Abstract
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is an invasive fish species in North America and around the world. Through their feeding and spawning they contribute to the deterioration of wetland habitats. Exclusion structures are a frequently used management option for limiting their negative impacts. While habitat responses to common carp exclusion have been reported, little is known about impacts of exclusion structure operation on native fish assemblages. Here we describe a common carp exclusion project on a large freshwater coastal wetland, Delta Marsh, in south-central Manitoba, Canada. Most fish species, including common carp, overwinter in Lake Manitoba and migrate each spring to feed and spawn in the marsh. Exclusion structures with removeable screens were installed on connecting channels between the lake and marsh and were deemed the best management option to exclude common carp from the marsh. In this paper we contrast relative abundance and mean size of large-bodied fish species between pre- (three years) and post- (six years) exclusion periods, as well as inside and outside the common carp exclusion zone. In addition, we monitored fish migration into the marsh to evaluate initial management recommendations. Using a combination of delayed exclusion screen placement and 70 mm screen openings, we were able to reduce the number of large common carp present in the marsh with minimal impacts on the native fish assemblage. We also provide suggested changes to the timing of screen placement to increase common carp exclusion.
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Data Availability
The datasets used in this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
Much of the data used in this paper was generated by the “Restoring the Tradition at Delta Marsh” project. This project was funded by Ducks Unlimited Canada, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development (Fish and Wildlife Branch), Wildlife Habitat Canada, as well as grants and funds from numerous individuals and foundations. K. Casper and D. Pisiak provided the Lake Manitoba fisheries survey data. The Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Delta Waterfowl provided in-kind support. We thank the many research technicians involved in this study for their hard work. D. Watkinson, D. Kroeker, G. Ball, and G. Suggett provided project advice and support. We thank P. Badiou and D. Watkinson for providing comments and suggestions on an earlier draft. Research was conducted under Manitoba Fisheries Branch Scientific Collection permits and Manitoba Wildlife Management Area Use permits. Delta Marsh is located within Treaty 1 Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. In the spirit of reconciliation, we respectfully acknowledge these Nations as the original caretakers of this land.
Funding
Much of the data used in this paper was generated by the “Restoring the Tradition at Delta Marsh” project. This project was funded by Ducks Unlimited Canada, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development (Fish and Wildlife Branch), Wildlife Habitat Canada, as well as grants and funds from numerous individuals and foundations. The Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Delta Waterfowl provided in kind support.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Field data were collected by Dale Wrubleski, Robert Emery and Paige Kowal. Statistical analysis was done by Llwellyn Armstrong, with contributions from all coauthors. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Dale Wrubleski, Robert Emery and Paige Kowal, and all authors commented on subsequent versions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Wrubleski, D.A., Emery, R.B., Kowal, P.D. et al. Fish Assemblage Responses to the Exclusion of Invasive Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) from a Large Freshwater Coastal Wetland, Delta Marsh, Manitoba. Wetlands 44, 16 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-024-01775-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-024-01775-x