Efforts to enhance anadromous brown trout on Funen, Denmark

Abstract

The access for anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta) to watercourses on Funen was poor due to migratory barriers for upstream moving fish. Since 1990 fish passages have been established at 192 of these obstructions. We investigated the effect of the fish passages on parr abundance (age-0) at 24 obstructions between 1999 and 2008. Parr density increased significantly in stream sections upstream of the fish passage with a typical increase of 200 to 300 % with a maximum of 500 %. Mean parr density increased from 44 to 85 individuals 100 m2 bottom area during the study period in the streams where the fish passages were established. Parr density was unchanged in streams where the migratory barriers remained. Thus, anadromous brown trout populations can be enhanced by the establishment of fish passages in rivers with migratory obstacles, and trout production increased quickly after access to new spawning and nursery areas were opened. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.