James River

The 2011 catch index on the James River is 9.0, this is an increase from the 2010 index of 6.9. However, this is still well below the  peak catch index of 29.20 seen during the 1980's.  For the James River a historical mean catch rate of 6.40 is used as the restoration target. The 2011 mean catch rate for the James River is 4.50.  There has been persistent recruitment failure of wild stocks in the system. Prevalence of hatchery fish on the James River continues to be high(39% in 2011). The James River stock is heavily dependent on hatchery inputs. Stocking efforts of American shad on the James River have been reduced in recent years due to budget constraints. Overall, the  stock requires continued protection and hatchery-based restoration.