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Obtaining reliable estimates of the effective number of breeders (Nb) and generational effective population size (Ne) for fishery‐important species is challenging because they are often iteroparous and highly abundant, which can lead to bias and imprecision. However, recent advances in understanding of these parameters, as well as the development of bias correction methods, have improved the capacity to generate reliable estimates. We utilized samples of both single‐cohort young of the year and mixed‐age adults from two geographically and genetically isolated stocks of the Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) to investigate the feasibility of generating reliable Nb and Ne estimates for a fishery species. Snapper is an abundant, iteroparous broadcast spawning teleost that is heavily exploited by recreational and commercial fisheries. Employing neutral genome‐wide SNPs and the linkage‐disequilibrium method, we determined that the most reliable Nb and Ne estimates could be derived by genotyping at least 200 individuals from a single cohort. Although our estimates made from the mixed‐age adult samples were generally lower and less precise than those based on a single cohort, they still proved useful for understanding relative differences in genetic effective size between stocks. The correction formulas applied to adjust for biases due to physical linkage of loci and age structure resulted in substantial upward modifications of our estimates, demonstrating the importance of applying these bias corrections. Our findings provide important guidelines for estimating Nb and Ne for iteroparous species with large populations. This work also highlights the utility of samples originally collected for stock structure and stock assessment work for investigating genetic effective size in fishery‐important species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative approaches to conservation management are critical to respond to the ongoing biodiversity crisis. However, local community involvement in many conservation actions is lacking, especially within translocation and reintroduction programs. Similarly, rapid integration of genetic information into collaborative programs with local communities is rarely conducted. Here, we describe a community‐based and collaborative reintroduction program for a threatened Australian freshwater fish, the southern pygmy perch (Nannoperca australis). We integrate on‐the‐ground translocation efforts by volunteers from local communities, captive breeding by a private aquarium business, and genetic analyses done by a research institution to provide a holistic framework for the reintroduction of southern pygmy perch. We evaluated genetic diversity, population structure, relatedness, and inbreeding across the duration of the reintroduction program using data from neutral and adaptive genomic markers. This allowed us to assess the ability of such a program to minimize inbreeding and retain genomic variation, and to promote adaptive potential of the reintroduced population. While genetic variation for the source populations was very low, we found no decrease in genetic diversity or increase in inbreeding across the program. These genetic findings support the efforts made by local communities and will further inform future reintroductions as part of a collaborative conservation framework. We expand on our empirical case study by describing a theoretical framework for integrating conservation genomics research with community‐led conservation management programs and identifying the benefits of such a collaboration. Our study highlights the importance of multifaceted and integrated conservation management approaches to effectively protect and manage threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]