Pikeperch Population Research Articles

Status of the fish stocks and fisheries of the main commercial fish species of Lake Ladoga in the XXI century

In the 21st century, there has been decrease in stocks and catches of aquatic biological resources in Lake Ladoga as well as a change in the structure of the fish population in the Lake, primarily due to changes in the trophic capacity of the reservoir. Smelt dominates in the commercial catches. Stocks and catches of autumn-spawning whitefish and lakecisco show obvious downward trend. Biological and commercial indicators of the pike-perch population are at a low level. Stocks of bream, roach and perch are in good condition.

Tracking the invasive and euryhaline pikeperch Sander lucioperca in the lower River Thames using acoustic telemetry indicates no movements into areas of relatively high salinity.

Native to Central and Eastern Europe, the euryhaline pikeperch Sander lucioperca can acclimatize to elevated salinity levels (e.g., up to 30‰), but it remains unknown whether their invasive populations use this ability to inhabit and/or disperse through brackish waters, such as estuaries and inshore areas. To test whether invasive pikeperch show a propensity to move into areas of relatively high salinity, their spatial use and movement patterns (e.g., home range, distances moved, and movement rates) were assessed using acoustic telemetry in the upper River Thames estuary, southeast England. Analyses revealed that individual pikeperch were capable of moving relatively long distances in a short time (e.g., speeds up to 70 m min-1), with movement patterns associated more with tidal state and elevation at the water surface (both assumed to relate to changes in salinity) than diurnal changes. There were no recorded movements of any pikeperch into the more saline, downstream waters of the estuary where salinity levels were recorded to over 40‰, with the mean salinity in the most downstream area where pikeperch were detected being 1.39‰ (range of logger: 1.22-1.71). The results suggest that these pikeperch did not use high salinity waters when less saline waters were available, and thus the risk that they will use to move through high salinity areas to expand their invasive range appears low. Accordingly, efforts to minimize risks of the further dispersal of invasive pikeperch populations can focus on control and containment programmes within fresh waters.

Assessing the efficacy of spring stocking of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) into a eutrophic reservoir

Jůza T, Blabolil P, Čech M, Draštík V, Holubová M, Kočvara L, Kubečka J, Malinovskyi O, Policar T, Rychtecký P, Říha M, Sajdlová Z, Tušer M, Vašek M. 2024. Assessing the efficacy of spring stocking of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) into a eutrophic reservoir. Lake Reserv Manage. 40:196–204. The survival of stocked fish is one of the crucial problems of management measures. In April 2023, approximately ten thousand 1-yr-old pond-reared pikeperch fry were marked and stocked into the small, eutrophic Hubenov Reservoir in the Czech Republic. Later that year, in August, the abundance of the stocked pond-reared pikeperch in the reservoir was estimated through beach seining, electrofishing, and gillnetting. Gillnet results showed that pikeperch avoided pelagic and deeper benthic habitats. Consequently, the most quantitative results were obtained by night beach seining. Our captures indicated that approximately 688 stocked pikeperch individuals were present in the entire reservoir in August, representing 6.5% of the stocked fish. These pikeperch displayed good growth and condition, primarily feeding on European perch fry, the most abundant 0+ fish in the reservoir. Our findings elucidate a relatively high mortality of 1-yr-old pond-reared pikeperch in the reservoir after spring stocking. Despite this mortality, the stocked pikeperch represented 85% of all 1-yr-old pikeperch in the reservoir. This highlights the effectiveness of spring stocking as a valuable tool for supporting the pikeperch population in reservoirs, emphasizing the stocking of an adequate quantity of pond-reared fish to compensate for the observed mortality.

Population genetic structure of intensively exploited pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) in Lake Balaton (Hungary)

Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca Linnaeus, 1758) is a wide-ranged percid predator fish characterised by a great ecological value in the Eurasian freshwater and brackish ecosystems. It is also one of the most famous fish species of Lake Balaton (Hungary), where a unique (genetically separated) pikeperch stock lives. However, until now, no detailed information was available about the pikeperch population genetic structure in Lake Balaton. In the present study, the population genetic structure of the pikeperch assemblages in the lake was revealed by using microsatellite markers. Commercial fishery and angler catch data going back more than 100 years verified that the pikeperch has always been a key element of Lake Balaton’s fish stock utilization. Results of genetic data analyses showed that the pikeperch in the Lake Balaton forms a metapopulation system, in which only the westward stocks show certain separation. Moreover, it seems that the exploitation and mass fish kills that happened in the 1960s and 1970s may have had only a slight impact on the population genetic structure of Balaton pikeperch stocks. The information about genetic features and utilization changes of pikeperch stocks can help to develop area-specific management plans and ensure the long-term survival of this carnivore fish species characteristic of Lake Balaton.

Somatic growth of pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca) in relation to variation in temperature and eutrophication in a Central Europe Lake

Global climate change has been altering freshwater ecosystems by impacting many ecological processes, including individual fish growth. Predictions of responses of local fish populations to future environmental change can draw inferences from past long-term biochronological data. In this study, we reconstructed individual growth pattern of one of the most valuable predatory species in European inland waters, pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca), using back-calculated length from their otoliths. Samples were collected at the Lipno reservoir (Czech Republic) between 2008 and 2020. We used linear mixed-effects models to investigate how individual state and environmental conditions affect the somatic growth of the local pikeperch population. We found that individual growth rates increased with temperature and tended to be higher when chlorophyll-a concentration was higher, and water transparency was lower. This suggests the species will likely benefit from the warmer waters predicted in future climate scenarios. However, the decreasing nutrient loading associated with efforts to curb eutrophication in Central Europe may offset these benefits. Together, these results provide a better understanding of how multiple environmental factors, directly and indirectly, influence the somatic growth of pikeperch in long term.

Long‐term monitoring of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) populations under increasing temperatures and predator abundances in the Finnish coastal waters of the Baltic Sea

AbstractThe Baltic Sea has been under intense environmental changes in the recent decades, such as climate change, eutrophication and increasing abundance of top‐predators, which pose serious challenges to its aquatic life. For informed conservation measures and sustainable yields, we need to understand how the populations are being affected. Accordingly, we used long‐term data series (covering the period between 1980 and 2021) to assess how these changes have affected populations of an ecologically and economically important predatory fish, the pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), in the coastal waters of Finland in the northern Baltic Sea. We investigated the estimates of abundance and recruitment, commercial and recreational catch statistics and growth and mortality rates. We found a clear increase in the total catches in the northernmost part of the Finnish coast (Bothnian Bay) that were not explained by changes in fishing effort, indicating increased abundance, most likely due to higher water temperature. In the southern part of the study area (Archipelago Sea), density‐dependent factors prevented the development of particularly strong year classes, despite the beneficial conditions of warming seawater and consecutive warm summers. Individual growth has increased in younger age groups, contributing to an upward trend in the spawning population biomass. We also uncovered a declining trend in the total mortality in the southern area, despite increased abundances of cormorants and seals, explained by reduced total fishing mortality. These results show that the pikeperch is one of the species that has, thus far, benefited from the environmental change in the northern Baltic Sea, strengthening its role in the ecosystem.

Distribution patterns, annual density changes, growth and mortality of pikeperch [Sander lucioperca (L. 1758)] fry following oligotrophication of a reservoir

AbstractUntil 2006, the Lipno Reservoir had the largest catches of pikeperch in the Czech Republic, but since 2007 it has partially collapsed. This collapse was preceded by oligotrophication, when phosphorus concentrations declined by 25%. Conservation measures from 2009 to 2015 partially improved the population from 2015, but pikeperch biomass did not reach previous levels. Unsuccessful spawning and low survival of pikeperch fry were suspected as possible reasons. Pelagic trawling for pikeperch younger juveniles in June and older juveniles in August indicated that extreme mortality in the first year of life, rather than limited spawning, was the reason for low pikeperch recruitment. Large interannual differences in pikeperch density were observed in both spring and summer, and the growth was generally low. Pikeperch fry density changed over a trophic gradient with the highest densities in the eutrophic upper reservoir parts, while differences between depths were much less pronounced due to the lack of temperature and oxygen depth stratification in summer. Oligotrophication of the reservoir in recent years is probably partly responsible for the high mortality and slow growth of pikeperch fry that are still zooplanktivorous, resulting in a lower probability of surviving their first winter. Given the changing conditions in the reservoir, measures should be taken to strictly conserve populations to maintain self‐sustaining pikeperch populations in the Lipno Reservoir.

Marine indicators of climate change in the Azov Sea ecosystem

The study is a contemporary overview of accumulated data and knowledge about the state of water resources in the Sea of Azov basin. The focused area has been rather thoroughly studied since the 1970s, however the information presented in the literature sources is mainly in Russian. The main research objective is to consider the changes that occurred in the second half of the 20th – early 21st centuries in the lower reaches of the Don and Kuban rivers as a result of economic development of the territory (construction of water-storage reservoirs, dams, irrigation canals, etc.). We provide the most complete summary of data on the inter-annual and seasonal variability of water and solid river runoff, the nutrient load on the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov, as well as new data on the dynamics of organic carbon in the Don runoff in the recent low-water period of 2007–2020. The most significant changes include redistribution of river runoff during the year, a catastrophic reduction in solid runoff, and a change in the structure of terrigenous matter entering the sea. In conclusion, we indicate the chains of consequences of long-term changes in water, solid, and nutrient river runoff for the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov. These include changes in seawater salinity and temperature, terrigenous sedimentation, chlorophyll-a concentration, primary production values, the relative amount of organic matter in bottom sediments (one of the causes of oxygen deficiency at the bottom), structure of planktonic and benthic organisms, as well as in dynamics of valuable commercial fish populations. In particular, we discuss recent observations that confirm the earlier long-term probabilistic forecast of the collapse of the Azov pikeperch population in the beginning of the 2000s. We consider the salinity and temperature of sea waters, data on the content of diatom valves, and the appearance of the Black Sea benthic species in the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov as reliable indicators of climate change. Some of the observed phenomena are still poorly explained and require further research. Using the example of the Sea of Azov and the rivers flowing into it, we indicate how climate variability and economic activity affect the state and functioning of marine ecosystems. Some identified regularities of the processes occurring in the Azov Sea ecosystem may be applied to other water bodies (marine areas).

Otolith Biometry of Pikeperch <i>Sander lucioperca</i> from the Lakes Region of Turkey

The present study aimed to confirm the existence of relationships between the otolith size (otolith length, otolith breadht, otolith area, and otolith weight) and the size of Sander. lucioperca (L., 1758) from Eğirdir and Beyşehir Lake, Turkey. The length-weight relationships were defined as W = 0.0030L3.386 (R2 = 0.993) for females, W = 0.0032L3.309 (R2 = 0.987) for males from the Eğirdir Lake, and W = 0.0033L3.339 (R2 = 0.977) for females, W = 0.0024L3.410 (R2 = 0.976) for males from the Beyşehir Lake. No significant relations total length and otolith length (OL), otolith breadth (OB), area (A), and otolith weight (OW) were found both the sexes and all the localities. The maximum coefficient of determination were observed between total length and OL, A and OW, while the minimum was observed for OB. The results showed that can be used for the monitoring of stocks in pikeperch populations benefit otolith size.

Assessing Genetic Variation in Wild and Domesticated Pikeperch Populations: Implications for Conservation and Fish Farming

Simple SummaryThe pikeperch Sander lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758) is an important fish species in the development of European aquaculture. The aquaculture of a fish species can be facilitated by knowing the genetic variability within and among populations. Here, we assessed the genetic background of 8 wild populations along with 13 broodstocks (i.e., from fish farms) of pikeperch through a combination of genetic markers. We underlined that current broodstocks have a genetic diversity similar to wild populations. When focusing on genetic differentiation, we highlight that European pikeperch populations are divided into two groups: one predominantly present in Northern Europe and around the Baltic Sea and another mainly in Central Europe. Broodstocks appear to contain fish of a single origin with only a few exceptions. Ultimately, we have proposed baseline information about genetic diversity of pikeperch along with a genetic tool that can help pikeperch producers manage and improve their fish stock.The pikeperch is a freshwater/brackish water fish species with growing interest for European aquaculture. Wild populations show signs of decline in many areas of the species natural range due to human activities. The comparative evaluation of genetic status in wild and domesticated populations is extremely useful for the future establishment of genetic breeding programs. The main objective of the present study was to assess and compare the genetic variability of 13 domesticated populations from commercial farms and 8 wild populations, developing an efficient microsatellite multiplex tool for genotyping. Partial cytochrome b gene sequences were also used to infer phylogeographic relationships. Results show that on average, the domesticated populations do not exhibit significantly lower levels of genetic diversity compared to the wild ones and do not suffer from inbreeding. Nuclear data provide evidence that pikeperch populations in Europe belong to at least two genetically differentiated groups: the first one is predominantly present in Northern Europe and around the Baltic Sea, while the second one comprises populations from Central Europe. In this second group, Hungarian origin populations constitute a differentiated stock that needs special consideration. Aquaculture broodstocks analyzed appear to contain fish of a single origin with only a few exceptions.

Novel microsatellites reveal wild populations genetic variance in pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) in China

The pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) is a native fish species in European and Asian river basins. Owing to its fast growth rate, strong adaptability, and high nutritional value, it has become a promising candidate species for aquaculture. However, information on the genetic background of these wild populations is still limited, hindering the protection and sustainable utilisation of genetic resources in China. The aim of this study was to screen a set of microsatellite markers and assess the genetic variation of six pike-perch populations in China. A total of 92,162 pairs of microsatellite primers were designed. Among them, dinucleotide repeats were the most abundant microsatellites (81.47%), followed by trinucleotides (8.21%), tetranucleotides (7.59%), and pentanucleotide repeat microsatellites (2.73%). Of the 200 pairs of synthesised primers, 122 exhibited obvious repeat-length polymorphisms. Thirty polymorphic markers were selected to analyse six populations of pike-perch collected from China. The average number of alleles (Na) and effective alleles (Ne) per population varied from 2.333(WR) to 7.800(UL) and from 1.787(KL) to 4.435(UL), respectively. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) and polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.377(KL) to 0.796(TL) and from 0.304(KL) to 0.715(UL), respectively. The results showed that four populations were highly polymorphic (PIC≥0.5), two populations were moderately polymorphic (0.25≤PIC<0.5). The FST estimated using the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was 0.2090, indicating moderate levels of genetic differentiation among the populations. Results from the UPGMA dendrogram, structure analysis, and PCA analysis showed that the six populations of pike-perch were largely divided into two genetically distinct groups. The four populations, UL, TL, HR, and YR, were highly significantly different from KL and WR in northeast China. These populations can be utilised for breeding programmes to achieve substantial genetic variations in their descendants. Genetic diversity and structure analysis of populations will provide useful information for conservation management and effective utilisation of pike-perch.

Pike-Perch (Sander lucioperca) and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fed with an Alternative Microorganism Mix for Reducing Fish Meal and Oil-Fishes' Growth Performances and Quality Traits.

In the last decades, several plant-based materials were used for the substitution of fish meal and oil in aquaculture. The present study evaluated the fish quality and the sensory differences of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) from three different feeding groups, which were fed a commercially available industrial (standard) diet, a control diet, and a special microorganism-based feed mix. This feed mainly consisted of a mix made of Rhodotorula glutinis, Crypthecodinium cohnii, and Arthrospira sp. and had 50% less fish meal and fish oil compared to typical control diets. At the beginning, the pike-perch population was six months old, and the rainbow trout population was 15 months old. The feeding study duration was 16 weeks and every four weeks the growth performance and several morphometric parameters were recorded. Afterwards, sensory evaluation took place to identify possible trends. Sensory evaluation revealed that the rainbow trout groups did not show any significant differences to the standard and control fish fillets with regard to odor, texture, and taste. The effects on rainbow trout growth performances and carcass parameters were similar to the standard group. The feed mix was not optimal for pike-perch farming, which was also reflected by significantly adversely affected growth performance and carcass parameters. The sensorial evaluation showed an opposite trend: here, only small differences in the fillets from the feed mix and standard/control diet were observed.

LINEAR AND WEIGHT GROWTH OF THE WALLEYE IN THE TEREK-CASPIAN FISHERY SUBDISTRICT

The article presents the linear and weight growth of the pikeperch in the coastal and inland waters of the Terek-Caspian fishery subdistrict. The dynamics of the linear and weight growth of the pikeperch on the Daghestan coast of the Caspian Sea and in the inland waters of Daghestan in the long-term aspect is shown. It was revealed that the average length and weight of the same-age pikeperch in different years are at a close level, which indicates stable conditions of living, feeding and food supply in the study period. The formation of the pikeperch populations in the Terek-Caspian region is influenced by the dynamic environmental conditions (sea level, hydrological and hydrochemical regime, water pollution). At the same time, the influence of habitat conditions is not critical and does not lead to significant changes in the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the pikeperch and its forage objects in modern conditions.

Condition and size of the non-native pikeperch Sander lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758) in Portuguese river basins.

We studied life‐history traits focusing on the growth and condition of the pikeperch Sander lucioperca to evaluate its phenotypic plasticity when introduced to new environments. Pikeperch is a non‐native fish introduced to Iberian freshwater fauna in 1998 that quickly spread to other river basins through human‐mediated activities, occupying now a wide variety of habitats along mainland Portugal. Condition (K and SMI), fork length at age, and length–weight relationships were studied for Portuguese populations. Pikeperch fork length for ages 1, 2, 3, and 4 was different between several populations. We applied generalized linear models (GLM) to study the influence of habitat type, latitude, altitude, time after first detection, and fish prey richness on pikeperch populations size at age 4 and condition. We observed higher condition values on populations from lower altitudes at lentic systems more recently introduced. But higher fork length at age 4 was found in populations from higher altitudes, on older populations with higher prey richness. Habitat type, time since first detection, and fish fauna composition are discussed as the main environmental factors explaining the observed phenotypic plasticity with concerns on predatory impact on native fauna.

The Effects of Age-At-Maturation on the Parameters of a Biphasic Lester Growth Model in Sander lucioperca

An accurate estimation of growth is crucial for any fish species that is a target in fishery. We applied a biphasic Lester model for pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) population that is a slow-growing one. In this model, age at maturity divide the growth into immature and matuire phases. Logistic regression models showed that both age and length were significant in males and females when using maturity as a dependent variable, and both of these variables differed between sexes. To estimate how the changes in used age at maturity affect the Lester model parameters, the effects of ages from 10% to 90% probability of maturity were analysed. The gonadosomatic index of males (max. 2%) and females (max. 8.6%) was used to select Lester models that also gave low estimates for the investments in reproduction (g). Low g values were found in the Lester models for ages from 60% to 90% probability of maturity in males, and from 30% to 70% in females.

Экономическая эффективность формирования ремонтно-маточного стада судака на рыбоводных хозяйствах Казахстана

The article highlights the problem of the industrial press on the pike perch population in all reservoirs of Kazakhstan and the sharp decline in its population due to increased exports of pike perch to Europe, which led to the need to fill the shortage of fish stock by forming pike perch broodstocks in the fish farms and increasing the importance of aquaculture. There are presented the results of introducing the technology of pike perch broodstocks formation in conditions of the fish farm HalykBalyk, LLP, which is carried out in two ways: by a method of domestication that provides catching pike perches from the natural reservoirs and adopting the spawners to the con-ditions of the fish farm: by obtaining offspring from the wild pike perch producers and growing the seeding material in ponds with subsequent selection for the broodstock. There have been given the calculations and analysis of the economic efficiency of biotechnological techniques for the phased formation of the breeding stock of pikeperch in a fish farm. There are presented the data on the cost of domestication of pike perch producers harvested in the natural pond and transported from the fishing sites to the hatcheries, as well as fish products: fertilized eggs, larvae that switched to mixed feeding, raised juveniles, fingerlings and two-year-olds raised in polyculture with traditional fish species in ponds in order to form a breeding stock of pike perch by the ‘ab ovo’ method. A diagram of the production processes of forming pike perch broodstock is presented. To determine the economic efficiency of growing pike perch yearlings and two-year-olds in the ponds in polyculture with carp and grass carp, the general costing of ponds, specific production costs and data on fish catch in monetary terms are presented. A comparative analysis of the results has been held; the ways to reduce the cost of pike perch production at each stage have been indicated.

Genetic consequences of pond production of a pikeperch (Sander lucioperca L.) stock with natural origin: the effects of changed selection pressure and reduced population size.

The pikeperch (Sander lucioperca L.) possesses great potential for diversifying European aquaculture. However, studies on the genetic risk of stocking natural waters with farmed individuals of this species have been limited. Even the effect of pond culture on the genetic composition of stocks with natural-origin has not yet been determined. Our study aimed to compare the genetic variability of a wild living pikeperch population, a pond cultured broodstock (originating from the wild population) and its offspring generation. We also aimed to detect the potential signs of selection using three different methods. By analyzing the molecular data with 14 microsatellite markers, we illustrated that the impact of pond culture on the genetic diversity of fish stocks is similar to hatchery rearing due to its diversity reducing effect caused by using lower effective population sizes. Although the heterozygosity was similar in all populations (Ho = 0.68–0.71), the average number of alleles and allelic richness were significantly lower in the pond cultured stocks (NA = 7.5 and 6; AR = 7.5 and 5.9) compared to the wild population (NA = 11.00, AR = 10.47). Despite the semi-natural conditions of the present study, we detected changing selection pressure in one of the 14 microsatellite markers.

Long-Range Prediction of the Risk of Extinction Faced by the Pikeperch in the Azov Sea: Was the Prediction Correct?

Abstract—In the late 1990s, a high probability of quasi-extinction of the pikeperch population in the Azov Sea within 35 years from 1982 to 2016 was calculated due to increases in salinity. This was based on stochastic simulations with a long-term prediction model of the dynamics of the Azov Sea pikeperch population identified from the 1950−1981 observation data, including stocks, catches, temperatures, and salinities in the Azov Sea. This probabilistic prediction was accurate; the risk event occurred in the 2000s. Since 2005, the abundance of adult pikeperch did not exceed 4 million individuals. Since 2017, the pikeperch catch in the Azov Sea has been completely forbidden. Retrospective validation has demonstrated that the model prediction is in good (qualitative and quantitative) correspondence with the 1982–2018 observation data on dynamics of the pikeperch population. It has also been found that the currently observed rise in annual average sea temperature has a negative impact on fish population dynamics and this phenomenon is no less significant than an increase in salinity. According to a short-range prediction for 2019–2020, the ban on fishing introduced in 2017 is not sufficient to rebuild the stocks of the Azov Sea pikeperch population in the coming years due to existing positive temperature and salinity anomalies.

Effects of water temperature and pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) abundance on the stock\u2013recruitment relationship of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) in the northern Baltic Sea

How spawning stock size, environmental conditions and recruitment relate to each other is an essential question in understanding population dynamics of exploited fish stocks. We estimated the recruitment of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis), one of the most important species in coastal fisheries in northern Baltic Sea, and examined the factors that determine perch recruitment success. We hypothesized that perch spawning population biomass and summer water temperature would increase perch recruitment, with potential density dependence, while the effect of the population size of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) would be negative. Different forms of general stock–recruitment functions, with and without density dependence, and with and without water temperature and pikeperch population size as environmental factors were fitted to long-term (1981–2014) stock assessment data of perch and pikeperch in the Archipelago Sea, southwestern coast of Finland. Perch spawning stock biomass (ages 5–14), water temperature in June–July and pikeperch stock size (ages ≥ 1) at spawning year best explained variation in perch recruitment. The results supported the predictions: perch recruitment increased with spawning stock in density-dependent manner, pikeperch effect on perch recruitment was negative and summer temperature effect was positive suggesting environmentally affected competitive interaction between these two percids.

Angler behaviors and motivations for exploiting invasive and native predatory fishes by catch-and-release: A case study on the river severn catchment, Western England

ABSTRACTCatch-and-release sport angling for large-bodied fishes is a popular recreational pastime, but is also a major introduction source of invasive fishes that can impact native biodiversity. Introductions of large non-native fishes are often part of fisheries management practices to diversify angler opportunities and increase satisfaction. Interviews with sport anglers (n = 12) targeting native pike (Esox lucius) and invasive pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) in the River Severn, Western England, were conducted to determine angler motivations, behaviors, and perceptions. Although motivations were catch orientated, they also related to catching wild fish in natural surroundings. Conservation values were reflected in the behavioral safeguarding of pikeperch populations, including catch-and-release practices that are contrary to current fisheries policy. Anglers perceived pikeperch as enhancing the fishery without causing long-term ecological impacts and were opposed to current management practices and policy. These results suggest considerable disjuncture between angler motivations and behaviors, and non-native fish policy and management.