<1> 11/08/94 ag508 AQUATIC SURVIVAL Bulletin of the Aquatic Conservation Network Volume 3, Number 1 - March 1994 Aquarists Dedicated to the Preservation of Aquatic Life ISSN 1188-553X (unformatted version) The Aquatic Conservation Network is a Canadian Registered Charity #0953471-52 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8 Tel. (613) 729-4670. Fax. (613) 729-5613. CompuServe 71022,3537 Internet rob@pinetree.org OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca *********** Aquatic Conservation Network DIRECTORS Henrik Hornhaver Skovengen 151 Kokkedal DK-2980, Denmark Tel: (009 45) 42 24 97 29 Dennis Hough 3626 Glenwood Springs Dr., Kingwood, Texas 77345, USA Tel: (713) 360-9549 Fax: (713) 360-0855 CompuServe: 73652,27 Roger Langton (President) 556 W. Cedar Place Louisville, Colorado 80027, U.S.A. Tel: (303) 673-0673 Fax: (303) 673-0673 Paul Loiselle Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation Surf Ave. & West 8th Street Brooklyn, New York 11224, U.S.A. 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Annual membership is $25.00 (Canadian or U.S.) Aquatic Conservation Network 540 Roosevelt Avenue Ottawa, Ontario Canada K2A 1Z8 Tel: (613) 729-4670 Fax: (613) 729-5613 CompuServe: 71022,3537 Internet: rob@pinetree.org OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca *********** Information Exchange If your organization participates in research or programs associated with the conservation or captive breeding of endangered aquatic life, freshwater or marine, please put the Aquatic Conservation Network on your mailing list and ask us to do the same for you. *********** INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF AQUARIST ORGANIZATIONS Published by the Aquatic Conservation Network Order your copy today! <3> 11/08/94 ag508 ENDANGERED ISLANDS AND ANCIENT LAKES: ACHIEVABLE CONSERVATION GOALS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY by Paul V. Loiselle Part 1 [This paper was presented at the 3rd International Aquariology Conference held at the New England Aquarium, 25-29 April, 1993 and will appear in the forthcoming Proceedings of that meeting. The Conference organizers have given their kind permission to preprint it herein.] In response to the well-documented (Wilson, 1992) and amply warranted concern over the loss of global biodiversity, zoological parks and public aquaria have substantially redefined their missions (Foose, 1984; Tudge, 1992). The activities of these institutions are increasingly focused on affecting conservation through a mix of captive breeding programs, habitat protection and public education. While zoos and public aquaria share a common goal in this respect, their activities in support of conservation emphasize different aspects of this triad. Zoos allocate a significant percentage of their resources to captive breeding programs, which often have a significant field component. Public aquaria, in contrast, have tended to view their mission as primarily one of conservation education. There are several reasons for this dichotomy. The desirability of breeding large terrestrial animals in captivity was established as a integral past of most zoos' corporate culture long before the relevance of such activity to conservation programs was fully appreciated. Initially, these efforts were in large measure motivated by a desire to lessen reliance upon wild-caught animals for display, a state of affairs fraught with difficulties even fifty years ago, when such specimens were far more readily obtainable. Given the unquestioned magnitude of the threats now confronting most of the "charismatic megavertebrates" in nature, organized captive breeding programs now represent the only means of assuring the availability of such animals for display. This observation is not meant to denigrate either the expanding commitment of zoos to captive breeding programs or their real importance in the growing battle to conserve a meaningful fraction of the earth's wealth of life (Tudge, 1992). Its object is rather to help place the far less dramatic commitment of public aquaria to this aspect of conservation in its appropriate perspective. Public aquaria, in contrast, have traditionally relied - and largely continue to rely - upon outside suppliers for the great majority of the animals they display. Tropical freshwater and marine organisms are readily available at reasonable prices through the ornamental fish trade, while government-run hatcheries and commercial fishermen can be counted upon to supply many temperate freshwater and marine animals at bearable cost. Marine mammals apart, the regulatory obstacles facing an institution that wishes to collect representatives of its local aquatic fauna are minimal and in most jurisdictions, even these will be waived in consideration of its educational mission. The interaction of these factors has historically furnished a strong disincentive to committing significant institutional resources to captive breeding efforts for display purposes. The overwhelmingly marine orientation of most public aquaria has also impelled them to focus upon conservation education at the expense of captive breeding programs. This focus on such issues as ocean dumping and other forms of pollution or drift-net fishing is understandable. The threats facing the marine environment tend obviously to bear upon whole ecosystems rather than single species, while the most notable exceptions to this pattern, the great whales, are unpromising candidates for captive breeding. One also suspects that an intense focus upon the marine realm has blinded many aquarium professionals the actual distribution of global aquatic biodiversity. While freshwater habitats account for less than .01% of all water on earth, they are, by a very conservative estimate, home to 39% of the estimated 22,000 extant fish species (Berra, 1981; Cohen, 1970; Nelson, 1984). The Amazon basin alone supports c. 3000 fish species. This fauna is more speciose than that of the entire Atlantic Ocean and warrants comparison with the global total of 4000 mammal species (Smith, 1992). Nor are fish the only group of organisms well represented in the freshwater realm. In its unmodified state, the Mississippi basin supported c. 500 species of shelled mollusks (Pennak, 1989), a total that compares favorably with the 542 species of analogous mollusks to be found along the Atlantic littoral from Nova Scotia to Florida (Emerson and Jacobson, 1976). This state of affairs reflects the fact that biodiversity in freshwater aquatic ecosystems is distributed in a manner fundamentally different from that usually seen in the terrestrial or marine realms. Freshwater biotopes tend to be highly disjunct and are often of limited extent, while their residents are characterized by very low mobility. Dry land and salt water are equally effective barriers to the dispersal of freshwater animals. These factors interact to promote extensive allopatric speciation. As a result, biodiversity in freshwater faunas tends to be high even in areas where the total number of species present at any given locality is very low, such as the deserts of western North America (Smith, 1992). Ecosystems able to support larger numbers of species, such as the African Great Lakes, manifest levels of biodiversity that can only be described as spectacular (Fryer and Iles, 1972). Unfortunately, the same factors that have led to high levels of biodiversity in the freshwater realm place it at unusually high risk. High levels of endemism combined with inability to disperse means that loss of a given habitat results in the extinction of the species native to it. While this observation applies equally to the terrestrial and marine realms, its practical consequences in this instance stem from the fact that freshwater biotopes are peculiarly susceptible to a wide range of anthropogenic impacts. On the physical/chemical level, these can be either direct, e.g., modification of stream flow by damming, desiccation caused by overexploitation of ground water or indirect, e.g., siltation following clear-cutting of watershed forests, eutrophication or pollution by toxic chemicals. The relatively modest dimensions of most freshwater habitats render them particularly vulnerable, but the history of the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Colorado and Rio Grande Rivers demonstrates that not even the largest bodies of fresh water are immune to the effects of these processes (Edwards and Contreras, 1992; Miller, 1961; Williams and Nowak, 1986). On the biotic level, the essentially insular character of many freshwater faunas renders them extremely susceptible to disruption by exotic species. Lacustrine endemics in particular are characterized by reduced fecundity and greater parental investment per propagule relative to their nearest extralacustrine relatives (Fryer and Iles, 1972; Ogutu-Ohwayo, 1990; Kottelat, 1990a). Such K-selected life history characteristics effectively preclude a compensatory response to increased predation pressure, whether from an exotic carnivore or intensified fishing efforts. However, the negative effects of naturalized exotics are by no means limited to predation upon native species. The life history characteristics that make a species a good aquaculture subject or bait fish also make it a good colonizer (Stauffer, 1984). Such ecological opportunists are particularly efficient exploiters of disturbed habitats, which may account for their documented ability to displace native species from habitats modified in some manner by human activity (Edwards and Contreras, 1992; Miller, 1961; Miller _et al._ 1989; Reinthal and Stiassny, 1991). In light of these observations, it is hardly surprising that freshwater biodiversity is so seriously threatened. By current estimate, 30% of North American freshwater fish species have been officially designated as threatened or endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Williams _et al._ 1989). The situation is particularly grave in the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where entire regional faunas have been totally extirpated when their habitats were destroyed by the mining of ground water (Contreras, 1978; Miller _et al._ 1989; Smith, 1992). As Table 1 makes painfully clear, the near-term prospects of this ichthyofauna, far from showing any sign of improvement, are growing steadily worse. Lack of reliable baseline data and a scarcity of qualified field workers makes it more difficult to assess the situation in other parts of the world with comparable accuracy. However, such data as do exist from other faunal regions offer little basis for optimism. The fragmentation of formerly extensive stands of lowland rainforest in West Africa and Southeast Asia has undoubtedly led to a loss of much fish habitat and significantly altered the properties of such streams as persist. This presumably accounts for the failure of a recent survey to find approximately 60% of the freshwater fishes reported from tropical lowland sites in peninsular Malaysia in the 1930's and 1940's when those same sites were revisited. Habitat loss or alteration is likewise clearly responsible for the fact that 18 of the 53 fish species reported from the island of Singapore in 1934 are not to be found there today (Moshlin and Ambak. 1983). Notwithstanding an impressive and growing list of ecological disasters provoked by the introduction of exotic fishes into lacustrine ecosystems (Barel, C. D. N. _et al._, 1985; Contreras and Escalante, 1984; DeBuen, 1941; Kornfield and Echelle, 1984; Reinthal and Stiassny, 1991; Welcomme, 1984; Zaret and Paine, 1973), their translocation by local authorities, usually as an adjunct to fisheries development schemes, continues throughout the world (Whitten _et al._, 1987). Equally alarming is the successful naturalization throughout the tropics of a suite of species commonly used as aquaculture subjects. Doubtless the local government agencies that supported such exercises never intended the establishment of feral populations of these fish within their jurisdictions. However, experience has shown both that escapes from culture are inevitable and that once an exotic species has gained a foothold in an alien setting, its further spread is inevitable. Thus the growing role played by the Mozambique tilapia, _Oreochromis mossambicus_, in the ecology of rivers as far apart as in Madagascar, Sri Lanka, New Guinea and Taiwan (Coates, 1987; deSilva and Senaratne, 1988; Reinthal and Stiassny, 1991). However unpredictable the effects of such introductions upon native fishes may be, there is absolutely no question of their permanence. While there are documented cases of the successful removal of an exotic from isolated habitats of limited extent (Hubbs, 1980), no one has yet succeeded in eradicating a naturalized species from an entire river basin (Magnuson, 1976; McCann, 1984; Stauffer, 1984). The need to promptly implement effective conservation efforts in the freshwater realm is clear and obvious. Failure to do so will inevitably add to the already depressingly long list of extinct aquatic species. This being the case, we must consider two issues today. The first is how best to assure the survival of threatened freshwater biotas. The second, of more immediate import, has to do with the role that public aquaria can play in this process. There is no question that the option of choice in any conservation effort is to maintain viable populations of threatened organisms in some reasonably intact portion of their natural range. Captive breeding programs represent a last resort for any species and should always have as their ultimate goal restoration of the organism to its native habitat (Tudge, 1992). It is certainly worth exploring all approaches to maintaining populations of freshwater organisms in place in any discussion of long-term conservation strategies. Regrettably, conservation _in situ_ is very often not a practical alternative for freshwater organisms. The usual option available in the case of terrestrial species, setting side a protected zone that comprises a reasonable portion of a species range, is much more difficult to accomplish in the freshwater realm (Smith, 1992). Threats to freshwater ecosystems, be they toxic chemicals, physical alteration of the habitat or exotic invaders, are effectively impossible to localize. Protection of freshwater biotopes is thus an all or nothing proposition. To further complicate the issue, many freshwater organisms are point endemics. This leaves conservationists with no margin for error. When organisms occur in only one locality, any lapse in measures implemented protect the integrity of their habitat leads to total failure of the effort and probable loss of the fauna in question. This argues that even in instances where effective conservation _in situ_ appears feasible, simple prudence dictates the establishment of a secure captive breeding population as insurance against unforseen events. The second difficulty stems from the fact that once compromised, aquatic biotopes are not easily restored to their pre-impact condition. One could, in theory, return the hydrological regime of the Colorado River to a reasonable approximation of its original state by removing all of the dams that have been constructed along its length during the 20th century. As a practical proposition, this is unlikely to occur any time in the foreseeable future and even were it to occur, the issue of the numerous exotic species successfully naturalized in the Colorado River basin would remain to be addressed. Yet as long as the dams and exotics remain in place, many of the distinctive fishes endemic to the Colorado basin are precluded from maintaining viable populations in their native habitat. The continuing presence of the Nile perch likewise renders questionable any attempts to conserve many of Lake Victoria's native cichlids _in situ_, much less reintroduce species extirpated from the lake but presently under captive management. In view of present rates of progress in the field of genetic engineering, it would be imprudent to despair of ever finding a means of selectively eradicating naturalized exotics. However, given the immediacy of the dangers they face, captive breeding programs represent the only realistic means of assuring the survival of most threatened species in the short term. This said, it is necessary to examine the implications of such a commitment. Because captive breeding is essentially an interim conservation measure, such programs should always be designed with the aim of returning their subjects to nature. In the case of terrestrial organisms, this has largely been a matter of releasing captive bred individuals of an endangered or extirpated species to the wild (Foose, 1984; Tudge, 1992). Such programs may sometimes be workable for freshwater organisms, but in many cases, the task facing the conservation biologists will actually be the restoration of entire ecosystems to some reasonable approximation of their aboriginal condition. This being the case, the single species approach, as exemplified by the Species Survival Programs sanctioned by the I.U.C.N. and mandated by the United States' Endangered Species Act, may not be the most productive method of conserving freshwater organisms. Certainly the limited success to date of efforts to remove North American desert fishes from the U.S. government's official list of endangered species (Williams _et al._, 1989) suggests a need to explore alternative approaches. Given a long-term commitment to restoring managed species to nature, it follows that the more of a community's component species that can be saved by captive breeding, the greater the likelihood of successfully restoring a functioning semblance of that community at some future date. Thus relatively unimpacted faunas or those still totally intact but at high potential risk are better candidates for captive breeding programs than are those that have suffered significant losses of component species. There is a further advantage to such a proactive approach to the design of captive breeding programs. Securing a selection of founders that represent a reasonable cross section of a species' genetic diversity is likely to contribute the success of both long-term managed breeding of endangered fishes and their reintroduction (Meffe, 1986). However, doing so from a population already _in extremis_ is at best very difficult and may very well prove impossible (Miller _et al._, 1989). This problem can be avoided if founders are drawn from a robust, essentially intact breeding population. Both the magnitude of the problem and a realistic appreciation of available resources dictate a tighter focusing of institutional efforts along these lines. It is clearly beyond the abilities of public aquaria to save all of the freshwater organisms at risk of extinction. As a professional community we cannot even guarantee a secure place for every endangered freshwater fish. Space limitations preclude a role for public aquaria in captive breeding programs for large species, such as the Colorado River cyprinids and catostomids, sturgeons, Pacific salmon or tropical osteoglossids. These fish are properly subjects for pond culture and are best managed by traditional fish hatcheries constructed close to their native waters. Long-term culture of many small North American species clearly is within the realm of practicality for most public aquaria. However, many of these species enjoy statutory protection in the United States and as such are the beneficiaries of government conservation programs at the state or Federal level. While collaborative relationships between public aquaria and these agencies are desirable for many reasons and should certainly be pursued, a large-scale commitment of institutional resources to the captive breeding of such officially listed North American fishes would represent an unjustified duplication of effort given the magnitude of the global threat to aquatic biodiversity. Public aquaria can most usefully contribute to the preservation of aquatic biodiversity by focusing their efforts upon the long-term captive propagation of tropical freshwater species. The threats to these ecosystems are real and increase daily in magnitude, yet the countries within which they are situated often lack the material and human resources to effectively protect them. Captive breeding of these animals represents a means of preserving future _in situ_ conservation options for their people. Particular emphasis should be placed on reasonably intact faunas characterized by high levels of endemicity and generally perceived to be of scientific interest. Practical considerations dictate that the primary focus of such captive breeding programs be on freshwater fish, whose husbandry is a relatively straightforward matter. However, tropical waters support a rich invertebrate fauna that also warrants conservation, ranging from sponges to snails and decapod crustaceans. Table 2. lists seven tropical ichthyofaunas that meet these criteria, summarizes a number of their relevant characteristics and indicates the threats each faces. More detailed information on these biotopes and their associated fishes can be found in Appendix I (see Part 2 of this article in the next issue of _Aquatic Survival_). All of these ecosystems are at serious risk, but their ichthyofaunas differ in the degree to which they have been impacted by human activity. The Malagasy freshwater fish fauna is the most seriously compromised, with four documented extinctions of native species (Stiassny, 1990; Reinthal and Stiassny, 1991). Madagascar supports the largest complement of naturalized exotics (Reinthal and Stiassny, 1991) and represents the severest instance of environmental degradation (Jolly _et al._, 1984). At the other extreme, the Cameroonian crater lakes Barombi Mbo and Bermin have to date been spared the establishment of exotic species and been otherwise subjected to minimal anthropogenic disturbance. However, their small size and oligotrophic character render them particularly sensitive to any modification of their catchment area (Dominey, _in litteris_; Reid, 1990; Schliewen, 1991). All of these ichthyofaunas are characterized by a high degree of endemism and all are deemed to be of considerable scientific interest. The intended beneficiaries of such proactive intervention belong for the most part to families whose husbandry requirements are simple. Most of the fish in question are small, easily spawned species. As such they are clearly amenable to long-term captive breeding in a public aquarium setting. None is presently the focus of organized _in_ or _ex situ_ conservation efforts. Although the logistic difficulties involved in such a project may be substantial, there exist no insurmountable regulatory obstacles to securing wild founder stock of any of these species. In any event, many are already more or less well established in the ornamental fish trade and available through either commercial channels or specialty hobbyist organizations. These fishes have considerable display potential. Indeed, most public aquaria could exhibit the entire ichthyofauna of any of the listed lakes without difficulty. The situation is clearly otherwise for New Guinea or even Madagascar. No single institution has the resources to display the entire non-anadromous freshwater fish fauna of either island, much less to maintain so many species on a long-term basis. However, most public aquaria could easily mount an exhibit devoted to the fauna of a particular river system or lake and implement a captive breeding program devoted to its fishes. Kutubu, the most speciose of New Guinea's highland lakes and its effluent, the Soro River, for example, support only fourteen species, all endemic (Allen, 1984, 1985; Allen and Hoese, 1986, 1991; Munro, 1964; Crowley and Ivanstoff, 1992). Such exhibits are likely to be well received by the public and can be used to convey a powerful conservation message. Indeed, there is no reason why they cannot serve as focal points for institutional campaigns in support of the conservation of their subjects _in situ_. A starting point for such efforts would be to assist a zoo, aquarium or natural history museum in the fishes' country of origin mount a comparable display for the benefit of its citizens. The cost of such an endeavor need not be prohibitive, while the return on such an investment is incalculable. The survival of these fishes in nature or failing that, their return to their native waters will not happen without local support. Familiarizing the people of New Guinea, Indonesia, Madagascar Cameroon and Mexico with the fishes that they must ultimately steward is the essential first step towards building the constituency needed to support such efforts. In 1982, Kornfield warned the scientific community that the endemic cyprinid species flock of Lake Lanao on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines was in imminent danger of extinction due to the long-term effects of a hydroelectric plant on lake levels and the impact of introduced predators and competitors. His impassioned plea that a captive breeding program be immediately implemented for these distinctive and poorly understood fishes went unheeded. Two years later, it was his task (Kornfield, 1984) to report the extinction of four endemic genera and sixteen species of Lanao cyprinids. Failing prompt intervention by qualified professionals, the bottled remnants of Lake Lanao's fishes can look forward to plenty of company as a steady procession of freshwater fish species make the one-way migration from the wild to the shelves of the world's museums. As aquarium professionals, we may be tempted to overlook the Lanao debacle on the grounds that Kornfield addressed his plea to the wrong audience - the husbandry and breeding of endangered fishes are not activities that fall traditionally within the purview of systematic ichthyologists and evolutionary geneticists. However, should the aquarium community allow the ichthyofaunas singled out in this paper to disappear, it will not be able to excuse its inaction by pleading ignorance. This audience commands the expertise and resources to assure the future of these fishes. It now remains to be seen if it possesses the will to take up the challenge of saving the fishes of these endangered islands and ancient lakes. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper owes its genesis to a suggestion made over dinner by Lou Garibaldi and Ulysses Seal at the 1992 A.A.Z.P.A. Convention in Toronto. Its writing was preceded by and benefitted greatly from informal discussions with members of the A.A.Z.P.A.'s Freshwater Fish Taxon Advisory Group. I would like to thank George Barlow, Heiko Bleher, Salvador Contreras B., Donald Danko, Wallace Dominey, Gordon Reid, Peter Reinthal and Melanie Stiassny for sharing their perspectives on the conservation status of many of the ichthyofaunas discussed herein. Heiko Bleher, Don Conkel, Gary Lange, Jim Langhammer and Doug Sweet provided invaluable data on the availability of captive stocks of many of their component species. [Part Two of this paper will appear in the next issue of _Aquatic Survival_ and consists of detailed appendices relating to conservation priority ichthyofaunas]. LITERATURE CITED Allen, G. R. 1984. A new species of freshwater grunter (Pisces: Teraponidae) from New Guinea. _Rec. West Austr. Mus._ 11: 393- 397. Allen, G.R. 1985. Descriptions of two new species of freshwater catfishes (Plotosidae) from Papua New Guinea. _Rec. West Austr. Mus._ 12: 247- 256. Allen, G.R. 1992. In search of the Kamaka Rainbow. _T. F. H. Magazine_ 40: 126- 145. Allen, G. R. and N. J. Cross. 1982. _Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea._ T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City. Allen, G. R. and D. F. Hoese. 1986. The eleotrid fishes of Lake Kutubu, Papua New Guinea, with descriptions of four new species. _Rec. West Austr. Mus._ 13: 79 - 100. 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Fryer, G. and T. D. Iles. 1972. _The Cichlid Fishes of the Great Lakes of Africa._ Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh. Hernandez-Rolon, A. 1984. A pink form of _Cichlasoma fenestratum_ (Gunther 1860). _J. Amer. Cichlid Assoc._ (102): 8 - 10. Green, J. and S. A. Corbet. 1972. Ecology of the lake. _In_: Trewavas, E. _et al._ Ecological studies on crater lakes in West Cameroon: Fishes of Lake Barombi Mbo. _Proc.Zool. Soc. Lond._ 167: 41 - 95. Hubbs, C. 1980. The solution to the _Cyprinodon bovinus_ problem: Eradication of a pupfish genome. _Proc. 10th Ann. Symp. Desert Fishes Council_, pp. 9 - 18. Hubbs, C. L. and R. R. Miller. 1977. Six distinctive cyprinid fish species referred to _Dionda_ inhabiting segments of the Tampico Embayment drainage of Mexico. _Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist._ 18: 271 - 235. Jolly, A. _et al._ 1984. _Madagascar._ Pergamon Press, Oxford. Kornfield, I. 1982. Report from Mindanao. _Copeia_ (2): 493 - 495. Kornfield, I. and K. Carpenter. 1984. Cyprinids of Lake Lanao, Philippines: Taxonomic validity, evolutionary rates and speciation scenarios. _In_: Echelle, A. A. and I. Kornfield (Eds.) _Evolution of Fish Species Flocks_, University of Maine Press, Orono, pp. 69 - 84. Kornfield, I. and A. A. Echelle. 1984. Who's tending the flock? _In_: Echelle, A. E. and I. Kornfield (Eds.) _Evolution of Fish Species Flocks_, University of Maine Press, Orono, pp. 251 - 254. Kottelat, M. 1989a. Die Susswasser-Fauna von Sulawesi. _D.A.T.Z._ 42: 555 - 558. Kottelat, M. 1989b. Der Matano-See. _D.A.T.Z._ 42: 616 - 618. Kottelat, M. 1989c. Der Towuti-See. _D.A.T.Z._ 42: 681 - 684. Kottelat, M. 1990a. The ricefishes (Oryziidae) of the Malili Lakes, Sulawesi, Indonesia, with description of a new species. _Icthyol. Explor. Freshwaters_ 1: 151 - 166. Kottelat, M. 1990b. Sulawesi: Der Mahalona-See. _D.A.T.Z._ 43: 485 - 488. Kottelat, M. 1990c. Sailfin silversides (Pisces: Telmatherinidae) of Lakes Towuti, Mahalona and Wawantoa (Sulawesi, Indonesia), with description of two new genera and two new species. _Icthyol. Explor. Freshwaters_ 1: 227 - 246. Kottelat, M. 1991. Sailfin silversides (Pisces: Telmatherinidae) of Lake Matano, Sulawesi, Indonesia, with description of six new species. _Icthyol. Explor. Freshwaters_ 1: 321 - 344. Larson, H. K. and M. Kottelat. 1992. A new species of _Mugilogobius_ (Pisces: Gobiidae) from Lake Matano, central Sulawesi, Indonesia. _Icthyol. Explor. Freshwaters_ 1: 225 - 234. Magnuson, J. J. 1976. Managing with exotics - a game of chance. _Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc._ 105: 1 - 9. Mayland, H. J. 1984. _Mittelamerika: Cichliden und Lebendegebarende._ Landbuch Verlag, Hannover. McCann, J. A. 1984. Preface. _In_: Courtenay, W. R. and J. R. Stauffer (Eds.) _Distribution, Biology and Management of Exotic Fishes_, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp. ix - x. Meffe, G. K. 1986. Conservation genetics and the management of endangered fishes. _Fisheries_ 11: 14 - 23. Miller, R. R. 1961. Man and the changing fish fauna of the American southwest. _Papers Michigan Acad. Science, Arts and Letters_ 46: 365 - 404. Miller, R.R. 1975. Five new species of Mexican poeciliid fishes of the genera _Poecilia_, _Gambusia_ and _Poeciliopsis_. _Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan_ (627): 1 - 44. Miller, R. R. _et al._ 1989. Extinctions of North American fishes during the past century. _Fisheries_ 14: 22 - 38. Moshin, A. K. M. and M. A. Ambak. 1983. _Freshwater Fishes of Peninsular Malaysia_. University Pertanian Malaysia Press, Kuala Lumpur. Munro, I. S. R. 1964. Additions to the fish fauna of New Guinea. _Papua New Guinea Agr. J._ 16: 141 - 186. Munro, I. S. R. 1967. _The Fishes of New Guinea._ Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries, Port Moresby. Nelson, J. S. 1984. _Fishes of the World._ John Wiley and Sons, New York. Ogutu-Ohwayo, R. 1990. The decline of the native fishes of Lakes Victoria and Kyoga (East Africa) and the impact of introduced species, especially the Nile perch, _Lates niloticus_, and the Nile tilapia, _Oreochromis mossambicus_. _Env. Biol. Fishes_ 27: 81 - 96. Parenti, L. R. and G. R. Allen. 1991. Fishes of the Gogol River and other coastal habitats, Makang Province, Papua New Guinea. _Icthyol. Explor. Freshwaters_ 1: 307 - 320. Pennak, R. W. 1989. _Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States. Protozoa to Mollusca_. Third edition. John Wiley and Sons, New York. Reid, G. M. 1990. Threatened fishes of Barombi Mbo, a crater lake in Cameroon. _J. Fish Biol._ 37(Supplement A): 209 - 211. Reinthal, P. N. and M. L. J. Stiassny. 1991. The freshwater fishes of Madagascar: A study of an endangered fauna with recommendations for a conservation strategy. _Conservation Biol._ 5: 231 - 243. Roberts, T. R. 1978. An ichthyofaunal survey of the Fly River in Papua New Guinea with descriptions of new species. _Smithson. Contr. zool._ (281): 169 - 182. Rosen, D. E. 1960. Middle American poeciliid fishes of the genus _Xiphophorus_. _Bull. Florida State Mus. (Biol. Sci.)_ 5: 57 - 242. Schliewen, U. 1991. Die Cichliden der Kameruner Kraterseen. _D.A.T.Z. Aquarien Terrarien_. 44: 32 - 37. Smith, M. L. 1992. Biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. _Aquatic Survival_ 1: 1 - 3. Stiassny, M. L. J. 1990. Notes on the anatomy and relationships of the bedotiid fishes of Madagascar, with a taxonomic revision of the genus _Rheocles_ (Atherinomorpha: Bedotiidae). _Amer. Mus, Novitates_ (2979): 1 - 33. Stiassny, M. L. J. _et al._ 1992. A new species flock of cichlids from Lake Bermin, Cameroon, with a description of eight new species of _Tilapia_. _Icthyol. Explor. Freshwaters_ 3: 311 - 346. Stauffer, J. R. 1984. Colonization theory relative to introduced populations. _In_: Courtenay, W. R. and J. R. Stauffer (Eds.) _Distribution, Biology and Management of Exotic Fishes_, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp. 8 - 21. Trewavas, E. 1962. Fishes of the crater lakes of Northwestern Cameroons. _Bonn. zool. Beitr._ 13: 146 - 192. Trewavas, E. _et al._ 1972. Ecological studies on crater lakes in West Cameroon: Fishes of Lake Barombi Mbo. _Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond._ 167: 41 - 95. Tudge, C. 1992. _Last Animals at the Zoo: How Mass Extinction Can be Stopped._ Island Press, Washington, D.C. Welcomme, R. R. 1984. Intentional transfer of inland fish species. _In_: Courtenay, W. R. and J. R. Stauffer (Eds.) _Distribution, Biology and Management of Exotic Fishes_, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp. 22 - 40. Whitten, A. J. _et al._ 1987. One or more extinctions from Sulawesi, Indonesia. _Conservation Biol._ 1: 42 - 48. Williams, J. D. and R. M. Nowak. 1986. Vanishing species in our own backyard: Extinct fish and wildlife of the United States and Canada. _In_: Kaufman, L. K. and K. Mallory (Eds.) _The Last Extinction_, The MIT Press, Cambridge, pp. 107 - 139. Williams, J. E. _et al._ 1985. Endangered aquatic ecosystems of North American deserts with a list of vanishing species of the region. _J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci_. 20: 1 - 62. Williams, J. E. _et al._ 1989. Fishes of North America endangered, threatened or of special concern: 1989. _Fisheries_ 14: 2 - 20. Wilson, E. O. 1992. _The Diversity of Life_. Belknap Press, Cambridge. Zaret, T. M. and R. T. Paine. 1973. Species introduction in a tropical lake. _Science_ 182: 449 - 455 * [Paul V. Loiselle is the Curator of Freshwater Fishes at the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, Surf Ave. & West 8th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11224, U.S.A.] TABLES Endangered Islands and Ancient Lakes: Achievable Conservation Goals for the Twenty-First Century Table 1. Changing Conservation Status of North American Desert Fishes. Status 1979 1989 _______________________________________________________________ Threatened 30 33 Endangered 39 63 Extinct 25 38 _______________________________________________________________ Table 2. Candidate Ichthyofaunas for Captive Breeding Programs Native Major Locality Species % Endemism Groups Threat(s) _________________________________________________________________ Madagascar 59 [31*] 75% Cichlidae, exotics [15], Bedotiidae deforestation La Medialuna, 8 63% Cichlidae, exotics [5], Mexico Cyprinidae groundwater extraction Lago Catemaco, 8 44% Cichlidae, exotics [5], Mexico Poeciliidae eutrophication Malili Lakes, 29 100% Telmatherinidae, exotics [3], Sulawesi, Gobiidae, deforestation Indonesia Oryziidae New Guinea 142 [106*] 73% Melanotaeniidae, exotics [5], Eleotridae, deforestation Gobiidae Barombi Mbo, 17 71% Cichlidae, eutrophication, Cameroon Cyprinodontidae exotics Lake Bermin, 11 82% Cichlidae, eutrophication, Cameroon exotics ___________________________________________________________________ * non-anadromous species <4> 11/08/94 ag508 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE The election of the first Board of Directors represents an important step in the short history of the Aquatic Conservation Network. Now there are seven individuals who share the responsibility for developing programs that further the aims of the association. No doubt it will take time to get organized but already many of the procedural mechanisms are in place. Rob Huntley will continue to do much of the day to day work of the organization in his role as General Manager. In fact, without the persistent efforts and sacrifices of Rob, the ACN would not now be in a position to make a contribution to the conservation of the world's threatened fish fauna. All of us owe him a debt of gratitude for his pioneering efforts. During the next few months, aggressive efforts will be made to begin captive breeding programs for fish that are threatened in the wild. The BOD is currently discussing a pilot project to begin breeding a species or two using the appropriate protocols. This will help us determine the amount of support we currently have among amateur aquarists. Shortly, we expect the Madagascar Project to come on line which will further test the capacity of this organization's members to participate in long-term captive breeding programs. Developing a network of conservation aquarists who are willing to be part of a disciplined breeding and maintenance program will be our greatest challenge. One of the aims of the ACN is to help educate aquarists about how to incorporate conservation values into the day-to-day care of aquarium fish. An affiliate club program is being discussed in which local and national aquarium clubs will join with us and agree to support certain values and behaviours that will further the goals of conservation. for example, one of the goals might be the development of breeder award programs that reward aquarists for long-term breeding of a single species rather than encouraging people to change species regularly to get breeder award points. Given the value-driven need to preserve each species currently available to aquarists, programs that encourage short-term breeding will become, hopefully, obsolete. The ultimate goal will be to encourage aquarium clubs to participate in the ACN's captive breeding programs. Given the number of species currently threatened with extinction, it is highly appropriate that those who have enjoyed keeping fish in their homes take some of the responsibility to preserve them for future generations. There are few advocates for the world's fish species and we have to be counted among them if there is any chance that more than a few dozen species will be saved through captive breeding. Public and professional aquariums simply do not have the space or human resources to maintain more than a few species. habitat protection must always be our first line of defense, but given the current growth rate of human population and the subsequent increased pressures upon limited resources, there will be more an more species without homes. The ACN is leading us into unknown territory and within the next few years we will learn what role we can play to help slow down this unprecedented rate of extinction among the world's plants and animals. Those of you under the age of forty are likely to see the day when the last rhino and tiger disappear from the wild. The disappearance of many of the world's fishes is likely to go unnoticed unless we work together to make this effort successful. Roger Langton <5> 11/08/94 ag508 LETTERS Plymouth and District Aquarists' and Pondkeepers' Society It was with great relief when we as a society was introduced to the ACN by way of one of our members Dr. Peter Burgess. Here at last a chance for the dedicated hobbyist to join forces with the scientific establishment on the subject of fish conservation through captive breeding projects. We as a society have been around for a long time, since 1948. We are currently running with an active membership of about 50 people. Affiliated to the Federation of British Aquatic Societies (FBAS), and can proudly boast to have the President of said federation as a member of our society. There is within the society an active fish breeding section, who is at present forming a species control list of all fish held by society members. This will be contained on data base. From this we will note any fish on the endangered species list, and start breeding projects for such fish. It will also inform members breeding a certain species where they could obtain males or females if they were to lose either of the sexes. The list is brought up to date at regular intervals. We have a history of having some of the top fish breeders in the British Isles. We have at present the resources to enable all types of controlled captive breeding programmes. a) We have the experienced fish breeders for such projects. Two of them have been involved in the breeding of fish for more than 30 years. b) We have the use of controlled fish houses owned by society members; the capacity ranging from 20 to 50 tanks (One is at present being expanded to house up to 100 tanks). c) To enhance the scientific side we have close contacts with the fish biology group of Plymouth University. Three of this group are members of our society. d) There are members that contribute regular fish breeding articles to national fish keeping magazines. e) All types of fish are being bred by club members and include species rarely spawned and reared in captivity: tetras, cichlids, barbs, rainbows, rasboras, labyrinths, killifish, danios and catfish. Recent successful projects: _Paracheirodon axelrodi_ - cardinal tetra _Corynopoma riisei_ - swordtail characin _Brachygobius nunus_ - bumble bee goby To those who doubt our (i.e. the 'amateur') commitment to maintain a species over long periods, we have kept a line of _Bedotia geayi_ (Madagascar rainbow) within the society for 15 years. We would be interested in supporting any captive breeding projects arranged by the ACN. At present, we are the only non-specialist fish society which has supported the ACN from this country. We hope that other FBAS affiliated societies will also support the ACN and its worthwhile aims. Yours sincerely, John Rundle, Chairman Plymouth and District Aquarists' and Pondkeepers' Society 87 Crossway, Plympton Plymouth, Devon PL7 4HY England _Apistogramma_ Study Group I must congratulate you on the direction and progress of the ACN over its rather short existence.I am also looking forward to the release of the Captive Breeding Handbook. It should be a great help to smaller groups with limited resources such as the ASG, and should help getting participating groups headed in similar directions. I must confess I feel somewhat humbled by the high powered individuals and programs featured in the newsletter. Our own program is progressing along rather slowly. We have a preliminary set of guidelines, and I am currently looking for some specimens to start up pilot projects to test out our ideas and to get some of our members involved with some hands on work. In the short term my goal is to have participating members learn the principles of captive breeding and develop colonies of various dwarf cichlids within the ASG. For the long term I would like to develop a list of target species for which we could develop colonies, These target species will probably include some of the west African species and I would like help finding more information on endangered species and waterways in this area... Regards, Collin Carmichael Apistogramma Study Group 18952-82 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta Canada T5T 5C6 Less Philosophy I got and read the most recent _Aquatic Survival_ (December, 1993), and liked it very much. In the future, however, I would vote against any more morals-type articles (Vadas). This argument has been going on for decades, if not centuries, and I doubt there is much we can add. Furthermore, I do not believe this argument is central to ACN. I think that most people consider conservation to be the right thing to do. They may not have thought about it in great philosophical detail, but they like the goal. So there is little purpose in putting philosophical type articles in _AS_. The rest of AS is really good. The layout and production values are high, the articles are well written, interesting, and informative, etc. With every issue of AS I seem to learn more about what is going on in the conservation world, and that is good. Joshua Levy Internet: joshua@timesink.veritas.com <6> 11/08/94 ag508 ONE MEMBER'S VIEW by Alan Hill As reported in the last Newsletter, just before Christmas Rob Huntley visited Chester Zoo to meet Dr. Gordon Reid and some of the ACN's British members. Over lunch, our discussion turned to our perceptions of the role of the ACN. As the level of the wine in our glasses dropped, our ideas became more imaginative and we discussed international co-operation, research in the tropics and the reintroduction of captive bred fishes into their natural environments. It suddenly struck me that we were concentrating on the future and overlooking the fundamental work that we have to do now to make such exciting projects possible eventually. I have been thinking about this problem for awhile, and although my ideas are not very startling or original, this is a very important topic and so I feel entitled to set out these personal opinions for members to consider. I write from the perspective of an amateur aquarist, with a particular interest in cichlids. I feel the ACN is a unique organization with a unique opportunity. Endangered freshwater fishes must be the ideal subjects for captive breeding - no other animals are kept and bred by so many amateur hobbyists, who have both the facilities and the expertise to make a significant contribution to their conservation. In addition, the popularity of aquarium keeping means that there is a whole industry catering for the hobby. We must persuade these commercial companies that it is in their interest to support the conservation of aquarium fishes. The other essential partners in this effort must be the professionals working in museums, zoos, public aquaria and in the field: they can alert us when a species is in trouble, they can initiate new programmes and then advise us when the time has come for us to play a part. I believe that the function of the ACN is to mobilise these resources, stimulating and coordinating the efforts of private individuals and so legitimising their work. However, because we have a unique opportunity, we also have a unique responsibility. Aquarists should always try to care for their fishes properly: but anyone considering keeping endangered fishes must recognize that the stakes are so much higher with these species - if we lose them now, we may not get another chance. These fishes must have the best possible care. In my opinion we need the ACN to provide communication and education. We need better communication on many levels, for example between amateur and professional fishkeepers, between different aquarists' societies, between aquarists who work with the same species and those specialising in different groups of fishes. Of course communication is only a means to an end; our end must be education. Aquarists need to be informed about the possibilities open to us and to be advised how to exploit these possibilities. For example, many of us need education about good practice in managing endangered fishes; this problem is already being addressed by the ACN's committee working on Captive Breeding Guidelines. I hope that when this document appears we will all be able to commit ourselves to putting it into effect. It is unfortunate that so many people and organisations are eager to pay lip service to conservation, without actually doing anything positive. The ACN must be seen as an effective and constructive organization, linking the skills and dedication of amateur fishkeepers with scientifically respectable procedures. Our credibility will depend on these Guidelines and the way we use them. If they help us to set a good example, we will encourage other aquarists to take up this work. I would like to see a wider recognition of the opportunities and problems involved - and I think ACN members should act as evangelists, spreading the gospel of conservation within the hobby. It is very clear that the number of species needing our help is going to increase, if our captive breeding programmes succeed we will also have increasing numbers of specimens, so we will have to recruit increasing numbers of dedicated and experienced fishkeepers to sustain the work. We must convince other aquarists that they can make a worthwhile contribution to conservation. We must explain that endangered species are well worth keeping: they are often as beautiful as common species and they are generally no harder to care for, but they do present a challenge for fishkeepers because of their rarity and because little may be known about their requirements. We may even teach some aquarists to change their attitudes a little. Many fishkeepers, myself included, are a bit like stamp collectors - we cannot resist the urge to keep each new species we see. If the fish spawn and we manage to raise one or two broods, we claim to have 'succeeded', sell all our stock and look for the next new attraction (cichlidiots who can hardly wait for each new issues of _Cichlid News_ and the _Cichlid Yearbook_ will know exactly what I mean, but I am sure that other specialists have their fads and fashions too). We need to redefine success. In conservation terms, a really successful fishkeeper keeps and breeds a species over several generations, providing healthy fry to other aquarists who want to work with the fish, and he or she also keeps full records and makes detailed observations, building up an intimate knowledge of the fish. Some of us will fall far short of this ideal, but it should be our aim. This type of fishkeeping may seem demanding, but it brings its own type of satisfaction and rewards - aquarists specialising in fancy goldfish or livebearer strains have always had to make just this sort of long term commitment. However our priorities are very different; fishkeepers involved in artificial line breeding are trying to 'improve' their personal strains according to their individual criteria - often in competition with other breeders: on the other hand, conservationists must deliberately try to avoid selection and they must co-operate to maintain genetic health of the species. Aquarists who view fishkeeping as a competitive activity have no place in captive breeding programmes; we must accept that our common goal is more important than our individual preferences, for example this means voluntarily relinquishing some freedom of choice in the way we manage our fishes by agreeing on a code of practice. An aquarist who takes on the care of an endangered species also has to accept a responsibility which people keeping veiltail goldfish or guppies will never experience. If a domesticated strain became extinct for any reason, it would be possible to recreate it by repeating the artificial selection process. However, it can never be possible to repeat natural selection and 're-evolve' a wild species. This is a daunting responsibility, if the factors that originally placed a fish in danger of extinction prove impossible to eliminate of control, the species can never be reintroduced to its natural environment and so its survival will depend on captive breeding for an indefinite period (at least until cryonic storage techniques are completely reliable). Obviously this is another reason why we must co-operate as much as possible. We must recognize that many fishkeepers will not be prepared to make this type of commitment, however well disposed they are to the idea of captive breeding. Others will need advice and encouragement to take up this work. The ACN seems to me to be the best vehicle for spreading these ideas around the world, but like any organization its effectiveness depends entirely on its members. Keeping our fishes is not enough; we must communicate, educate and cooperate if we are to be an effective force for conservation. When we have got these fundamentals right, we will be able to develop more ambitious and imaginative projects when opportunities arise. * [Alan Hill is a member of the British Cichlid Association and the North West Cichlid Group. He can be contacted at 41 Warwick Close, Bury, Lancs., United Kingdom BL8 1RT.] <7> 11/08/94 ag508 THE MAINE NATIVE SPECIES AWARENESS PROJECT by Steven E.F. Beckwith This is an informative article written to let hobbyists know what myself and one other dedicated fishkeeper did to receive State issued permits for collecting and holding Maine native species in home aquaria. Some States are very strict on this subject and Maine (USA) is one of them. With the endangered species list getting longer, keeping your local natives may be one answer for the true fish hobbyist. In the State of Maine it is illegal to hold any native species in an aquarium, even baitfish. It is not illegal to hold bait fish (Cyprinidae family) for fishing in bait containers. It is not illegal to catch bait for fishing and hold them in containers with your name and address attached. But, take them out of these containers; place them in an aquarium to enjoy, preserve, spawn or just plain save them from their intended doom, and you are subject to fines and penalties which can and will be applied. In Maine it is legal to catch a so called "Legal Fish", immediately destroy it, place it into your daily bag limit, smash it on the road, throw it in the bushes, mutilate it beyond recognition, but don't even think of taking it home alive for the pleasure of just seeing this creature live and breathe in the safe confinements of your home. You'll pay dearly! Being true hobbyists - living, breathing and sleeping "fish" - a friend of mine, Dan Dumas, and myself set out to tackle the bureaucracy of State Fish & Wildlife rules and regulations. We approached them as President and Vice President of the Maine State Aquarist Society (MSAS). We were seeking group permits to collect native fishes and keep them in home aquariums. We wanted to open up collecting native fishes to the club members as well as to ourselves. In Maine, permits have only previously been issued as "Scientific Collection Permits". We acquired a meeting at the Maine State Fisheries & Wildlife commissioner's office, with Fred Hurley and Peter Bourque. This meeting took place in Augusta, 3 1/2 hours north of our homes. The meeting was intended by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to last only 15-20 minutes. When Dan and I were through going over our 2 foot high stack of reasons why we should be allowed consideration for these permits, 3 plus hours had passed. During this 3 1/2 hours, Dan and I had earned the respect of these two individuals as experienced, responsible aquarists. Shortly after this meeting the Department of Fish & Wildlife drew up a proposed permit plan and mailed it to us for our review and acceptance. It was more lenient than we ever dreamed possible. The State agreed to issue permits to our members if the MSAS Executive Committee agreed to screen the applicant. We developed a 50 question test, the Native Species Awareness Exam, for the screening process. The MSAS sends in the application, the member's valid fishing licence number, along with our club letterhead. With recommendation by the Executive Committee, the State has agreed to issue these permits without red tape or hassle. For some of us hobbyists, the collecting expedition to Africa or the Amazon is only a fantasy. The members of the MSAS will now be able to experience a little piece of this fantasy. Collecting, using seine nets, "V" traps, and dip nets is something taboo in Maine waters. Until now! The North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA), helped us with sending a packet of surveys sent out to many State Fisheries Departments. Response letters for the collection of native fishes from each individual State were crucial in our somewhat heated debate with the State of Maine officials. Without NANFA we would have been sunk! If anyone wishes to pursue this subject in their State, I would highly recommend contacting, Bruce Gebhardt, North American Native Fishes Association, 123 W. Mt. Airy Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19119, U.S.A. Tel: (215) 247-0384. If I can ever be of any assistance contact me, Steven Beckwith at P.O. Box 487, North Berwick, Maine 03906-0487, U.S.A. Tel: (207) 676- 2160. <8> 11/08/94 ag508 CAPTIVE BREEDING SPECIALIST GROUP - SELECTED REPORTS The following two reports from the 1993 Annual Meeting of the Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the IUCN, are reproduced from the December 1993 issue of CBSG News (Vol. 4, No. 3). Report of the Fish Working Group Having noticed that the composition of the Fish Working Group varies markedly from CBSG meeting to CBSG meeting and that it is mainly an ad hoc committee without established agenda or framework, it is suggested that, in order for this working group to function as a more productive and effective agency, the International Aquariology Meetings serve as a better forum in the future to discuss the issues pertaining to the breeding of endangered aquatic fauna. The needed framework for such discussions could originate from the activities of existing regional working groups or unions such as the Freshwater Fish Taxon Advisory Group of the AAZPA [now the AZA], EAZA, the European Union of Aquarium Curators, and others to be identified or organized. The regional working groups should convene at the 4th International Aquariology meeting in 1996 with proposals and/or reports on their regional activities to be made to the CBSG. The recommendations made by the Rio Conference on the role of aquaria in conservation of endangered aquatic organisms should be endorsed and more widely communicated. The participants of this working group have the impression that even regional organizations are not properly informed on the threats to local fish fauna and so propose that available data from other sources should be collected and that contacts with ichthyological societies, fisheries departments, etc., be strengthened and exploited to the profit of conservation. Resources to do this should be made available. There is a need to obtain a comprehensive overview of the status of a given regional aquatic fauna before any conservation priorities can be set by this or any other conservation organization. The working group recommends that CBSG strongly urge the organizers of the 4th International Aquariology Congress to provide enough time for working groups to address these issues. Increased regional coordination of interested parties as exemplified by the activities of the AAZPa Freshwater Fish TAG in North America, will contribute to worldwide conservation efforts. The host of the next European meeting should formalize the program, making time available to address this item. The participants of the Fish Working Group urge CBSG to invite the other regions to organize similar groups with the goal of meeting with the others at the 4th International Aquariology Meeting. * Submitted to the CBSG by Paul van den Sande, Antwerp Zoo. Report of the Madagascar Working Group The participants regret that in the absence of the chairman and vice-chairman of the Madagascar Working Group, a complete overview of ongoing CBSG programs involving the Malagasy fauna could not be presented at this year's meeting. The CBSG Secretariat is urged to solicit a timely report on the status of the current efforts in this area from the Chairman and include it in the printed proceedings of this meeting. In view of the information presented on the extremely precarious status of the non-anadromous freshwater fishes of Madagascar, the participants unanimously recommend that the scope of the CBSG's activities be extended to include these elements of the Malagasy ichthyofauna. * Submitted to the CBSG by Paul Loiselle, Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation. <9> 11/08/94 ag508 LAKE FISHES: REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE The World Conservation Monitoring Centre is currently developing a GIS database on endemic and threatened freshwater fishes of the world. The pilot phase is concentrating on fish species endemic to a single lake or lake system. Having covered most of the Old World, we are now attempting to locate sources of good information on the freshwater fish faunas of several additional countries in order to determine which lakes have endemic fish species. The present target areas are Turkey, China and the countries of South and Central America (south of Mexico). The next phase will investigate the feasibility of developing similar coverage for river systems. Any guidance to literature sources or personal contacts to help us obtain good data on the lake fishes of the aforementioned countries, would be most appreciated. Please contact Andrea Cole, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, UNITED KINGDOM. Tel: +44 (0)223 277314; Fax: +44 (0)223 277136; Internet: andrea.cole@wcmc.org.uk <10> 11/08/94 ag508 A NEW THREAT TO THE CICHLIDS - LAKE KANYABOLI, KENYA by Paul V. Loiselle Lake Kanyaboli is a small satellite lake of Lake Victoria located in the Yala Basin, Siala District, Kenya. Reconnaissance missions undertaken by the Lake Victoria Research Team from 1990 through 1993 revealed the presence of healthy populations of three cichlid species formerly widespread in Lake Victoria but now apparently extirpated therefrom and of a fourth, undescribed species which may be endemic to Lake Kanyaboli. The ngege, _Oreochromis esculentus_, is unique among tilapias in its ability to feed upon suspended phytoplankton. This formerly abundant species was the mainstay of the indigenous fishery prior to the ecological collapse in Lake Victoria. _Haplochromis (Lipochromis) maxillaris_ is the sole survivor of the assemblage of 14 Victorian species that fed upon the embryos of other mouthbrooding cichlids. _Haplochromis (Xystichromis) phytophagous_, as its specific epithet implies, feeds upon the leaves of macrophytes. The third haplochromine, of highly derived morphology, feeds upon epiphytic diatoms. Lake Kanyaboli was formerly isolated from Lake Victoria proper by an extensive _Papyrus_ swamp. The low oxygen tension characteristics of such habitats appears to have blocked the Nile perch's access to the smaller lake, thus allowing it to serve as a refugium for these cichlids. However, as of January 1994, a canal was cut through the swamp connecting Kanyaboli to the Yala River, which in turn drains into Lake Victoria. These relict cichlid populations are now gravely threatened by the inevitable incursion of Nile perch from the main lake. In light of the threat the recently opened channel to the Yala River poses to the Kanyaboli ecosystem, immediate efforts must be undertaken to secure sufficient founder stock of all the Kanyaboli cichlids in order to establish viable managed populations. The Lake Victoria Species Survival Plan (SSP) is presently engaged in seeking financial support for such a captive propagation rescue effort. * Dr. Loiselle is the Curator of Freshwater Fishes at the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation (formerly the New York Aquarium). His address at the aquarium is West 8th Street and Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11224, U.S.A. Tel: (718) 265-3400; Fax: (718) 265-3420. <11> 11/08/94 ag508 UN FISHERIES CONFERENCE: WRANGLING OVERSHADOWS CONSERVATION New York City -- The United Nations Conference on Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (14-30 March 1994) failed to produce a consensus that would control overfishing on the high seas, WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature said here today. "After two weeks of wrangling, the UN conference has lost touch with the world fisheries crisis," said Indrani Lutchman, coordinator of WWF International's fisheries programme. "Short-term fishing interests continue to occupy centre-stage, nudging conservation issues to the sides." She said that instead of agreeing to precautionary plans which would ensure recovery of stocks, the maritime states were busy blaming each other for overfishing. "If timely action is not taken now, the only choice left will be to react to disasters," said Ms Lutchman. "Canada, for example, was forced to close down its Atlantic cod fishery because there was little left of the resource - laying off about 35,000 fishermen." The free-for-all fishing regime in the high seas threatens the livelihood of not only millions of fishermen but also a balanced diet for millions of people dependent on fish for protein. There is widespread agreement over how seriously marine fish populations have been exploited -- well beyond ecologically sustainable limits. Progressively lower spawning stocks for the commercially attractive fish have driven nations and their fishing fleets into a mad competition. As an important follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, WWF hopes the UN conference can produce legally binding measures that can assure long-term sustainability of fish and their ecosystems. These conservation and management measures would have to be implemented by all the concerned nations and applicable to their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and the high seas. The final session of the UN conference on Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks is to be held in August 1994. The legal applications of the outcome of this conference will then be considered at the next UN General Assembly. The results of this conference also fall within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) which comes into force in November 1994. Key discussions on the elements of a management regime for the high seas have also included mechanisms for international cooperation, role of regional organizations, dispute settlement and special requirements of developing countries. For more information please contact Indrani Lutchman at (1-212) 355 7300 or Someshwar Singh at WWF International at +41 22364 9566. Source: WWF Press Release, Tuesday, 29 March, 1994. <12> 11/08/94 ag508 CONSERVING THE WORLD'S AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY - CANADA'S ROLE by John Pinkerton It includes marine and freshwater animals and plants as well as terrestrial species. It encompasses tropical marine ecosystems and Canadian watersheds. It is "biodiversity", the rich variety of life on the Earth, and it has come to occupy an important place in the thinking of those concerned about the planet's future. In recent years, the incredible diversity of life on the planet - at the ecosystem, species and genetic levels - has been seriously eroded and is now in danger of suffering irreparable damage. Through changes to the world's ecosystems, the unsustainable consumption of our resources, the loss of wild and domesticated species and the shrinking of gene pools within species, biodiversity - the basis of human life - is being lost at an alarming rate. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity was negotiated to halt this rapid loss of diversity. Based on the understanding that the use of the Earth's biological resources, including its aquatic species, is an unavoidable reality for both developing and developed countries, the Convention's objectives are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of the world's biological resources and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources. In other words, the Convention is about both conservation and sustainable use. Signed by over 160 countries since the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) in June 1992, it has received over 30 ratifications and came into force on December 29, 1993. By ratifying the Convention, countries commit themselves to undertaking a wide range of activities that support its three objectives. Canada ratified the Convention in December 1992 and is proceeding to implement it by developing a Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. In this work, federal, provincial and territorial government officials are being advised by a non-governmental group composed of representatives of industry, business, scientific, environmental conservation and other stakeholder groups. The Strategy will describe how Canada will fulfil its obligations under the Convention. It will take a broadly-based approach to biodiversity conservation in Canada, with objectives for: _in-situ_ and _ex-situ_ conservation of species; protecting natural areas; research, including taking inventories of and monitoring Canada's biodiversity; training; and public education. New federal and provincial government initiatives for biodiversity conservation will be guided by action plans that are developed on the basis of the national strategy. Using the definition of biodiversity found in the Convention, the Strategy will apply to both aquatic and terrestrial species. The Strategy will also describe how Canada plans to contribute to the effort to conserve global biodiversity: by ratifying the Convention, Canada agreed to support developing countries as they develop the financial, scientific and technical capacity needed to conserve and sustainably use the rich diversity of life found within their borders. Such support could include technical assistance in the establishment of _in-situ_ and _ex-situ_ conservation facilities and training and education programs. A draft of the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy will be released in April 1994 for a three month period of public review. It will be finalized in November. For further information about the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy or to receive a copy of the draft Strategy when it is released, contact the Biodiversity Convention Office, Environment Canada, 351 St. Joseph Blvd., Hull, Qu‚bec, Canada K1A 0H3. Tel: (819) 953-4374; Fax: (819) 953-1765. * John Pinkerton is an officer with the Biodiversity Convention Office, Environment Canada. [A number of focus groups were developed to support the development of the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. One of these was the Ex-Situ Focus Group in which Rob Huntley of the ACN participated. Aquatic conservation interests were also represented at this focus group by Cindy Lee, Toronto Zoo and Mark Graham, Vancouver Aquarium.] <13> 11/08/94 ag508 PROJECT PIABA* by Dr. Ning Labbish Chao Fishes and their aquatic environments are often overlooked by conservation or development projects in the Amazon region, yet the number of fish species (>3,000) and the socioeconomic value of the fisheries have a great importance for the region. Fishes are not only the principal protein source (67 kg/capita) for Amazonians, but many are also traded as ornamental fishes worldwide. The inundation forests and streams of the mid Rio Negro basin are the major fishing grounds for ornamental fish. Over 40 million fishes are exploited annually from the region. The ornamental fishery is the principal subsistence activity for the riverain communities in the municipality of Barcelos (population 7,000; area 122,490 km). Great fluctuation of fish production, high mortality rate and low price paid by exporters are the main difficulties for the fishers sustenance. In years when the income from the ornamental fish is reduced, some fishers intensify their slash and burn agriculture and hunting activities, while others migrate to urban areas hoping to find "modern" employment. Unfortunately, both options produce environmental costs. Fortunately, however, the inundation forest habitats of these fishes have remained largely intact and many ornamental fishes have a short annual life cycle, which indicates that fish populations can be quickly replenished. It may, therefore, be possible through proper management to protect the habitat from degradation, while maintaining a "bountiful" harvest at the same time. To arrive at such, a management strategy first requires an understanding of the ecosystems and socio-systems of concern. Furthermore, the commercial processes of ornamental fishes are largely controlled in the hands of few and often there are long- term partnerships among fishers, middlemen, exporters and importers. Therefore, the issue concerning the ornamental fishery can be addressed directly to those involved. Since 1989, we have studied forest fishes in the mid Rio Negro basin and promoted the conservation of Amazonian fish and their habitats through tourists, hobbyist magazines and public aquarium exhibits. More recently, we initiated studies on the basic human geography of the ornamental fish industry and on the quality enhancement for the local fishery. Our general aim is to promote a more stable subsistence fishery for the riverain communities at both commercially and ecologically sustainable levels, which in turn may help to reduce the environmentally destructive land use practices and rural-to-urban migration. We have also organized several eco-tourist groups to the region and marketed some local crafts. In November 1993, we established a "Center for Ornamental Fish Study and Conservation" in Barcelos to promote environmental education and to train local fishers on fish care. Long-term projects in the region will encompass issues concerning basic research on fish diversity and river-forest ecosystems, geographic and socioeconomic survey and the role of women in the riverain community. The final goal is to establish several extractive reserves (forest streams) for ornamental fishes through the fishers and local communities. Financial support to meet a $50,000 annual budget is required for the next four years to gain stability for the "Center" and to support basic research. In the future, the plan is to make the "Center" self-sustainable through eco-tourism, consulting, local support and collaboration with other institutions. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Ning Labbish Chao, Bio-Amazonia Conservation International, Caixa Postal 2310, 69.061 Manaus, AM Brasil. Tel: (011-55) (92) 644-1138. Internet: ICTILAB@BRFUA.BITNET. In the U.S. the address for Bio-Amazonia International is 3204 Beaumont Drive, Tallahassee, florida 32308, U.S.A. Tel/Fax: (904) 668-8225. *Piaba is a regional, generic expression for any ornamental fish. <14> 11/08/94 ag508 NOTEBOOK [This section is devoted to brief notes of interest to the aquatic conservation community. If you have an important fact, observation or theory to report, but never seem to have the time to write a letter or an article, just send along a short note, an email or give me a call. It takes only a minute or two to spread the word. rh] o There is a new, nationally organized (U.S.) catfish group, the Federation of American Catfish Enthusiasts (FACE) founded by Don Davidson, Chuck Davis, Ginny Eckstein, Lee Finley, Don Goodwin, Sue Goodwin, Les Mumford and Rebecca Mumford. The motto is: "Dedicated to helping you with the captive maintenance and reproduction of your barbeled pets". The goals include a membership roster enabling members to locate other catfish lovers, a relational database of species that have been bred in the hobby, and breeding trials to increase captive breeding. Information sharing will take place through _Red Light Ramblings_, a quarterly publication. Also anticipated are special edition publications for releasing exciting information about new species and catfish products, as well as national conventions with shows, speakers, information sharing, product displays, etc. For application and additional information send SASE to: Federation of American Catfish Enthusiasts, P.O. Box 53173, Indianapolis, Indiana 46253, U.S.A. or call Les at (317) 293-7764. o Jim Puckridge is researching the role of hydrological variation in the fish ecology of large floodplain rivers. His present sites are on large arid zone rivers in Central Australia and he is interested to hear from researchers with similar or related interests. He can be contacted at the Department of Zoology, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5001. Internet: JPUCKRID@GINA.SCIENCE.ADELAIDE.EDU.AU o The Aquatic Ecology Group at the University of Cambridge is undertaking a research project at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, England. It is a conservation oriented piece of research, studying the ecological implications for macrophytes and macroinvertebrates of ditch excavation and re-creation. Contact: Duncan Painter, Aquatic Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, England. Tel: (0223) 334151; Fax: (0223) 336676. 0 Dr. Syed Hasib Ahmad is conducting field surveys for the endemic fish species of the river Ganga, one of the largest river systems in India, to suggest a conservation action plan for these endemic species. Contact: Dr. Syed Hasib Ahmad, Ragendra Agricultural University, College of Fisheries, Dholi- 843121 (Muzaffarpur), Bihar, India. o Roger Langton has produced a booklet at his own expense and in support of his work for the Killifish Conservation Committee of the American Killifish Association. The booklet documents 165 wild collections of killifishes between 1960 to 1994. Copies are available at a cost of US $8.25 (U.S.A. & Canada), US $11 (all others), by writing to Roger at 556 W. Cedar Place, Louisville, Colorado 80027, U.S.A. o James Hensinger maintains an International listing of fish breeders of all fish, both tropical and food fish. The list is published in a quarterly directory in February, May, August and November and distributed to hobbyists, commercial organizations, government agencies and anyone interested in buying, selling, or obtaining information about fish from other breeders. If you are an active breeder of any species and wish to be listed free of charge, send your name, address, phone/fax numbers, and the species you breed, especially the scientific names. The directory is published by Ascot International (Attn: Jim Hensinger), P.O. Box 77, Marlton, New Jersey 08053-2704, U.S.A. Tel: (609) 596-2964; Fax: (609) 596-5588; CompuServe: 74212,452. o The International Marine Biodiversity Development Corporation (IMBDC) is a privately held, federally incorporated firm with Canadian offices in Halifax, Dartmouth and Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Ottawa, Ontario and in South Africa in Johannesburg. The company specializes in ocean environmental and technology opportunities providing services and equipment and undertaking scientific research and technology development in both deep ocean and coastal settings. IMBDC is presently investigating the opening of offices in Bermuda, Moscow and the Middle East. For more information contact Adelard A. "Ed" Cayer, President, International Marine Biodiversity Development Corporation, 5 Lyngby Avenue, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada B3A 3T5. Tel: (902) 465-2743 (Toll Free in North America 1-800-565-8773); Fax: (902) 461-0799; Internet: ecayer@fox.nstn.ns.ca o Cornell University and The Nature Conservancy are planning research to map stream degradation, predict the distribution of aquatic biodiversity, and design conservation measures at the watershed scale. The project will use geographic information system technology, soil loss and water quality models, hydrological analyses, and field surveys of aquatic macroinvertebrates (e.g., mussels, crayfish, aquatic insects), fish, and amphibians. The role of fish in this project will be emphasized because the study watershed has a very diverse fish fauna (regional perspective) and supports populations of several rare and protected species. Contact: Dr. Mark Bain, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University - Fernow Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, U.S.A. Fax: (607) 255-1895; Internet: MBB1@Cornell.edu o The Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society operates with the following objectives: a) to encourage, promote and undertake scientific initiatives to ensure the protection of the global aquatic environment from toxic contamination and nutrient enrichment; b) to encourage holistic and forensic methods development and approaches; c) to coalesce and disseminate environmental information through public awareness programs and education. The organization publishes a quarterly journal titled _Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Health_. For more information contact Dr. M. Munawar, Aquatic Ecosystem Health and management Society, Fisheries and Oceans, CCIW, 867 Lakeshore Rd., P.O. Box 5050, Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 4A6. Tel: (416) 336-4867; Fax: (416) 336-6437. o The Breeder's Registry is a not-for-profit endeavour which is now in it's second year. Information is collected regarding observation, techniques, and methods used for the reproduction of marine organisms in captive closed systems. This information is entered into a data base where it can be compared and profiled with information from other sources (predominantly hobbyists). The purpose being to compile "a more complete picture" of a selected species' requirements for propagation. The Breeder's Registry publishes a quarterly newsletter, with articles from aquarists who are sharing there "secrets". Articles range from species, to food sources, to set-ups. The database maintains information which is available to supporting members only. The annual cost of support is $12.00 US and $15.00 foreign (US funds). Supporters are entitled to up to 4 species "reports" from the database annually, and the database information can be purchased "in-full" for those aquarists who have a compatible database software program and computer. For more information send a legal sized envelope with postage sufficient for 2 ounces @ 1st class rates to Stanley Brown, The Breeder's Registry, P.O. Box 255373, Sacramento, California, 95865-5373, U.S.A. o FISH-ECOLOGY is an international computer conference for academic and other personnel involved in empirical and theoretical research and issues related to the ecology of fish and fisheries (evolutionary aspects, population dynamics, modelling, management, conservation and bioeconomics). The network aims to stimulate communication between senior and junior researchers and advisors on an international and multidisciplinary basis, to exchange views, data and to put forward ideas to approach fisheries ecological issues. Membership is open to all interested professional parties. Questions should be addressed to: FISH-ECOLOGY-REQUEST@SEARN.SUNET.SE or to Aldo-Pier Solari, Fisheries Research Group, University of Las Palmas, Box 50, 35017 Las Palmas, Canary Islands (Spain). To join the FISH-ECOLOGY list send a message to: LISTSERV@SEARN.SUNET.SE with the command line (in message body): SUBSCRIBE FISH-ECOLOGY o Effective 26 January 1994, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has declared the relict darter (_Etheostoma chienense_) and bluemask (jewel) darter (_Etheostoma (Doration) sp._) as endangered. Water quality deterioration resulting from siltation, pollution and development has threatened the survival of these southern species. (Source: _Communiqu‚_, March 1994). o Effective 3 February 1994, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has reclassified the Sacramento River winter-run chinoo salmon (_Oncorhynchus tshawytscha_) as endangered. Severe decreases in the number of adults recorded as the results of previous spawning runs led to the decision. climate, weather conditions and area development are threatening the species. (Source: _Communiqu‚_, March 1994). o Effective 7 March 1994, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a final rule declaring the tidewater goby (_Eucyclogobius newberryi_) as endangered. The tidewater goby is found in streams running through the coastal wetland areas of California. Populations have slowly been deteriorating - gobies have disappeared from approximately 50 to 74% of their known range. Only three populations currently exist. (Source: _Communiqu‚_, April 1994). <15> 11/08/94 ag508 MAFIA ISLAND MARINE PARK The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is working in close collaboration with local communities and the Tanzania Government to establish the first marine park in Tanzania. The project is managed by the WWF Programme Office in Tanzania, with support from both WWF-US and WWF International. Mafia Island possesses some of the most beautiful marine resources and least disturbed coral reefs on the east African coast. The marine ecosystem associated with the island contains critical seed banks providing food, shelter, and breeding and nesting grounds for marine species and sea birds. The local economy is also highly dependent on the island's rich fisheries. Although Tanzania has 25% of its land area in a network of parks and reserves, to date, the country has no marine parks. In 1991, Mafia Island fishermen and villagers, together with the Ministry of Tourism, Natural Resources and Environment, asked WWF to help them create the country's first marine park to protect Mafia Island's resources from damaging fishing practices, coral destruction, and pollution. A planning workshop was held in Mafia in October 1991, and two documents: A "Rationale and Strategy" for establishment of the park and the "Proceedings" of the workshop were produced and distributed early this year. Even recognizing that strict conservation measures would limit their own activities, Mafia islanders argued for regulations on development, fishing restrictions in certain areas, and for stricter enforcement of the ban on dynamite fishing. This unique collaboration among islanders, government officials, developers, marine biologists, and park planners has produced a comprehensive General Management Plan for the proposed park. Draft legislation has been prepared and submitted to both the Ministry of Tourism, Natural Resources and Environment, and the Attorney General's office for review and approval. Gazettement is expected early in 1994. In the meantime, Mafia Island waters have witnessed a strong upsurge in illegal dynamite fishing, much to the alarm of local fishermen who fear for the long-term survival of their resource base. These illegal fishing methods are financed by unscrupulous businessmen from outside the island. They either have their own crews carry out the dynamiting, or encourage boys from the island to participate with the lure of easy money. The people of Mafia Island, particularly the village elders, are well aware of the danger posed by these destructive techniques, and are eager to see a rapid end to dynamiting. Action to stop the dynamiting is urgently needed: to protect the natural resource base of Mafia island residents; to maintain the momentum of goodwill of the local communities towards the Mafia Island Marine Park project during the lengthy process of legal gazettement; and to protect the coral reef ecosystems of the Park itself. Source: World Wide Fund for Nature <16> 11/08/94 ag508 THE WORLD ZOO CONSERVATION STRATEGY The World Zoo Conservation Strategy is an initiative of the IUDZG - The World Zoo Organization, and the Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the Species Survival Commission of IUCN - The World Conservation Union. Many zoo and aquarium professionals contributed to the contents of the Strategy, and thus, it truly is a document of the global zoo and aquarium community. The World Zoo Conservation Strategy clearly demonstrates that the zoo and aquarium community is able and prepared to dedicate its great potential to conservation, and that there is a definite course of action to be followed to this purpose. The primary aim is to support the conservation of species, natural habitats and ecosystems. The many aspects of zoo conservation elucidated in the Strategy are intended to complement and not substitute for other conservation activity. The Strategy strongly advocates integration of zoo conservation efforts with those of other conservation bodies. By endorsing preparation of the World Zoo Conservation Strategy, IUCN and WWF - The World-Wide Fund for Nature, have shown their support. The World Zoo Conservation Strategy summarizes current views on the role of zoos and aquaria in global conservation. Being a "living document", the Strategy will evolve over time as conservation needs change and philosophies are further defined. With the release of the first edition of the Strategy it is fully recognized that, while many zoos and aquaria and their organizations have progressed far in their contributions to conservation, others still have much to achieve before they can reach the goals set out by the Strategy. The Strategy anticipates, however, that all responsible zoos will increase their conservation activity, and it provides guidance and support for this process. Aim and Objectives of the World Zoo Conservation Strategy The aim of the world Zoo Conservation Strategy is to help conserve the earth's fast-disappearing wildlife and biodiversity in general. Its main objectives are: 1. To identify the conservation areas in which zoos and aquaria can make a contribution and to determine how these institutions can support and facilitate the processes leading to conservation of the nature and sustainable use of natural resources. 2. To develop understanding and support for the conservation potential of zoos and aquaria from national and international authorities as well as other social and political bodies and organizations. 3. To convince local zoo and aquarium authorities and conservation agencies that presently the greatest purpose to be served by the existence of these institutions is the contribution the can make to conservation, both directly and indirectly. 4. To assist zoos and aquaria in the formulation of conservation priorities and policies. 5. To indicate how contributions by the individual zoo and aquarium can be augmented through the extension and intensification of contacts in the global zoo and other conservation networks. To Whom is the Strategy Addressed? The World Zoo Conservation Strategy is primarily written for: 1. National and international policy and decision makers and local government authorities, who can influence the contribution of zoos and aquaria to conservation. 2. Zoo governing bodies, councils, benefactors and others, who can directly influence and support the conservation policy course of individual zoos and aquaria. 3. Zoo and aquarium professionals, including directors, curators, animal keepers, educators, and public relations officers, who may use the Strategy as a tool to enhance their institution's conservation efforts and convince others of the need. 4. Other conservation organizations and government agencies responsible for conservation in the wild. Copies of the Strategy can be purchased (Executive Summary US $3, Strategy - US $10) from the Captive Breeding Specialist Group, 12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, Minnesota 55124-8151, U.S.A. Tel: (612) 431-9325; Fax: (612) 432-2757. Sources: The World Zoo Conservation Strategy, Executive Summary <17> 11/08/94 ag508 COMING EVENTS * 1994 American Livebearer Association Convention May 6,7,8 - Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A. For information contact Tim Boelema, 8024 Emberly S.W., Jenison, Michigan 49428, U.S.A. Tel: (616) 669-5079 or Pat Hartman, 12852 S. 18th, Vicksburg, Michigan 49097, U.S.A. Tel: (616) 649-2949. * Evolution and the Aquatic Environment Conference, Defining Unique Units in Population Organized by the American Fisheries Society for May 23-25, 1994 and to be held in Monterey, California. For information contact Christine Gan or Cindy Carpanzano, American Fisheries Society, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, U.S.A. Tel: (510) 642-7525; Fax: (510) 643-5035. * American Killifish Association The 1994 American Killifish Association convention will be co-hosted by Long Island Killifish Association (LIKA) and Metropolitan Killifish Association (MAKA) on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, 1994 at the Newark Airport Marriott Hotel, in Newark, New Jersey. For registration information contact Lydia Mackowiak, 41 Samuel Street, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936, U.S.A. Tel: (201) 386-1937. * Lakeside '94 To be held May 28 to 30, 1994 - details were given in the December '93 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. For further information contact Peter Newman, The Mini Reef Society, 55 Burleigh Road, Frimley, Camberley, Surrey, GU16 5EA, England, U.K. Tel: 0276-23728. * 74th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists This year's ASIH meeting will take place in conjunction with the 10th annual meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society, and the 6th annual meeting of the Neotropical Ichthyological Association. The meeting will be held at the University of Southern California between June 2-8, 1994 with five planned symposia: - Reproductive Ecology of the Damselfishes; - Intertidal fishes: Life in Two Worlds; - Studies in the Evolution of Fishes Inferred from DNA Sequences; - Selected Topics in Elasmobranch Physiology; and - Biodiversity of Neotropical Fishes. Contact: Robert J. Lavenberg, Section of Vertebrates, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90007-4000, Tel: (213) 744-3446; Fax: (213) 748-4432; Internet: asih@usc.edu * Diagnosis and Treatment of Warm Water Fish Diseases Sponsored by University of Florida, June 6-17, 1994. For more information contact Dr. Ruth Francis-Floyd, IFAS Extension Veterinarian for Aquaculture, 7922 NW 71st St., Gainesville, Florida 32606, U.S.A. Tel: (904) 392-9617. * 1st International Symposium on Ecosystem Health and Medicine This symposium is being held at the Congress Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from June 19 to 23, 1994. It will bring together dozens of Canadian and international experts in the medical, ethical, natural science and policy fields. Featured speakers include: - Henry Kendall, noted Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics; - Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the Executive Director of UNEP; - Kathryn Sullivan, Chief Scientist at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; - Thomas Lovejoy, Assistant Secretary for External Affairs, Smithsonian Institute; - Margaret Somerville, Professor of Law and Medicine at McGill University; - David Rapport, Symposium Co-Chair, Senior Research Scientist, Statistics Canada; and - Robert Costanza, Co-Chair and Professor at the Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies at the University of Maryland. For information contact Carol Partland, the Symposium Coordinator at the Office of Continuing Education, 159 Johnston Hall, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1. Tel: (519) 767-5000; Fax: (519) 767-0758; Internet: cpartlan@oac.uoguelph.ca. * Predator-Prey Relationships in Fishes Annual symposium of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles to be held from July 11 to 15, 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland. Details were given in the September and December '93 issues of _Aquatic Survival_. For information contact Dr. R.N. Gibson, FSBI Symposium Organising Committee, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban, Argyll, Scotland PA34 4AD. Tel: 0631 62244; Fax: 0631 65518; Internet: S_RG@UK.AC.NSM.VA * Sustaining the Ecological Integrity of Large Floodplain Rivers This conference will be held in La Crosse, Wisconsin, U.S.A. from July 12 to 15, 1994 and is accompanied by a Workshop on the Upper Mississippi River System, July 18 to 19. For information, contact Ken Lubinski, National Biological Survey, Environmental Management Technical Center, 575 Lester Avenue, Onalaska, Wisconsin 54560, U.S.A. Tel: (608) 783-7550 (ext. 61); Fax: (608) 783-8058. * High Performance Fish An international fish physiology symposium to be held at the University of British Columbia from July 16 to 21, 1994. For information contact Don MacKinlay, Fisheries and Oceans, 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6B 5G3. Tel: (604) 666-3520; Fax: (604) 666-3450. * Envirovet Short Course in Aquatic Animal Health/ Environmental Toxicology Sponsored by the University of Illinois, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the University of Wisconsin, and Lake Superior Research Institute. July 17-Aug. 12, 1994, Duluth, Minnesota. Enrollment is limited to 35. Lectures, laboratories, and Lake Superior watershed field studies are directed to veterinarians, veterinary students who have completed at least 2 years of the professional curriculum, and aquatic animal biologists who have completed a MS degree. For more information contact Dr. Gary D. Koritz, Co-Director Envirovet Recruitment and Selection, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801. Tel: (217) 333-7981. * 1994 AZA Annual Conference The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA - formerly AAZPA) will hold its 1994 annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia from September 18 to 22, 1994. For information contact Jeff Swanagan, Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30315, U.S.A. Tel: (404) 624-5600. * Amazon Expedition - Rio Negro, Brazil The goal of this expedition (September 19 to October 3, 1994) is to involve fish enthusiasts in the conservation of Amazon fishes and their habitats. It will be the fourth annual expedition to support a long term project on the ornamental fishes of the Rio Negro. It will be led by Dr. Ning Labbish Chao, Professor of Ichthyology at Amazonas University, Manaus, Brazil. The group leader from the U.S. will be Scott Dowd, Senior Aquarist at the New England Aquarium (trip is not affiliated with the NEA). The group will travel up the Rio Negro as far as Barcelos (~450 km) and explore many tributaries of the Rio Negro and Rio Branco, and travel by canoe through the streams and flooded forest that feed the Rio Demini to a jungle campsite to gather data for "Project Piaba" (an outline of Project Piaba is found elsewhere in this issue). The cost of the trip is $2,000 U.S. per participant (depart from Miami) and space is limited. For further information contact Scott Dowd, Senior Aquarist, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston Massachusetts 02110, U.S.A. Tel: (617) 739-6430. * Watersheds '94: Creating the Links...People, Politics, Science, and Stewardship This event is slated for September 28 to 30, 1994 in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A - less than 10 miles from Seattle. Focused on practical, grass-roots, down to earth watershed basics, Watersheds '94 is not a traditional conference. Attendees can look forward to three days filled with case studies, workshops, hands-on demonstrations, keynote speakers, a professional theatre production called "Queen Salmon", exhibits, expert panels, and field trips. Watersheds '94 participants will exchange ideas and explore watershed technologies, approaches, and philosophies; come away with tools and strategies for watershed protection; and build partnerships and friendships. Everyone involved in, affected by, or interested in watershed protection is invited to attend. The event is a cooperative effort of state, tribal, local, and non- profit organizations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the University of Washington, Center for Streamside Studies. Exhibit inquiries are welcome. Registration brochures will be available this summer. For more information, call Andrea Lindsay at (206) 553-1896 or toll-free 1-800-424-4EPA (ext. 1896). * Sixth Annual Meeting of the South American Aquatic Mammal Specialists To be held in Florianopolos, Santa Catarina, Brazil from October 24 to 28 1994. For further information contact Secretary, 6ø Reuniao de Trabalhos de Especialistas em Mamiferous Aquaticos da America do Sul, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Caixa Postal 5151, Florianapolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Tel: 10 55 482 31 9626; Fax: 01 55 482 31 9672. * CITES - 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties The Office of the U.S. Management Authority has informed the CITES Secretariat that COP9 is scheduled to take place at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 7 to 18, 1994. For more information contact CITES Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme, 15, chemin des An‚mones, Case postale 456, CH-1219 Chƒtelaine, GenŠve, Switzerland. Tel: 41 22 979 9111, Fax: 41 22 797 3417. * Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment The Interdisciplinary Environmental Association (IEA) in conjunction with Assumption College invites you to participate in the first major Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment, to be held at the Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. from June 21 to 25, 1995. This conference is being organized because of the increasing need to combine ideas and research findings from different disciplines to enhance understanding of how nature works and how the interactions between the natural environment and human institutions are globally interconnected. The conference is aimed at the layperson and it focuses on: - What do different disciplines have to offer with respect to environmental and resource problems, their solutions, and the institutions associated with them? - What are the implications of the globalization of environmental concerns for all life on planet Earth? The conference is open to all ideologies, political persuasions, and academic as well as nonacademic disciplines. For information, contact the conference chair: Dr Demetri Kantarelis, IEA, Economics/Foreign Affairs Dept., Assumption College, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01615-0005, U.S.A. Tel: (508) 752-5615 (ext 557); Fax: (508) 799-4502; Internet: dkantar@eve.assumption.edu * Molecular Biology in Fish, Fisheries and Aquaculture The Fisheries Society of the British Isles will hold this symposium at the University of Plymouth, England from July 10 to 13, 1995. The underlying theme will be the use of molecular techniques in fundamental studies of fish biology, and their applications in fisheries and aquaculture. The program is being planned to include: - The Molecular Basis of Immunity (with an emphasis on evolutionary aspects; - Diseases of Fish (pathogenicity, diagnosis and vaccine development) - Genetics and Breeding (including sex determination) - Transgenic Fish (including ecological implications) - Population Studies and Conservation (including genetic management) For further information contact Dr. Colin Munn, FSBI Symposium, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 752 232900; Fax: +44 752 232927. * 4th International Conference on Aquatic Ecosystem Health, and International Symposium on Microbial Food Web Dynamics in Marine and Freshwater Environments To be held in 1995 in Coimbra, Portugal and sponsored by the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society. Contact: A.M.V.M. Soares (Portugal) - Tel: 351-39-24226; Fax: 351-39-28611 or P. Ross (U.S.A.) - Tel: (803) 792-7875; Fax: (803) 792-7084. * International Symposium on Large Freshwater Ecosystems of the World and their Management To be held in Cairo, Egypt in the Winter, 1995 and sponsored jointly by Environmetrics and the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society. Contact: A. El-Shaarawi (Canada) - Tel: (416) 336-4584; Fax: (416) 336-4989. <18> 11/08/94 ag508 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS o _Ascot Aquatic Monthly_ for reprinting Roger Langton's article "In Defense of Captive Breeding of Endangered Fish" in January 1994 issue (reprinted from _Aquatic Survival_, Vol. 2, No.1). o Also to _Ascot Aquatic Monthly_ for reprinting Jaime Baquero's article "How Environmentally Friendly is the Marine Aquarium Hobby?" in the February 1993 issue (reprinted from _Aquatic Survival_, Vol. 2, No. 3). o Thanks to _Panorama_ (Vol. 71, No. 2 , Feb. 1994), the newsletter of the San Francisco Aquarium Society, Inc. for reproducing the "Notebook" section from the September, '93 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. o Bermuda Fry-Angle Aquarium Society for reproducing information about the ACN in their newsletter _Fish Tales_. <19> 11/08/94 ag508 INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF AQUARIST ORGANIZATIONS This first edition of the International Directory of Aquarist Organizations is now completed and an order form is found on the next page. The ACN publishes this Directory to improve communications among amateur and professional aquarists throughout the world. Regular updating of the Directory provides an ongoing linkage with the international hobby community, vital to promoting public awareness and facilitating amateur involvement in aquatic conservation. Proceeds from sales of the Directory go towards the conservation work of the ACN. This first edition includes 960 organizations in 32 countries. It has been compiled from information made available from various sources, plus the results of our survey (in four languages - English, French, German and Spanish) which was distributed to all organizations known to us in the fall of 1993. In anticipation of publishing this Directory annually, it is hoped that organizations not yet listed, or incorrectly listed, will contact the ACN in the near future. At this stage of development, the directory does not claim to be multilingual, although some French, German and Spanish translations of common terminology are included. The content of this publication is largely derived from contributions by aquarists worldwide. Their participation in this project is gratefully acknowledged. Particular thanks go to a number of individuals and organizations providing mailing lists including: Rob Carr (Betta Buffs of Pittsburgh), Paul Cipriano Jr. (International Betta Congress), Tony Cotter (Nottingham Aquarists), Frank Dyrhovden (Norsk Akvarieforbund), Jim Griffiths (Flin Flon Aquarium Club), Mike Gunn (San Francisco Aquarium Society), Helen Nash (Indiana Water Garden Society), Don McAllister (Ocean Voice International), Eduard Meinema (Poecilia Nederland), Steve Szabo (New England Killifish Association), Davidene Tait (Pan Pacific Guppy Association), Mark Hawver (Tetra Sales (USA)), Alfred Ufermann (Deutsche Cichliden-Gesellschaft), Sally Van Camp (Federation of American Aquarium Societies), and Gary Wagner (Greater Chicago Cichlid Association). My apologies to anyone I have overlooked. Special thanks go to Bob and Rosie Clarke who, several years ago, compiled an International Directory on behalf of CAOAC (Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs) - this was the foundation upon which the current Directory was developed and updated. Assistance with translation of survey forms and key terminology was provided by Jaime Baquero, Patrick de Rham and Kai Erik Witte. Development of this project was greatly facilitated by the financial support of Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. (Major Sponsor), Aquarium Systems, Inc., and Red Sea Fish pHarm Ltd. I would especially like to extend my thanks to Jar‚ Sausaman for his many hours of assistance with this project. I claim full responsibility for any errors and omissions. Ongoing development and updates should serve to enhance and improve this publication. Please assist by providing suggestions and amendments, and by responding to annual surveys promptly. With your ongoing input, I sincerely hope that this Directory will become a valuable resource for aquarists worldwide and facilitate their efforts in aquatic conservation. Rob Huntley <20> 11/08/94 ag508 AQUATIC CONSERVATION NETWORK 1993/94 CORPORATE SPONSORS Aquarium Systems, Inc. Red Sea Fish pHarm Ltd. Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. 1993/94 AQUARIST SOCIETY SPONSORS Association Romande des Clubs Aquariophiles et Terrariophiles Capitol Aquarium Society Minnesota Aquarium Society 1993/94 INDIVIDUAL DONORS David Armitage Eric Bjornson Scott Dowd William Edge Michael Florez David Forsyth Robert Hall Jan Huus Eizo Kimura Dr. Ang Kok-Jee Marian Lea Kenneth Nordby Allen Scher James Schroeder Osamu Someha Stephen Somermeyer Mike Zach NEW MEMBERS Dr. Syed Hasab Ahmad Rajendra Agricultural University Pusa, Bihar, India College of Fisheries Dholi (Muzaffarpur) Bihar 843 121 India Association Regionale des Aquariophiles de Quebec, Inc. P.O. Box 9574 Ste-Foy Quebec G1Y 4C2 Canada Australia New Guinea Fishes Association (Queensland) Inc. P.O. Box 8135 Woolloongabba Queensland 4102 Australia Trevor Baker Hillview Cottage Stockleigh Pomeroy Crediton Devon EX17 4AU England, U.K. Bermuda Fry-Angle Aquarium Society P.O. Box WK 72 Warwick WK BX Bermuda Eric Bowden Technical Editor/Librarian British Killifish Association 3 Ffordd Las Llanrhystud Nr Aberystwyth Dyfed SY23 5EB United Kingdom Ning Labbish Chao Bio-Amazonia Conservation International 3204 Beaumont Drive Tallahassee Florida 32308-2806 U.S.A. C. Cheswright Southend, Leigh and District Aquarist Society 2 Cedar Avenue Wickford Essex SS12 9DT England, U.K. Scott Dowd New England Aquarium Central Wharf Boston Massachusetts 02110 U.S.A. P†l Enger Scandinavian Rainbow and Goby Association Verksgaten 20 Oppg. 2 Oslo 0560 Norway Bob Hall 302-A Green Road Manchester Connecticut 06040 U.S.A. Jan Huus 21 Overlake Dr. Nepean Ontario K2E 5V2 Canada Eugene Kaplan 148 W. Waterview St. Northport New York 11768 U.S.A. Dr. Les Kaufman New England Aquarium Central Wharf Boston Massachusetts 02110 U.S.A. Morgan J. Lidster 2245 N. 9th Street Terre Haute Indiana 47804 U.S.A. Andrew Smith Anabantoid Association of Great Britain 10 Chapel Street Halstead Essex CO9 2LR England Dr. Michael Tritt 3 Murray Avenue Westmount Qu‚bec H3Y 2X9 Canada Matthew Winston Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Blacksburg Virginia 24061-0321 U.S.A. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS CAN BE SENT DIRECTLY TO Sally Van Camp, 923 Wadsworth St. Syracuse , New York 13208, U.S.A. or to Aquatic Conservation Network 540 Roosevelt Avenue Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8 The annual membership fee is $25 (Canadian of U.S. currency). ******* End of Vol. 3, No. 1 - AQUATIC SURVIVAL *******