the first 4 months post-release, and actual mortality may have been even higher, limiting the potential for negative ecosystem effects from cod escapees. Findings from this study are used to discuss the development of recapture strategies for minimising potential impacts from cod escapees to ensure sustainable farming activity.
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