Behavioural and fitness consequences of direct and indirect non-lethal disturbances in a catch-and-release northern pike (Esox lucius) fishery

In a catch-and-release recreational fishery fish populations can be impacted by lethal and sub-lethal effects. In terms of sub-lethal effects anglers may directly (catch-and-release) and/or indirectly (angling-related disturbances, e.g. boating) influence the behaviour, growth and fitness of the fish. We quantified the long-term behavioural response of northern pike Esox lucius to angler-induced direct and indirect disturbances using radio-telemetry techniques. A whole lake experimental approach was conducted by dividing the study lake into an angling-disturbed and an angling-undisturbed lake side with 10 radio-tagged fish on each side, representing ~20% of the adult pike population. The impact of angling-caused disturbances on pike behaviour and growth as a proxy for fitness was assessed in a 7 month study period. Direct disturbances reduced swimming activities of pike and resulted in increased selection for structured (i.e., safer) habitat, whereas indirect disturbances had no significant effect on pike behaviour. Growth rates of caught-and-released fish were significantly smaller than those of uncaught pike (44%). Because, fish that were not captured by angling during the study period showed similar growth rates on both sides of the lake, this indicated that only direct angler-induced disturbances influenced pike growth. Our findings call for minimization of angling-related stressors during the process of catch-and-release angling to avoid behavioural and fitness impairments of the released fish because these may ultimately have population-level effects.