Angler Associations as Partners in Walleye Management

Abstract

Abstract Since 1986, over 310,000 walleye fingerlings, Stizostedion vitreum, (35–125 mm TL) have been cultured in earthen ponds and stocked into New York bays and tributaries of Lake Ontario. These introductions are unusual because the walleye fingerlings were produced and stocked through a cooperative effort involving seven angler associations, the New York Sea Grant Extension Program, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and academia (particularly the State University of New York, College at Brockport and Cornell University). Based on several measures, the cooperative management program is a success. Cage studies indicate that 7–13-d survival of introduced fingerlings is high (>97%) and post-stocking samplings suggest that stocked fish contribute to the fisheries.