Restocking

Restocking is the release of hatchery-reared juveniles into the wild to rebuild a depleted fish or shellfish population, distinct from stock enhancement (releases above natural recruitment) and sea ranching (release-and-recapture). Practitioners produce seed from captive broodstock, acclimate it, and release at a size and season chosen to maximize survival. Effectiveness depends on habitat carrying capacity, genetic management of broodstock to avoid eroding wild diversity, and post-release monitoring through tagging. FAO classifies restocking, enhancement, and ranching under culture-based fisheries, and cautions that releases can fail or harm wild stocks if disease, genetics, or density are mismanaged.