Document Type
Report
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
8-1-2007
Abstract
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (hereafter referred to as FMP) for the American eel in November 1999. The FMP focuses on increasing coastal states’ efforts to collect American eel data through both fishery dependent and fishery independent studies. Consequently, member jurisdictions (including Virginia) agreed to implement an annual survey for YOY American eels. The survey is intended to “…characterize trends in annual recruitment of the YOY eels over time [to produce a] qualitative appraisal of the annual recruitment of American eel to the U.S. Atlantic Coast” (ASMFC, 2000). The development of these surveys began in 2000 with full implementation by 2001. Survey results should provide necessary data on coastal recruitment success and further understanding of American eel population dynamics. A recent American eel stock assessment report (ASMFC, 2006) emphasized the importance of the coast-wide survey as an index of sustained recruitment over the historical coastal range and an early warning of potential range contraction of the species.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21220/V5VG7M
Keywords
American Eel, Chesapeake Bay, Anguilla rostrata, Fisheries
Funding
The Marine Recreational Fishing Advisory Board and the Commercial Fishing Advisory Board of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission funded the spring sampling activities of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s American Eel Monitoring Survey (VIMS AEMS) in 2006.
Recommended Citation
Montane, M. M., Lowery, W. A., Brooks, H., & Halvorson, A. D. (2007) Estimating Relative Abundance of Young-of-the-Year American Eel Anguilla rostrata in the Virginia Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2006). Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. https://doi.org/10.21220/V5VG7M
