Synchronous changes in length at maturity across four species of Lake Erie fish with different harvest histories

Abstract

Decreases in size at maturation in harvested fish populations can reduce productivity and resilience. Delineating the causes for these changes in maturation is challenging. We assessed harvest and large-scale ecosystem variability as causes for changes in maturation in four Lake Erie fishes. Regulated harvests of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and walleye (Sander vitreus) are greater than unregulated harvests of white perch (Morone americana) and white bass (Morone chrysops). Our assessment considered cohort data from 1991 to 2012 for each species. We used a conceptual model of harvest-induced plasticity to show that changes in female length at 50% maturity (L 50) were unrelated to harvest intensity in all species. We then demonstrated that changes in female L 50 among cohorts were synchronous across species. Post hoc analysis of variables capturing year-to-year variation in climatic and lake conditions suggested L 50 was larger when water levels were near the norm for the study period and smaller at low and high levels. We conclude that changes in L 50 were most strongly related to ecosystem changes unrelated to harvest intensity.