The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point?
Walleye/ogaa (Sander vitreus (Mitchill)) (hereafter, walleye; ogaa = Ojibwe translation) populations have historically supported important multi-use, harvest-oriented fisheries. Despite intensive management, walleye populations have declined in the midwestern United States raising concerns about the...
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Canadian Science Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | FACETS |
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| Online Access: | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0064 |
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| author | Greg G. Sass |
| author_facet | Greg G. Sass |
| author_sort | Greg G. Sass |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Walleye/ogaa (Sander vitreus (Mitchill)) (hereafter, walleye; ogaa = Ojibwe translation) populations have historically supported important multi-use, harvest-oriented fisheries. Despite intensive management, walleye populations have declined in the midwestern United States raising concerns about the sustainability of the species. Numerous factors have been implicated in walleye population declines, including climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, species-interactions, production overharvest (i.e., harvest consistently exceeding annual production), and changing angler behaviors. These factors have negatively influenced natural recruitment and contributed to depensatory recruitment dynamics. I provide a review and perspective suggesting that the current trajectory of walleye populations is at or nearing an ecological tipping point. Although fish populations are often considered compensatory (i.e., negatively density-dependent), current walleye populations appear prone to depensation (i.e., positive density dependence). My review and perspective suggest that a compensatory management perspective for walleye is misaligned. A change in management towards a depensatory resource focus using ecosystem-based fisheries management and the recognition of walleye fisheries as social–ecological systems is needed for conservation. If compensatory management ensues, walleye persistence will likely be further threatened because many drivers of change are outside of managerial control, and those commonly used within managerial control have seemingly been ineffective for sustaining or rehabilitating naturally reproducing walleye populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cb759a69bc61453da7fdfe53a3eb34df |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2371-1671 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | FACETS |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb759a69bc61453da7fdfe53a3eb34df2025-02-04T15:12:29ZengCanadian Science PublishingFACETS2371-16712025-01-011011710.1139/facets-2024-0064The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point?Greg G. Sass0Escanaba Lake Research Station, Office of Applied Science, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 3110 Trout Lake Station Drive, Boulder Junction, WI 54512, USAWalleye/ogaa (Sander vitreus (Mitchill)) (hereafter, walleye; ogaa = Ojibwe translation) populations have historically supported important multi-use, harvest-oriented fisheries. Despite intensive management, walleye populations have declined in the midwestern United States raising concerns about the sustainability of the species. Numerous factors have been implicated in walleye population declines, including climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, species-interactions, production overharvest (i.e., harvest consistently exceeding annual production), and changing angler behaviors. These factors have negatively influenced natural recruitment and contributed to depensatory recruitment dynamics. I provide a review and perspective suggesting that the current trajectory of walleye populations is at or nearing an ecological tipping point. Although fish populations are often considered compensatory (i.e., negatively density-dependent), current walleye populations appear prone to depensation (i.e., positive density dependence). My review and perspective suggest that a compensatory management perspective for walleye is misaligned. A change in management towards a depensatory resource focus using ecosystem-based fisheries management and the recognition of walleye fisheries as social–ecological systems is needed for conservation. If compensatory management ensues, walleye persistence will likely be further threatened because many drivers of change are outside of managerial control, and those commonly used within managerial control have seemingly been ineffective for sustaining or rehabilitating naturally reproducing walleye populations.https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0064conservationdepensationharvestmanagementstockingwalleye |
| spellingShingle | Greg G. Sass The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point? FACETS conservation depensation harvest management stocking walleye |
| title | The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point? |
| title_full | The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point? |
| title_fullStr | The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point? |
| title_short | The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point? |
| title_sort | decline of walleye populations an ecological tipping point |
| topic | conservation depensation harvest management stocking walleye |
| url | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0064 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT greggsass thedeclineofwalleyepopulationsanecologicaltippingpoint AT greggsass declineofwalleyepopulationsanecologicaltippingpoint |