The burbot has a unique ecology as the only member of the order of cod-like fishes found in freshwater. It is the second most widely distributed freshwater fish in the Northern Hemisphere, variously threatened, extinct or thriving across different parts of this wide paleoarctic range. Burbot were driven to extinction from Britain most probably in the 1970s, the last recorded specimen caught in 1969 in Cambridgeshire. Particularly over the past decade, a large body of work has addressed potential reintroduction of the burbot to Britain. The burbot’s diverse habitat and other needs throughout its life stages also mean that the species is a flagship for a diversity of other wildlife of restored river systems, and of the human benefits that these ecosystems can provide. Burbot is an excellent source for all those involved in freshwater fish and fisheries management, conservation and exploitation.
Author(s): Mark Everard
Publisher: 5m Publishing
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 176
City: Lings
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The curious case of the burbot
Chapter 1: Natural history of the burbot
The lineage of the burbot
Physical characteristics of the burbot
Burbot habitats and habits
The burbot diet
Reproduction and growth
Predators of burbot
Burbot genetics
Chapter 2: Burbot distribution
Threats and trends across their natural range
Burbot distribution in North America
Burbot distribution in Eurasia
Burbot distribution in Britain
The former distribution of burbot in eastern England
Lingering claims about burbot in Britain
Chapter 3: Angling for burbot
Ice fishing for burbot
Burbot baits
Ice fishing tackle
Competitive ice fish
Set line fishing for burbot
Summer fishing for burbot
The (non-)fighting burbot
Specimen burbot angling
Burbot as bait
Pursuing English burbot
World record rod-caught burbot
British record rod-caught burbot
A final cautionary note to the burbot angler
Chapter 4: Cultural connections with burbot
What’s in a name?
Burbot gastronomy
Religion and the burbot
The medicinal burbot
Commercial burbot fisheries
Burbot farming
Burbot harvesting and use
Burbot as an inspiration of great art
Burbot and political history
Burbot and human health
Burbot and local culture
Trends in burbot populations
The disappearing British burbot
Burbot as a perceived conservation problem
A concluding thought
Chapter 5: Burbot conservation
A canary in the coalmine
Burbot conservation
River rehabilitation for burbot recovery in Germany
Burbot restocking in Germany
Recovery of burbot populations in the United States
Burbot reintroduction
Successful reintroduction of burbot to Belgium
Further genetic considerations
Burbot as a tool for biomanipulation
Conservation co-beneficiaries
Chapter 6: Reintroduction of burbot to Britain
Where could burbot be reintroduced in Britain?
Understanding factors behind the decline of British burbot
Why reintroduce the burbot to Britain?
Averting harm in the reintroduction site
Averting harm in the donor site
Testing the feasibility of reintroduction
Growing momentum for the reintroduction of burbot to Britain
The Norfolk Rivers Trust reintroduction strategy
It’s about a lot more than burbot!
Chapter 7: Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
