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Coarse Fish Migration Occurrence, Causes and Implications Research and Development Technical Report WI52 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY All pulps used in production of this paper is sourced from sustainable managed forests and are elemental chlorine free and wood free Coarse Fish Migration Occurrence, Causes and: Implications: Technical Report W 152.. MC Lucas (1): T J Thorn (l), A Duncan (2), 0 Slavik (3) (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Durham (2) Royal Holloway. Institute of Environmental Research, University-of London (3) Water Research Institute, Prague Research Contractor:. University of Durham Further copies of thii report are available from: Environment Agency R&D Dissemination Centre, c/o WRc, Frankland Road, Swindon, Wilts SN5 SYF ? WC tel: 01793-865000 fax: 01793-514562 e-mail: [email protected] Publishing Organisation: Environment Agency Rio House Waterside Drive Aztec West Almondsbury Bristol BS32 4UD Tel: 01454 624400 Fax: 01454 624409 ISBNNW-06/98-65-B-BCOA 0 Environment Agency 1998 All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,. photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the Environment Agency. The views expressed in this document are not necessarily those of the Environment Agency. Its officers, servant or agents accept no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage arising from the interpretation or use of the information, or reliance upon views contained herein. Dissemination status Internal: Released to Regions External: Released to the Public Domain Statement of use This report summarises the findings of aliterature reveiw of the occurrence, causes and implications of coarse fish migration in UK rivers. The information within this document is for use by EA staff and others involved in the management of fish stocks in rivers and those involved in habitat modification works which may have an impact on the free movement of coarse fish. Research contractor This document was produced under R&D Project W2-005 by: MC Lucas Department of Biological Sciences University of Durham South Road Durham DHl3LE Tel: 0191374 2000 Fax: 0191374 2417 Environment Agency Project Leader The Environment Agency’s Project Leader for R&D Project WZ-005 was: h&ran Aprahamian Environment Agency, North West Region Amendments Any corrections or proposed amendments to this manual should be made through the regional Agency representative on the Water Resources National Abstraction Licensing Group. R&D Technical Report’ W 152 CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 2. INTRODUCTION 2 3. METHODS 4 4. INCIDENCE-AND CAUSES OF MIGRATORY. BEHAVIOUR IN COARSE FISH .. 5 4.1 Introduction .:: 5. 4.2 Defining Migration. 6 4.3 Spawning migration . 12 4.4 Young of the year movements 27. 4.5 Feeding migration 32. 4.6 Post-displacement movements 38 4.7 Refuge seeking 41.. 5. THE CAPACITY AND STIMULUS TO MIGRATE 46. 5.1 The capacity to migrate: 46:’ 5.2 The stimulus to migrate ‘. 46.. 5.3 Internal factors 48. 5.4 External factors 51 6. METHODS FOR STUDYING COARSE FISH -MIGRATION 62 6.1 General Introduction 62.’ 6.2 Telemetric methods 63 6.3 Non-telemetric methods 80 7. IMPLICATIONS OF COARSE FISH MIGRATION 90. 7.1 Tntroduction- 90 1. 7.2 Ecosystem function go., : 7.3 Stock assessment, go-.: : R&D Technical Report W152 7.4 Socio-economic effects 91 7.5 Genetic factors 91 7.6 Water quality 92 7.7 The impact of water management structures 93 7.8 Ameliorating the effects of physical barriers to fish migration 99 8. CONCLUSIONS 9. FUTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS 109 9.1 Basic research 109 9.2 Influences of environmental factors on coarse fish migration 109 9.3 Fish migration past barriers 111 10. REFERENCES 114 APPENDIX I Summary tables of the extent of knowledge of coarse fish.migration 148 for species occurring in Britain. 1 Lampreys 149 2 Eels-- 150 3 Pike 151 4 Grayling 152 5 Barbel 153 6 Chub 154 7 Common bream 155 8 Date 156 9 Roach 157 10 Other cyprinids 158 11 Stone loach 159 12 Spined loach 159 13 Wels 159 14 Sticklebacks 159 15 Bullhead 160 16 Perch 160 17 Zander 160 18 Ruffe 160 19 Mullets 160 20 Sea bass 160 21 Flatfish 161 R&D Technical Report W152 1. EXECUTIVE SURifMARY A literature review was undertaken, to consider:existing~knowledge concerning the occurrence, causes and implications of migration by coarse fish (non-salmonid freshwater fish). occurring in England and Wales.. The review concentrated on riverine m&ratio% defined in its broadest sense, and considered information from:outside. the.UK where relevant. A critique, of methods appropriate to the. study pf coarse fish migration was also carried out.. Literature published, up ‘. to April 1998 .was covered, resulting-in the examination of over 2000 articles of which nearly 450 are cited in this review. Additionally, information from continental Europe was obtained throughvisits to the-Water Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic, and the Laboratory of Fish Demography and Aquaculture, University of Liege, Belgium.. Although the--occurrence of migration by coarse fish is now generally accepted, detailed published-tiormation is limited. :-Five main movement patterns were defined: pre-. and post- spawning- migration,-. young-of-the-year movement, feeding. migration, refuge migration, and post-displacement movements. Spawning migrations’ are often the most extensive and-.most widely reported migration type, for many British freshwater species including several cyprinids (mainly rheophiles such as barbel Barbus barbus, chub Leuciscus cephalus and date Leuciscus leuciscus, but also some lirnnophiles such as roach Rutilus rutilus and bream Abramis brama). The effects of stimuli on patterns of movement are discussed, particularly physical. environmental factors such as river discharge, water temperature and light levels. Although. these factors are shown to be important for stimulating and influencing.migration-they have not been well studied or their effects quantitatively defined. Several implications of coarse fish migration are-identified.. .In particular, the effects of barriers to. migration are considered. A Model. for the Assessment of Barriers to FISH migration. (MABFISH) is proposed, which seeks to prioritise -the circumstances under which fish passes might be,installed to most effectively aid freshwater fish migration. Radio-tracking, hydroacoustics and automated Passive Induced Transponder (PIT):tag systems are identified as the.,most effective methodologies available for identifying ‘the nature and--. extent of coarse fish migration, the influence of environmental. factors such. as flow ,,on migration,- and for measuring the effects of barriers on fish migration. These techniques are complementary for studying the range of river habitats over which fish migration occurs, -and for appropriate data acquisition, and would.be most beneficially used in an integrated fashion. Further information quantifying coarse. fish :migration in lowland’ rivers is needed, and in particular, an understanding of its relationship with- environmental factors, and the influence of barriers, in order to improve effective fsheries management. We have provided individual species summary tables of all information concerning migration within an Appendix to this report. Keywords: : Literature review, coarse fish,.. migration, spawning, feeding, .refuge, flow, temperature, telemetry, tracking, hydroacoustics, .barr&, weirs, impoundments, fish pas. R&D Technical Report W152 : 2. INTRODUCTION Coarse fsl& especially cyprinids, are often the -major component of fish. communities of the middle’ and lower reaches of temperate, lowland rivers.. These river systems are increasingly subject to impoundment and weir construction (Welcomme, 1994). The ecological importance of longitudinal and literal connectivity of river systems is increasingly being realised and efforts to maintain and reintroduce, these characteristics are now regarded as -important. Some riverine cyprinids are recognised as~being mi~atory(Smith, 1991) but in the UK the-posslible. importance of migration and -other movements in the- life-cycle of coarse fish species. has. received inadequate attention. O’Hara (1986) argued- that such information .was urgently needed in order to develop sound fishties management practice. However, the impetus for such work only really increased. in the: last few years. In recognition of this need the. Environment Agency, in April J997, began a -project to review the -extent of our knowledge concerning the migration. of coarse fsh in its broadest sense. This report. is the result of that review process. The overall aim of this review is to .determine :.the .extent of knowledge of ‘coarse’ fish migration, its purposes and triggers and its implications for river management. Within -this overall aim three specific -objectives were identified: (i) To determine by literature review and through interviews with key Environment. Agency staff and’other individuals, the extent of known and suspected migration tin :. ‘coarse! fish,~~taking account of relevant information on differences between. species, distances travelled, swimmin g speeds, timing, purposes and triggers. (ii) To determine, from the review process, the purposes and triggers of natural migratory patterns in coarse fishes. (iii) ,A critique. of methods used for studying -‘coarse’ fish migration (e.g. radio-tagging, PIT tagging, acoustic surveys). ‘i (iv) .. To predict -the binfl uences and implications of