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Fisheries of the York River System Amanda Hewitt, Julia Ellis, and Mary C

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Fisheries of the York River System Amanda Hewitt, Julia Ellis, and Mary C Fisheries of the York River System Amanda Hewitt, Julia Ellis, and Mary C. Fabrizio Virginia Institute of Marine Science Gloucester Point, VA 23061 U.S.A. ABSTRACT The York River system supports a diverse fish fauna represented by members of the shad and herring family, drums, flatfishes, temperate basses, catfishes, sharks, skates, rays, and numerous smaller fishes that serve as forage such as bay anchovy, Atlantic menhaden, and killifish. Historically, fisheries for blue crabs, American shad, striped bass, and Atlantic sturgeon thrived in the Chesapeake Bay region but in recent times, and with the exception of striped bass, these fisheries have declined. Fishes of the York River exhibit divergent life history patterns, from fast growing, highly fecund species such as alewife, to slow growing, late- maturing species with low fecundity such as Atlantic sturgeon. The young of many species use the York River system as a nursery area and depend on the high productivity of this estuary for conferring fast growth and high survival during the first year of life. Habitat alterations that result in loss of water quality or quantity may deleteriously affect recruitment of young fishes through direct effects on young-of-the-year fish survival, or through disruption of spawning activity (e.g., dam construction, and water withdrawals that affect salinity and flow). Continued monitoring of recruitment success is crucial to understanding population- level responses to environmental and human-induced perturbations, especially in light of the projected growth of the human population in this watershed. Other important areas of continued research include assessment of habitat use and delineation of trophic interactions. INTRODUCTION FISH GROUPS COMMON TO THE YORK RIVER SYSTEM The York River system is home to a diversity of fish species, some are year-round residents and others use the river during a particular season or life stage. Year-round residents, such Shads and Herrings as hogchoker and gizzard shad, move within areas of the river to make short spawning migrations or to find optimal water The York River is home to several species in the shad and temperatures. Anadromous fish, such as American shad and herring family (Clupeidae). Many of these species are anad- striped bass, enter the York River system to spawn in spring, romous, migrating into the York River and its tributaries to and the larval and juvenile stages use the shorelines of the spawn in the freshwater reaches each spring. Several mem- fresh and brackish waters of the system as nursery grounds. bers of this family are important to commercial, recreational, Summer visitors to the York River (e.g., Atlantic croaker, spot, and subsistence fishers. and weakfish) use the estuary as a nursery for juveniles and as American shad, Alosa sapidissima, have been harvested in foraging grounds for adults. Virginia for their meat and roe for centuries. Native Americans The Chesapeake Bay, positioned at the intersection of bo- caught shad with seines made from bushes, as well as spears real and tropical regimes, serves as temporary and permanent (ASMFC, 2007); European colonials also discovered and har- habitat to a diversity of fish species. The York River’s location vested this resource. Modern gears used to capture shad include near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay allows for a number of pound nets, haul seines, fyke nets, staked gill nets, drift gill nets, marine species to use the system, in addition to the freshwater and hook and line. Gill nets (Figure 1) are the preferred gear inhabitants found upstream. The VIMS Juvenile Fish Survey and have historically yielded the highest catches of American has been assessing fish populations in the York River since shad (NICHOLS and MASSMAN, 1963). Because of the magnitude 1955, and has observed more than 130 fish species in the York of the harvest, the shad stock has plummeted since its colonial River. These species include top predators such as sharks, as heyday. Catches in 1897 were 11.5 million pounds compared well as plankton feeders such as bay anchovies. The following with less than 1 million pounds in 1982 (ASMFC, 1999). To halt sections describe many important fishes of the York River sys- further declines of the American shad population in Virginia, tem and includes a description of the blue crab and its fishery a fishing moratorium on recreational and commercial harvest because of the historical importance of this invertebrate fish- of American shad in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries was ery to Chesapeake Bay. imposed in 1994. During the same year, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) initiated a hatchery-re- stocking effort in the James and Pamunkey rivers using shad 95 Hickory shad, Alosa mediocris, also spawn in freshwater during the spring. Adults return to the ocean in mid-sum- mer after spawning, whereas juveniles move downstream into brackish or salt water and may remain there until au- tumn when they migrate offshore. Hickory shad are repeat spawners, with a smaller autumn spawning run. They eat crustaceans, fish eggs, squids, and small fishes (MURDY et al., 1997). Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus; Figure 2B) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) sometimes school together, and are thus collectively known as “river herring.” Like American and hickory shad, these herrings spawn in spring in the freshwater reaches of the York River system. Alewives spawn in shallow, sluggish waters in late March and April, whereas blueback herring spawn in swifter waters later in the spring (April and Figure 1. Gill net commonly used to catch shad and other fishes in the York River. (Figure courtesy of Michigan Sea Grant. http://www. May); adults move offshore after spawning. Juveniles of both miseagrant.umich.edu/nets/largegill.html) species migrate from fresh or brackish waters to the ocean in early fall. Some remain in bay waters over winter. These her- rings prey on planktonic organisms, such as diatoms, cope- broodstock taken from the Pamunkey River (OLNEY et al., 2003). pods, ostracods, shrimps, amphipods, as well as insects, small Current fish stocking efforts are conducted by VDGIF/USFWS fishes, squids, and fish eggs (MURDY et al.,1997). and the Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribal governments. The Pa- Historically, river herring, like shad, were targeted by both munkey and Mattaponi tribes, who have retained their rights river and ocean fisheries. Coastwide commercial landings to harvest this resource, stock 3-6 million fry to their respective of river herring decreased from the early 1970s to the 1990s rivers each year. This stocking of shad supplements the million (KLAUDA et al., 1991, ASMFC, 1999). Historically, Virginia (or more) shad fry stocked in the Pamunkey River by the VD- landings accounted for a large portion of total Chesapeake GIF (T. GUntER, pers. comm.) The coastal fishery for American Bay landings (KLAUDA et al., 1991). River herring are sought shad has been closed in Virginia waters since 2004 (ASMFC). by recreational netters who practice “dipping”—holding a Current research efforts in the York River system seek large net on the bottom and lifting it sporadically—during the to monitor abundance of both adult and juvenile American spawning runs. Juvenile abundance of these two species in shad. VIMS has conducted staked gillnet monitoring of adult the York River system has been generally low since the 1990s. American shad each spring (during the spawning season) Juvenile alewives are less abundant than juvenile blueback since 1998. Formerly, juvenile abundance was monitored us- herring in both the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers (VIMS ing push-nets (1979-1986, 1991-2002), but now such data are JUVENILE STRIPED BASS SEINE SURVEY). collected from the VIMS Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey Gizzard or mud shad, Dorosoma cepedianum, do not un- (WILHITE et al., 2003). Results from these surveys show that dergo extensive spawning migrations. Gizzard shad inhabit- the York River system has the highest index of abundance for ing the brackish waters of the estuary move to fresh water to juvenile shad compared with the James and Rappahannock spawn in late spring or early summer. In fall and winter, they rivers, thus highlighting the importance of the York River’s live closer to the mouth of the river. As their name suggests, shad runs to the Virginia Chesapeake Bay stock. these fish are found in soft bottom habitats, as well as near Adult American shad enter the York River in the spring sand, gravel and vegetation in fresh and brackish water. Giz- to spawn in the fresh waters of the tributaries. Most of these zard shad eat algae, crustaceans, and other organisms found spawners return to their natal stream, spend approximately on the bottom (MURDY et al., 1997). 30 days in the area (AUNINS, 2005, OLNEY et al., 2006), then Atlantic menhaden, or bunker (Brevoortia tyrannus), first migrate to waters off the Gulf of Maine where they are found enter the York River system as larvae in November and early in summer and fall. Eggs have been collected between Mat- spring. Young fish move to brackish and fresh waters in May taponi River km 81 and 124 and Pamunkey River km 98 and and June. In fall, the young of the year leave the bay and 150 (upstream of Sweet Hall Marsh). American shad larvae move to deeper waters. Some juveniles (Figure 2C) overwin- have been collected at the Sweet Hall Marsh area and upriver ter in the bay. Spawning occurs in shelf waters in spring and (BILKOVIC et al., 2002). The young of the year reside in fresh or fall. Atlantic menhaden swim in schools and feed on phyto- brackish waters until fall when they leave the rivers. Most juve- plankton and zooplankton (MURDY et al., 1997).
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