Applications of Pheromones in Invasive Fish Control and Fishery Conservation

Chapter 12 Applications of Pheromones in Invasive Fish Control and Fishery Conservation Peter W. Sorensen, Peter W. SorensenSearch for more papers by this author Peter W. Sorensen, Peter W. SorensenSearch for more papers by this author Book Editor(s):Peter W. Sorensen, Peter W. Sorensen Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorBrian D. Wisenden, Brian D. Wisenden Biosciences Department, Minnesota State University at Moorhead, Moorhead, Minnesota 55603, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this author First published: 19 December 2014 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118794739.ch12Citations: 2 AboutPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShareShare a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Summary The potency and specificity of pheromones, coupled with the ease with which they can be administered to the water, suggest enormous potential for their use in controlling nuisance/invasive fishes and in the conservation of fisheries. Possible uses include measuring the presence of pheromones in the water to estimate species abundance, adding pheromones to traps to either count or remove fish, adding pheromones to waterways to alter movement (distribution) patterns, and saturating the environment with pheromone to disrupt mating. Pheromones may either be synthesized and pumped into waterways or added indirectly via the addition and management of stocked fish. There are many ways in which they could supplement and enhance an integrated pest management (IPM) program. However, although many workers have speculated on the possible utility of pheromones, only half a dozen field experiments have been conducted to date, and results have been mixed owing to an incomplete understanding of the chemistry and function of the cues. Our experience with insect pheromones suggests that these challenges (which seem greater for fish than for insects) are solvable, and should be addressed given the genuine potential of pheromones to help provide a solution for problems that presently have none. Citing Literature Fish Pheromones and Related Cues RelatedInformation