David Whitehurst - Blue Catfish in Virginia - Historical ... · Microsoft PowerPoint - David...
Transcript of David Whitehurst - Blue Catfish in Virginia - Historical ... · Microsoft PowerPoint - David...
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Blue Catfish in Virginia
Historical Perspective & Importance to
Recreational Fishing
David K. Whitehurst
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USGS Hydrologic BoundariesTidal Rappahannock WatershedRappahannock RiverTidal James River WatershedJames River
N
Blue Catfish Introductions to
James River & Rappahannock River
1973 - 1977
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Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) Introductions York River System
Mattaponi River 1985
Pamunkey River ????
USGS Hydrologic BoundariesTidal York WatershedYork RiverTidal Rappahannock WatershedRappahannock RiverTidal James River WatershedJames River
N
Blue Catfish Introduced to Mattaponi River in 1985
Followed by Colonization of the Pamunkey River
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Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) Introductions
Established in Potomac River (Since ????)
Recently Discovered in Piankatank River
USGS Hydrologic BoundariesTidal York WatershedYork RiverTidal Rappahannock WatershedRappahannock RiverTidal James River WatershedJames RiverTidal Potomac - VirginiaPiankatank / Dragon Swamp
N
Blue Catfish Established in Potomac River – Date ?
Confirmed in Piankatank River – 2002
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Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
All of Virginia’s Major Tidal River Systems of
Chesapeake Bay Drainage
2003
USGS Hydrologic BoundariesTidal York WatershedTidal Rappahannock WatershedTidal James River WatershedTidal Potomac - VirginiaPiankatank / Dragon Swamp
N
Blue Catfish Now Occur in all Major Virginia
Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay
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– Provide recreational and food value to anglers
– Traditional Fisheries Management => Stocking
– Other species introduced to Virginia tidal rivers:
– Channel Catfish,
– Largemouth Bass,
– Smallmouth Bass,
– Common carp, ….
Blue catfish aside, as of mid-1990’s freshwater fish community in
Virginia tidal waters dominated by introduced species.
Stocking in Virginia
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Blue Catfish Introductions Widespread
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Important Recreational Fisheries
• Key factors determining this “success”
– Strong recruitment and good survival leading
to very high abundance
– Trophy fishery dependant on rapid growth and
good survival
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0
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120
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160
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200
Number of Citations
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Year
> 90 lb.
> 80 lb.
>70 lb.
> 60 lb.
> 50 lb.
Angler Awards For Blue Catfish >50 Pounds
Tidal James River
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2004
83 pounds
(~37.6 kg)
Anglers have come to expect ten pound increment increases
in the upper end of catches every 3-4 years
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2006
94 pounds
(~ 42.6kg)
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2009
102 pounds
(~ 46.4 kg)
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– Tidal James is a world class blue catfish fishery
– Total economic value has not been quantified
• In 2002, an angler survey conducted March – November
found anglers direct expenditures totaled $1.6 million
» Hotels, Restaurants, Guides,…
– Estimated $2.6 million economic value of recreational
catfish fishery during the survey period
– Survey did not capture night fishing,
– Was not conducted during December – February,
important months for trophy blue catfish angling
– This fishery has grown substantially since 2002
Recreational Fishery
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Blue Catfish in Virginia
Historical Perspective & Importance to
Recreational Fishing
David K. Whitehurst