ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on stocking of northern pike Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758 as a way to enhance populations, i. e., increase pike abundance, biomass or catches. It provides an overview of pike stocking, e.g. reasons why pike are stocked, typology and some historical and quantitative aspects of pike stocking. The chapter reviews studies that have assessed the effectiveness of pike stocking for population enhancement and discuss important factors affecting the outcomes of stocking as well as the risks that may be associated with stocking pike. Pike stocking was, and locally continues to be, a common measure used to manage pike populations. Stocking pike into self-recruiting populations often fails to increase the pike stock, especially when fry or fingerlings are stocked, but even then replacement effects are likely. Ecological and genetic adaptation to the conditions of the receiving environment is fundamental for successful stocking by affecting survival and recruitment success post-stocking.
