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.