Authors
Fernando Mayer Pelicice, Angelo Antonio Agostinho
Publication date
2008/2
Journal
Conservation biology
Volume
22
Issue
1
Pages
180-188
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Inc
Description
At present most of the large rivers of South America are impounded. Management plans historically have relied on the construction of fish passages, specifically ladders, to mitigate the impact of these waterway blockages on fisheries and biodiversity. Nevertheless, the design of these facilities is not ecologically sound and they are not monitored continually. Consequently, the real role of South American fish passages in fisheries and biodiversity management is unclear and the results of some studies suggest that ladders are problematic in fish conservation. We examined the characteristics and negative aspects of fish passages within a larger context and considered the notion that these facilities are ecological traps in some Brazilian impoundments. Four conditions are required to characterize a fish passage as an ecological trap: (1) attractive forces leading fish to ascend the passage; (2) unidirectional migratory …
Total citations
Scholar articles
FM Pelicice, AA Agostinho - Conservation biology, 2008