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Abstract

The recreational fishery for pollack (Pollachius pollachius) in the northeast Atlantic is impacted by the species' high sensitivity to barotrauma. When captured at depth and brought to the surface, gas expansion within the peritoneal cavity can cause a variety of injuries and hinder release. Via an experimental weighted cage, this study evaluated the efficacy of releasing Pollack at depth as a barotrauma mitigation strategy. We found that depth-release significantly increased the probability of released Pollack displaying an active escape response to 83%, compared to 56% for surface-released fish; however, increased capture depth and fish size negatively affected success. Camera observations of depth-released Pollack confirmed the recovery of vital reflexes (vestibulo-ocular reflex, equilibrium maintenance) within 1.5–4 min. Further acoustic telemetry demonstrated that individuals subsequently displayed active dispersion from the release site (0.1–23.8 km) and showed active vertical movements for up to 6 months post-release. These findings indicate that depth-release improves survival outcomes, though further research is required to optimise release methods in open-water environments.

Publication Date

2026-08-01

Publication Title

Fisheries Management and Ecology

Volume

33

Issue

4

ISSN

0969-997X

Acceptance Date

2025-12-16

Deposit Date

2026-01-26

Funding

This work was supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK Government (Ecm 66427) and INTERREG FRANCE-CHANNEL_ENGLAND (Award no. 256). We would like to thank all the fishers who have helped with the fish tagging, receiver maintenance and stakeholder engagement throughout the Pollack FISP project. We would also like to thank our funders Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) FISP scheme, and the Interreg France (Channel) England (FCE) programme. All artwork associated with this manuscript was created by Kirstie Montague. Finally, equipment for the project was loaned to the University of Plymouth by the Isles of Scilly Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA). We thank you for your contribution. This work was supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK Government (Ecm 66427) and INTERREG FRANCE‐CHANNEL_ENGLAND (Award no. 256).

Keywords

acoustic telemetry, barotrauma, fisheries management

First Page

652

Last Page

664

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