The Use of cultured alosids for stock restoration in Maryland

From colonial times until the 1930s American shad was the dominant fishery in the Chesapeake Bay. Since that time shad have declined to relict stocks in most tributaries. The overall objective of this project was to restore self-sustaining American shad (Alosa sapidissima) populations to selected Maryland Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Natural spawn techniques allow for the production of large numbers of alosids for larval and juvenile stocking and assessment efforts. We applied natural spawn techniques to hickory shad (Alosa mediocris) culture as well. Our objectives were described by four jobs: 1) improve alosid spawning efficiency; 2) to monitor the abundance and mortality of larval and juvenile shad using marked hatchery-produced fish; 3) to develop natural spawn techniques for hickory shad culture and stocking and explore the potential for a restoration effort of this species; 4) restore blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) to the Patapsco River and Swan Creek through reintroduction. Project: AFC - 28 Annual Report Completion Report Grant no. NA66FA0208