Fishy Politics: The Asian Carp

For years we have heard of the battle surrounding the Asian carp. A species introduced in an effort to supply the domestic demand for a foreign species. Asian carp, being a highly sought after entree at many restaurants which cater to those of Asian descent, have since invaded many waterways in the United States. Their prolific growth requires mass amounts of food, thereby depleting food sources and negatively impacting native species.

The United States has failed to cull the population within our own borders, and now the problem threatens to spill over into Canada. In an effort to prevent this catastrophe, the Canadian government has made the possession of living Asian carp illegal. The threat, however, persists. In February, the border patrol confiscated 14,000 pounds of live Asian carp as they were being driven over the border. With carp market prices being astronomically high, making it exceptionally lucrative, it will be hard to stop the northern flow of this species.

Canada has asked that the U.S. to put more officers on the ground to assist with the prevention an Asian carp introduction. Sounds great, right? The U.S. can simply beef up regulation enforcement on our side of the border, and Canada can remain carp-free. Do U.S. taxpayers care enough to assist with the conservation of aquatic biodiversity outside our own borders? I would bet not, especially considering how many times we have fallen short within our own nation. With how far we are already in debt, we must prioritize our nation's spending. Conservation of fish species does not usually make it through the budget cuts. Charismatic creatures sometimes do, like the eastern bluebird, but fish? Nah, not unless it is a prized game-fish within our own borders.

Unfortunately, Canada's battle against the introduction of the Asian carp will likely be a battle they fight alone.

Predatory Politics Surrounding the Red Wolf

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/04/07/3156950/re-endangering-the-red-wolf.html#storylink=cpy

The red wolf (Canis rufus) is the only species of wolf native to the southeastern United States. Once abundant, the species was declared extinct in the wild by the USFWS in 1980. Following years of captive breeding, the USFWS reintroduced red wolves into the wild in 1987. Of multiple sites chosen for reintroduction, only Alligator River NWR was successful. Today, over 100 individuals live in the wilds of eastern North Carolina.

Currently, North Carolina's Wildlife Resources Commission is pushing to legalize the hunting of coyotes (Canis latrans) during nighttime hours. Red wolves bear a striking resemblance to coyotes, and are therefore potentially at risk if this legislation passes. Hunters have, for years, "accidentally" harvested red wolves when hunting coyotes.

Nighttime hunts would lead to an increased margin of error, and place this endangered species in further risk. This legislation, in no way, should be considered. It is my hope that the courts, by means of the Endangered Species Act, strike this bill down. Science states that hunting does not impact coyote populations, and therefore is an ineffective management tool. Why then would a bill with zero rewards, but the potential for massive losses, be considered? A group known as the NC Predator Hunters Association has been petitioning for this change of legislation for years.

I find the sheer idea of a predator hunting association to be vile. Those who must assert their reign as the ultimate apex predator through the killing of natural alpha predators have no place in the woods, and furthermore, certainly deserve no place at the table when it comes time to discuss policy changes. If you visit their page you will find a wide assortment of pictures chronicling their hunts: hunts reminiscent of the period prior to the establishment of laws protecting our natural resources. A period which devastated many species of wildlife.

Point being: NCWRC should nix this legislation before it ever gets off the ground, and they should base future management decisions off science, not the opinions of a small group of ignorant hunters.

Book Review for Where the Wild Things Were

 

Mr. Stolzenburg is a wildlife journalist by profession. His position as a science outsider provides a rather unique view, and makes the material more approachable to the general populace. The novel starts by chronicling a study performed on the starfish Pisaster ochraceous, and the interactions it had with other members of the tidal community in the chilly waters along the coast of Washington (state). This chapter establishes the theme of the book: the far-reaching implications of removing apex predators from ecosystems. The following chapters documented a wide array of ecosystems controlled by apex predators, and the problems caused by their removal. Stolzenburg established that many ecosystems fall into disarray following the removal of predators. The latter half of the book highlighted studies in which predators were reintroduced into ecosystem. Many of these studies found that ecosystems return to their previous "glory" following these reintroductions. 

The book ended by approaching some pretty controversial ideas. One such idea is of "rewilding" the North American continent. This plan would lead to the introduction of mega-fauna similar to what was present prior to the Pleistocene extinctions.  For example, elephants would be brought in to take the place of the now-extinct wooly mammoth. The idea being that these species could return the continent to a state similar to what was present prior to the Pleistocene extinctions.

Finally, you are left with the issue of shifting baselines. Is what you consider to be natural truly natural? It probably isn't as natural as you think.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in ecology, biodiversity, conservation, etc. It provides the reader with many answers, but also leaves questions unanswered, presumably because science has yet to provide definitive answers. It was thrilling to read this book, and I never wanted to set it down. As I read it for the first time sitting in the Sierras, my mind went wild with how those mountains might have once been. The boy in me imagined the howl of wolves in the valley below as they hunted down black-tailed deer foraging in the newly-green meadows. The ecologist in me wondered how that predatory pressure might alter deer behavior and spatial distribution, and thereby modify the composition of plant communities.

Read this book, it is more than worth your time.

Green Fire Review

I was thoroughly excited to view this film. Ever since it was first mentioned, I have made sure to keep the date open. However, upon viewing, I was quite disappointed, the film did not live up to what I had expected. The quote, from which the title was taken, was bastardized. Not once was it read in its entirety. Instead, small snippets were read on and off throughout the film. These snippets lacked the power of the original quote.

Additionally, many of the interview segments lacked anything of value. Tell me about the man, his legacy, etc, but don't let people of no importance speak of nothing more than who they perceive Aldo Leopold to have been.

Instead, I recommend that everyone watch The Greatest Good.

The Greatest Good is a film chronicling the history of the US Forest Service, and the many challenges it faced in its first 100 years. For a course based on policy, this is the perfect video. Throughout the film it is quite obvious how public sentiment has shaped policy, and how scientists are in a constant battle enact policy based on science, rather than the opinion of an ignorant populace.

The video may be found HERE

Is "The Lorax" Hope for the Future?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bHdzTUNw-4

Universal Studios has, just this past weekend, rolled out their new film based on a book by Dr. Seuss: The Lorax. For those who have spent their lives extremely sheltered, here is a summary of the plot: The planet has lost all of its trees to the progress of man. Streams are polluted and natural systems are in total disarray. A young man, wishing to see a tree, goes in search of one. While he never finds his tree, he does find the Lorax. The Lorax tells the boy of bygone days of flourishing forests, clean air, and clear streams. Upon the completion of the story, and judging the boy to be true in his intent to save the trees, the Lorax gives the boy a seed: the last tree seed in the world.

This sends my mind spinning in two directions. The first being, what a terrible place the world would be without its forests! What kind of people would do this? This question led to a realization that plenty of people would if it were financially lucrative. Unfortunately, many people currently inhabiting the planet lack a strong connection to the haunts of nature.

The second direction was: Will this movie change anything? I believe the answer is yes. The opinions of people are most malleable when they are young. Therefore, creating an animated movie which teaches a story of ethical land use could have major impacts on the future. Anything that encourages children to get outside and explore is positive for the planet, in my opinion.

Hopefully this movie successfully inspires future generations to fight for natural places. Without some change, I fear corporations will eventually run our natural resources into the ground.

Even if only a single individual is inspired, the implications could be enormous if fate leads that individual to a position of power. Just look how successful Roosevelt was in protecting our natural resources. Look at how much emphasis Ted Turner places on conservation. The moral of the story is: never underestimate the power of a highly motivated individual.

Chernobyl: Disaster or Salutary Lesson

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/radioactive-wolves/full-episode/7190/

Last year Nature aired an episode that thoroughly intrigued me. The program discussed how the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant had impacted wildlife. Quite to the contrary of what might be expected, the accident seems to have benefited nearly every species present.

Background Information: On April 26, 1985 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown. As a result, nearly 1100 square miles of land were be abandoned. Much of this area was once a vast wetland, but had since fallen to the progress of man in the form of dams, dikes, and irrigation canals. Farmland had been valued far above preservation of natural ecosystems.

With the total abandonment of these areas by humans, wildlife were allowed to reclaim the land. Wolves, once persecuted nearly to eradication, returned to rule the land. Beavers, bison, deer, peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles, and many other species also began to flourish in the absence of humans. Inadvertently, the area around Chernobyl had become the worlds largest research site for what would happen if people were removed from the land, and the results were promising. Even with the constant exposure to radiation, wildlife populations were thriving.

What is yet more promising is the governments willingness to assist in the research. Native species, such as the horse and bison, were reintroduced in an effort to recreate natural species assemblages.

This research gives me hope for the future. Hope that much of the damage caused by humanity is reversible. Hope that we have not yet completely doomed the world's biodiversity. Hope that we can preserve all creatures, from the wolf down to the deer mouse, if only we can bring about an environmental revolution.

This past weekend, at the Southeastern Ecological and Evolution Conference, it was commonly stated that future conservation must be based on triage, thus letting many species (and ecosystems) slip away, only to be remembered in the history books. Chernobyl has taught us that, with significant change/effort, we can preserve more species than ever thought possible.

Wolves in the East!

Photo Credit: USFWS

120: The number of red wolves living in the wilds of eastern North Carolina.

200: The number of red wolves currently in the USFWS's captive breeding program. 

46: The number of pups born in the wild in 2011.

18: The number of wolves remaining when the USFWS intervened in the 1970's.

Wolves have begun to spread throughout five counties in eastern North Carolina.  As they spread, they are sure to encounter human populations. How will these individuals perceive wolves? Will they see them as no more of a threat than a coyote, or will they inspire a fear reminiscent of their western counterpart, Canus lupus? After such a long absence, can they restore balance to the ecosystem? Will interbreeding with coyotes lead to the end of genetically pure red wolves?

These are all valid points, and only time/research will reveal the answers.

I, for one, hope that people welcome these creatures back to the lands they once roamed. Will there be conflict? Sure, but the end more than justifies the means. You will hear me say this over and over, but there is nothing in this world worth protecting more than biodiversity. If a species can win the evolutionary battle, it should be allowed to live through the era of man, and into whatever may come next.

From what I can see, these creatures seem to be getting along with people quite well thus far. Seeing as how they are much smaller than their western relatives, they pose much less of a threat to cattle (thankfully).

It is my hope that red wolves will one day be a symbol of successful conservation, much like the bald eagle and eastern bluebird.