10,000 Crimson Drum to Be Stocked in Calcasieu Lake Estuary as A part of Pilot Program

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — About 10,000 pink drum fingerlings will probably be stocked within the Calcasieu Lake estuary as a part of a pilot project to research the organic and ecological efficacy of stocking waterways with hatchery-raised fish, state wildlife officers mentioned Tuesday.

The fish are anticipated to be stocked later this 12 months or in 2024. The Leisure Fisheries Analysis Institute will cowl the prices of stocking and genetic evaluation underneath the allow issued by the Louisiana Division of Wildlife and Fisheries, officers mentioned in a information launch.

Though pink drum have been stocked in different states, the division mentioned it desires to warning in opposition to anticipating an excessive amount of from the hassle in Louisiana.

“With the current inventory evaluation exhibiting that our pink drum inhabitants has an over 1.5 million fish deficit in comparison with the long run recruitment common, stocking efforts is not going to remedy the problems going through pink drum in Louisiana,” LDWF Assistant Secretary for Fisheries Patrick Banks mentioned. “Stocking of hatchery-reared fish isn’t the answer to a fish inhabitants downside in nature, but it surely might serve a helpful goal sooner or later. We hope to find out if stocked fish are in a position to survive within the Calcasieu Estuary and at ranges that may be tracked by way of genetic testing.”

If the pilot examine reveals optimistic outcomes that could be helpful for fisheries administration, it is going to be as much as the division’s secretary to find out if different stocking applications might take part or if a rise within the stocking effort could be acceptable.

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