Combining fishery prohibition with stocking of landlocked salmon,Salmo salarL.: an effort to gain bigger yield and individual size

After stocking landlocked salmon,Salmo salarL., in Lake Änättijärvi, all fishing was prohibited for 18 months to provide time for the fish to establish and reach a larger size prior to capture. The potential benefit of the fishery prohibition was severely diminished by emigration of the stocked fish down the watercourse to other lakes. Only 19% of the recaptures of Carlin‐tagged individuals came from Lake Änättijärvi. Also, the CPUE of test fishing in Lake Änättijärvi indicated a steep decline in the density of stocked fish during the fishery prohibition period. The mean weight of landlocked salmon in the combined recaptures from Lake Änättijärvi and other lakes downstream was 660 g. When fishing was not prohibited, the corresponding mean weight at recapture was 442 g. It is recommended that landlocked salmon stocking should be carried out in lakes with relatively low fishing pressure.