Post‐release mortality of angled golden perch Macquaria ambigua and Murray cod Maccullochella peelii

Abstract

Abstract Short‐term (≤4 days) post‐release mortalities of two large, culturally and ecologically important Australian freshwater teleosts golden perch Macquaria ambigua (Richardson) and Murray cod Maccullochella peelii (Mitchell) were investigated. There was no angler‐induced mortality among golden perch that were immediately released in winter and spring, but 24% of this species and 15% of Murray cod died after delayed release in summer. Significant predictors of mortality were limited to times caught and total length for golden perch, and restraint methods and recovery times for Murray cod, but other parameters were also implicated as cumulative influences. The estimated mortalities may be sufficient to produce population‐level impacts for these two long‐lived species but could be considerably reduced through revisions of tournament regulations.