SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT PLAN FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY SPSD II SPSD II SPSD II (2000-2005) IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION OF ANTHROPOGENIC INTERENTIONS ON FISH POPULATIONS (FISHGUARD) R. BLUST, H. VERBIEST, F. VOLCKAERT, PH. BARET, J.C. PHILIPPART BELGIAN SCIENCE POLICY HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT ‘RESEARCH PROGRAMMES’: NICOLE HENRY CONTACT PERSON: ALINE VAN DER WERF ATMOSPHERE AND CLIMATE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY NORTH SEA ANTARCTICA PART 2 GLOBAL CHANGE, ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY FOR MORE GENERAL INFORMATION: SECRETARIAT: VÉRONIQUE MICHIELS WETENSCHAPSSTRAAT 8, RUE DE LA SCIENCE B-1000 BRUSSELS OF ANTHROPOGENIC INTERENTIONS ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION IMPACT (FISHGUARD) ON FISH POPULATIONS TEL : +32 (0)2 238 36 13 FAX : +32 (0)2 230 59 12 EMAIL : [email protected] EV-31 SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT PLAN FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY (SPSD II) Part 2: Global change, Ecosystems and Biodiversity FINAL REPORT IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION OF ANTHROPOGENIC INTERVENTIONS ON FISH POPULATIONS (FISHGUARD) EV/31 Gudrun De Boeck & Ronny Blust - UA Daniel De Charleroy & Hilde Verbiest - INBO Filip Volckaert - KULeuven Philippe Baret - UCL Jean-Claude Philippart - ULg January 2006 D/2007/1191/41 Published in 2007 by the Belgian Science Policy Rue de la Science 8 Wetenschapsstraat 8 B-1000 Brussels Belgium Tel: +32 (0)2 238 34 11 – Fax: +32 (0)2 230 59 12 http://www.belspo.be Contact person: Van Der Werf Aline Secretariat: +32 (0)2 238 36 13 Neither the Belgian Science Policy nor any person acting on behalf of the Belgian Science Policy is responsible for the use which might be made of the following information. 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Gudrun DE BOECK, Ronny BLUST, Christian TUDORACHE University of Antwerp - Ecophysiology Biochemistry and Toxicology Groenenborgerlaan 171 2020 Antwerp Philippe BARET, Isabelle CORNILLE, Julien TIGEL POURTOIS Université Catholique de Louvain - Genetic Unit Croix du Sud 2 bte 14 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve David BUYSSE, Johan COECK Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Kliniekstraat 25 1070 Brussels Claude BELPAIRE, Caroline GEERAERTS, Hilde VERBIEST Research Institute for Nature and Forest Duboislaan 14 1560 Groenendaal-Hoeilaart Frank MOSTAERT, Peter VIAENE, Hans VEREECKEN Flanders Hydraulics Research Berchemlei 115 2140 Antwerp Michael OVIDIO, Jean Claude PHILIPPART University of Liège - Biology of Behaviour Unit 10 chemin de la Justice 4500 Tihange Joost RAEYMAKERS, Jeroen VAN HOUDT, Filip VOLCKAERT Catholic University Leuven - Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology Ch. De Beriotstraat 32 3000 Leuven Project EV/31 - “Impact assessment and remediation of anthropogenic interventions on fish populations - (FISHGUARD)” TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 9 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS................................................................................................................. 13 2.1. ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.1. Water courses and physical barriers investigated .......................................................................... 13 2.1.2. Analysis of fish communities in the model systems ......................................................................... 13 2.1.3. Quantification of actual migration of a selection of species in case studies.................................. 18 2.2. ECOPHYSIOLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.1. Swimming capacity........................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.2. Leaping capacities under laboratory conditions............................................................................. 21 2.3. GENETICS............................................................................................................................................... 23 2.3.1. DNA extraction and microsatellite amplification............................................................................ 23 2.3.2. Genetic data analysis ....................................................................................................................... 24 2.3.3. Geographical information ............................................................................................................... 26 2.3.4. Hypothesis testing ............................................................................................................................ 26 3. RESULTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 29 3.1. ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 29 3.1.1. Analysis of fish communities in the model systems ......................................................................... 29 3.1.2. Quantification of actual migration of a selection of species in case studies.................................. 30 3.2. ECOPHYSIOLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 39 3.2.1. Swimming capacities........................................................................................................................ 39 3.2.2. Leaping experiments ........................................................................................................................ 44 3.3. GENETICS............................................................................................................................................... 45 3.3.1. Regional population structure and genetic diversity ...................................................................... 45 3.3.2. Estimation of the impact of restocking ............................................................................................ 54 3.3.3. Geographical analysis of disruption of connectivity....................................................................... 56 4. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................................ 63 4.1. ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 63 4.1.1. Development of a work protocol and selection of the model systems............................................. 63 4.1.2. Analysis of fish communities in the model systems ......................................................................... 63 4.1.3. Quantification of actual migration - case studies ........................................................................... 65 4.2. ECOPHYSIOLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 70 4.2.1. Swimming performance and energy use.......................................................................................... 70 4.2.2. Leaping capacities in artificial constructions ................................................................................. 74 4.3. GENETICS............................................................................................................................................... 75 4.3.1. Non-stocked species ......................................................................................................................... 75 4.3.2. Stocked species................................................................................................................................. 78 5. CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................... 83 6. REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................................. 87 7. PUBLICATIONS ORIGINATING FROM THE PROJECT ................................................................. 97 SPSD II - Part 2 - Global change, Ecosystems and Biodiversity - Biodiversity 5 Project EV/31 - “Impact assessment and remediation of anthropogenic interventions on fish populations - (FISHGUARD)” ABSTRACT The disruption of longitudinal river connectivity by man-made obstacles and the stocking of fish communities with non-indigenous species or genotypes threaten the fish fauna of Belgian rivers to various extents. Obstacles impede migrations between habitats that are vital for populations, and they may restrict the gene flow between populations, thereby reducing the effective size and genetic diversity of populations and increasing the risk of local extinction. Restocking programs often involve the in- troduction of non-indigenous genotypes in native populations. Moreover, although