Population genetics of lake whitefish over 100 years after commercial harvest closure

Session: 08a. - Restoration of Native Fishes

Peter Euclide, University of Vermont, [email protected]
J. Marsden, University of Vermont, School of Natural Resources, [email protected]
Tyler Parent, UVM, [email protected]

Abstract

Commercial fishing for lake whitefish in Lake Champlain closed in 1913 due to concerns about overexploitation. However, the whitefish population size and harvest are unknown. Lake trout disappeared from the lake by 1900; harvest could have significantly affected both species. In 2010, a growth assessment of lake whitefish found that populations were characteristic of an unexploited stock, suggesting that if the fishery had an impact, the population has recovered. The objective of our study was to look for genetic evidence of a bottleneck and describe the genetic diversity and population structure in the lake. 150 whitefish were collected on both sides of causeways that divide the northern portion of the lake into two basins. Fish were genotyped at 8 microsatellite loci; we evaluated genetic diversity and looked for evidence of a bottleneck. Data suggest that lake whitefish have high genetic diversity and limited evidence of population sub-structuring. These data provide a perspective on effects of a commercial fishery that was closed prior to population collapse, compared with Great Lakes whitefish populations that are currently recovering after overharvest collapsed their populations.

1. Keyword
genetics

2. Keyword
fish

3. Keyword
fisheries

4. Additional Keyword
whitefish