Can conservation targets for imperilled freshwater fishes and mussels be achieved by captive breeding and release programs? A systematic map protocol to determine available evidence

Abstract

Abstract Background Captive breeding programs are one of the many tools used by conservation practitioners as a means of conserving, supporting, and supplementing populations of imperilled species. Captive breeding programs exist around the globe for freshwater mussels and fishes, but the availability of evidence exploring the effectiveness of these programs has not yet been explored using systematic map criteria. This systematic map aims to identify, collate and describe the evidence that exists on the effectiveness of captive breeding programs, for the purpose of achieving conservation targets for imperilled freshwater fishes and mussels in the wild. The outputs of this systematic map will help to inform conservation managers and policy makers who are responsible for protecting imperilled freshwater species by identifying existing information and highlighting key information gaps for captive breeding programs operating in temperate regions. Methods This systematic map will search for, compile, and map existing literature on the effectiveness of captive breeding programs for the conservation of imperilled freshwater fishes and mussels. The systematic map will search using five bibliographic databases, two public search engines, and 19 specialist websites and will include both primary and grey literature. All studies that discuss details related to captive breeding programs for the conservation of imperilled freshwater fishes and/or mussels in temperate regions will be included in the map. The systematic map will produce a narrative report describing the evidence, including knowledge gaps evidence clusters, and a MS-Excel searchable database of articles and extracted metadata.

Keywords

• Species at risk
• Supportive breeding program
• Recovery initiative
• Hatchery
• Propagation
• Systematic map