AQUATIC SURVIVAL 20/11/95 <<< VOLUME 3, NUMBER 4 - DECEMBER, 1994 >>> at702 TABLE OF CONTENTS || To Quickly find the section required, do a text search for the || section number including the "<" and ">" brackets || e.g. search for: || to find section n 1 Newsletter Introduction 2 Announcements 3 Restoration of Aquatic Habitats 4 President's Message 5 Letters and Views on the Affiliate Club Program 6 Freshwater Fishes of Tropical Ecosystems: Threat and Protection 7 The Columbia River Salmon Passage Model 8 Madagascar Update 9 Why do we want to conserve biodiversity anyway? 10 Lake Victoria - An Update 11 High School Aquarium Wins Environmental Award 12 Pupfish in education 13 Baseline Investigations of Pupfish, _Cyprinodon veronicae_ 14 ACN Education Working Group 15 Hidrovia Parana-Paraguay: Impacts and Alternatives 16 The Yellow Fish Road(TM) - Storm Drain Marking Program 17 International Goby and Blenny Study Group - Update 18 Conservation of Hawaiian Freshwater Fishes - Publication 19 Effects of Spilled Vegetable Oil 20 United Nations Action on Fisheries Issues 21 Marine Fish Conservation Network 22 Coming Events 23 Acknowledgments 24 List of Sponsors, Donors and New Members 25 Notebook ************************************************ <1> 20/11/95 at702 AQUATIC SURVIVAL Bulletin of the Aquatic Conservation Network Volume 3, Number 4 - December 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. Tel: (718) 265-3406 Fax: (718) 265-3420 Shawn Prescott Red Sea Fish pHarm Ltd. 5 Harness Court, Apt. T-4 Baltimore, Maryland 21208, U.S.A. Tel: (410) 484-2670 Fax: (410) 484-2713 Patrick de Rham Montolivet 27 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland Tel: (41) 21-616 4976 Fax: (41) 21-616 5036 Mark Rosenqvist (Vice President) Aquatic Research Organisms P.O. Box 1271, One Lafayette Rd. Hampton, Hew Hampshire 03842 U.S.A. Tel: (800) 927-1650 OR (603) 926-1650 Fax: (603) 926-5278 GENERAL MANAGER Rob Huntley 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8 Tel: (613) 729-4670 Fax: (613) 729-5613 Internet: rob@pinetree.org OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca CompuServe: 71022,3537 MEMBERSHIP Sally Van Camp 923 Wadsworth St. Syracuse, New York 13208, U.S.A. *********** AQUATIC SURVIVAL Bulletin of the Aquatic Conservation Network International Standard Serial Number - ISSN 1188-553X Published quarterly (March, June, September and December) by The Aquatic Conservation Network, Inc., 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8. Attn: Robert V. Huntley, Editor. Telephone: (613) 729-4670; Fax: (613) 729-5613; CompuServe: 71022,3537; Internet: rob@pinetree.org OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca. Deadlines for submissions are the third Friday of the month preceding publication. Unless otherwise indicated, articles may be reprinted without permission provided that such use is not for financial gain and appropriate credit is given to the author and to Aquatic Survival. The views expressed in published material are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aquatic Conservation Network. <2> 20/11/95 at702 ACN ANNOUNCEMENTS THANKS TO SALLY VAN CAMP! After almost 3 years of managing the ACN membership database, Sally Van Camp has decided to pass it on to a successor. The ACN is indebted to her for the excellent job she has done keeping the system running efficiently. Dean Staff will take over and Sally will stay on long enough to make sure the transition goes smoothly. ACN MEMBER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: - Education Working Group - contact Mark Rosenqvist (address on page 2). - Electronic Network Support Group - contact Rob Huntley at ag508@freenet.carleton.ca - Advertising Manager - contact Rob Huntley (address on page 2). - Finance Committee - contact Rob Huntley (address on page 2). - Membership Committee - contact Rob Huntley (address on page 2). - Affiliate Club Liaison - contact Rob Huntley (address on page 2). RECENT ACN NEWS RELEASES November 30, 1994 Captive Breeding Guidelines - New Publication This news release was distributed to specific mailing lists (postal and electronic versions). If you would like a copy, in either format, please send a request to the main ACN address. <3> 20/11/95 at702 RESTORATION OF AQUATIC HABITATS by Roger W. Langton One of the goals of a captive breeding program may be to place a species back into its natural habitat. If the appropriate habitat is in relatively good shape and is being protected from the forces that caused it to be threatened in the first place, the task might be accomplished in a relatively short time period. At the other end of the scale, when a habitat has been completely destroyed, it may be extremely difficult or impossible to return a species to its natural range. In the latter case, a species may be assigned forever to an artificial environment, if it is to survive at all. Fortunately, there are scientists who are trying to make the task of placing a species back into nature a little easier. Biologists who specialize in efforts to restore degraded or destroyed habitats are called restoration ecologists. Restoration Ecology, along with another specialty, Conservation Biology, is less than a decade old in terms of its full recognition as a branch of biology. Both specialties came into being as a response to the deepening crisis and awareness relative to the extinction of species due to environmental degradation. The Society for Ecological Restoration was formed in 1987 and its practitioners quickly became part of the planning of such organizations as the National Park Service, The Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy and other organizations concerned with the preservation of the earth's biodiversity. Restoration ecologists have already achieved a track record that is encouraging (Meffe & Carroll 1994). The primary goal of Restoration Ecology is to organize efforts to protect an area from further degradation and, when feasible, restore the habitat to a state where it is able to sustain its original biodiversity. This may mean nothing more than protecting the land while nature heals itself. The term used for this approach is ecological recovery. More often restoration will require more aggressive interventions such as planting trees, clearing trash or re-establishing river systems or wetlands that have been disrupted due to an extensive water project. When a habitat is so badly degraded that it no longer remotely resembles its natural state, it may be necessary to re-create the entire system, if indeed it is possible to do so. One of the obstacles to habitat restoration is the lack of a baseline data. Digging a hole, filling it with water and placing fish into it with the hope they will survive on their own does not constitute a viable restoration effort. Knowledge of all plant and animal species associated with the original habitat is very useful, if not essential. If fish survive in a captive breeding situation and are placed in a river system that no longer provides an adequate food chain, the species will not last long. Support species needed by the targeted conservation animal are essential to the long-term functioning of the habitat. Unfortunately, it is usually the targeted species that remains while many of the essential elements required for an independent ecological system have disappeared. If the components still exist somewhere in nature, knowledge of their location and importance is often deficient. Certainly one of the most important projects needed currently is for biologists to make a complete inventory of threatened habitats to document the earth's biodiversity before it disappears (Wilson, 1992) and to provide baseline data for purposes of future restoration. Clearly, the protection of the original habitat is a much more efficient way to save some of the earth's biodiversity. Sadly, in many instances, it will be impossible to restore a habitat to its original state. One need only look at a photograph of the barren red terrain of parts of Madagascar. These barren areas once contained a lush tropical rainforest filled with a rich variety of life, with many species being endemic. These deforested areas are badly eroded with deep gullies cut into the earth. Much of the runoff from these areas goes into the ocean where it destroys the once magnificent diversity of life found in the coral reefs. It is a disaster of huge proportions. Even a casual look at this area makes the prospects of restoration seem dim indeed. In most cases, some remnant of the original habitat must be present if serious thought is to be given to a restoration project. The decision to begin a restoration effort depends upon several factors, the most important of which are scale, cost and knowledge. Many species of plants and animals require an environment containing hundreds or thousands of square hectares to sustain themselves. Studies of remnant Brazilian rainforests that survive cutting show a marked decline in biodiversity over a relative short period of time (Pimm 1991). The smaller the remnant, the less diversity it can sustain and the more rapid the decline. Scale will often determine what is feasible short of unlimited resources and a willingness to tear down urban and rural communities. Cost is another factor. Thompson (1992) estimates that it costs $625 to restore an acre of prairie in Iowa. The estimated cost of maintenance would be about $12-18 per acre over a three-year period. Without proper knowledge of how a natural system works, mistakes will be made. It is certainly inefficient to gather baseline data for purposes of possible restoration when preserving the habitat in the first place would be the most prudent course. But, alas, children have to be run over before local governments are willing to put in a traffic light. Getting people's attention remains a major problem in conservation. Aquatic restoration projects have been implemented with wetlands (Kushler & Kentula 1990), lakes (Cooke et al. 1986), and rivers and streams (Gore 1985). Dahl (1990) estimates that 53% of the wetlands in the coterminous United States have been lost in the last 200 years. Results of current efforts suggest that the restoration of wetlands to their original condition is all but impossible. Reestablishing historic water flows is a major problem in many cases. There is a dramatic contrast in species diversity between restored and natural systems because much that sustains an ecosystem (such as soils and vegetation) have taken thousands of years to develop and cannot be fully replaced or sustained through reconstruction. There is often a lack of understanding about the interaction of the parts of a habitat that leads to errors and faulty perceptions about what needs to be done and may result in only a few of the elements of the total system (e.g. soil composition, the role of microorganisms, amount of sunlight required) being addressed or fully understood. The rule is simple: the more complex and degraded the ecosystem, the less chance there is for a successful restoration. For complex systems, only time, with a little help from humans, can start the process toward a healthy environment. There is more hope for less complex ecosystems where one human intervention such as the introduction of pollution is the major cause of degradation and only then if the pollution has not had catastrophic consequences. Short-term economic gains for a few individuals have not been worth the cost to the health of the planet, especially when huge expenditures for restoration must be made by succeeding generations. Ask the residents of Colorado (USA) who are still paying to clean up the results of irresponsible mining practices used in the 19th century. A successful example of lake restoration is that of Lake Washington (NRC 1992) close to Seattle, Washington. The lake was used for dumping treated and raw sewage. Large algae blooms _(Oscillatoria rubescens)_, a blue-green algae that was not previously found in the lake, appeared in 1955. Remedies were put into place and by 1967, 99% of the sewage no longer emptied into the lake. Conditions improved by this one intervention. Water clarity increased, phosphorus levels dropped and algae growth decreased. Often the failure to address an environmental problem is more a matter of political will and adequate resources than a lack of knowledge about what needs to be done. Pollution of lakes is a world-wide problem and has resulted in the death of many fish and invertebrates when the algae blooms die, drop to the lake bottom, and decompose, depleting the oxygen supply and sometimes rendering the lake anoxic. This disruption of ecological niches is devastating to species who have evolved to survive there and often disrupts the whole system. At times efforts to improve the environment backfire, as was the case with the Monkey Springs pupfish. After a thorough cleaning of the habitat, large-mouth bass were introduced, albeit unauthorized. The pupfish were consumed by the bass and became extinct in 1971 (Minckley & Deacon 1991). A great deal has been written about the decline of Lake Victoria. Often the emphasis is placed upon the introduction of the Nile Perch (Lates sp., Harrison 1991) in the 1950s as the primary cause of the extinction of scores of haplochromine cichlids. Contributing factors such as pollution and the consequent algae blooms, overfishing and a growing human population surrounding and depending on the lake are often given less emphasis. To have any hope of restoring this lake to a healthy ecosystem, one would have to take all of these factors into consideration and then it would take decades, if not centuries, to accomplish. The problems are enormous and a truly comprehensive effort to restore the lake is probably beyond reach. The political and economic factors alone would be enough to frighten the most dedicated conservationists. A more manageable situation is found in Lake Tanganyika (Coulter & Mubamba 1993) where sediment pollution due to deforestation surrounding the lake has and will continue to cause significant habitat loss unless curtailed and repaired within the next few years. Many fish species are affected by this pollution. Some of the consequences are the direct loss of habitat as well as suffocation of the algae and other food sources upon which the fish depend. Most of the research concerning the impact of deforestation upon biodiversity has focused on terrestrial flora and fauna but deforestation around water systems is a major concern for those trying to maintain the integrity of aquatic environments (Reinthal & Stiassny 1991). To try and restore a magnificent habitat such as Lake Tanganyika decades from now will present insurmountable problems and costs. The work needs to be done now and a workable plan to maintain its viability implemented. Ideally conservationists who incorporate captive breeding programs into their efforts to save species from extinction will not only try to preserve the charismatic animals but all species that make an specific ecosystem work. Obviously such an approach is fraught with difficulty in most if not all cases. This raises the question about what to do with a species that has been saved through captive breeding but its habitat is completely degraded and it is impossible to restore it? Some will say that the animal is a freak and it hardly matters if it disappears. They argue that a species in this situation is no longer part of nature's evolutionary process and in that sense is already extinct. Others will disagree, respecting the living nature of the species and will try and provide a habitat that mimics the one that once existed in nature, however imperfect it may be, even if that habitat is in a zoo or aquarium. At the very least, the animal will help to educate people as to the need for conservation. It will become an advertisement for the need to do better in the future. Perhaps it will be possible and become common in the future to construct nature parks that move in the direction of providing a self-sustaining environment for the animals that have survived through captive breeding. It is no longer untenable to think in terms of most or all large mammals living in artificial environments by the year 2050. Animals that require large areas to maintain their independence as well as animals that require clean and abundant water for their survival have little chance in the future without a radical shift in thinking about the essential role and interconnectedness of environmental components in maintaining the viability of the planet. Some critics maintain that putting forth the hope of captive breeding and habitat restoration programs will lull people into thinking that the world can be put back together once the human population levels off sometime in the middle of the 21st century. Such thinking, of course, is foolish. Will the commitment and resources be available to reconstruct habitats where it is possible to do so? Will humans be in a position to make such a commitment or will we too be but a struggling remnant of a once rich biological heritage? *References* Cooke, G.D., E.B. Welch, S.A. Peterson and P.R. Newroth. 1986. Lake and Reservoir Restoration. Butterworth, Boston, Mass. Coulter, G.W. and R. Mubamba. 1993. Conservation in Lake Tanganyika, with special reference to Underwater Parks. Conservation Biology. Vol 7. No. 3, Blackwell Scientific. Cambridge, Mass. Dahl, T.E. 1990. Wetlands Losses in the United States 1780s to 1980s. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington D.C. Gore, J.A. (ed.). 1985. The Restoration of Rivers and Streams: Theories and Experience. Butterworth, Boston. Harrison, S. 1991. Local extinction in the metapopulation context: An empirical evaluation. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. Kunsler, J.A. and M.E. Kentula (eds.). 1990. Wetland Creation and Restoration: The Status of the Science. Island Press, Washington D.C. Meffe, G.K. and R. Carroll. 1994. Principles of Conservation Biology, Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Mass. Minckley, W.L. and J.E. Deacon (eds.). 1991. Battle against Extinction: Native Fish Management in the American West. University of Arizona Press. Tucson, Arizona. National Research Council. (NRC) Committee on the Restoration of Aquatic Systems. 1992. Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems: Science, Technology and Public Policy. National Academy Press. Washington, D.C. Pimm, S.L. 1991. The Balance of Nature? Ecological Issues in the Conservation of Species and Communities, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London. Reinthal, P. and M. Stiassny. 1991. The freshwater fishes of Madagascar: A study of an endangered fauna with recommendations for a conservation strategy. Conservation Biology. 5:231-243. Thompson, J.R. 1992. Prairies, Forests, and Wetlands. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, Iowa. Roger Langton is the President of the ACN and can be contacted at 556 W. Cedar Place, Louisville Colorado 80027, U.S.A. Tel: (303) 673-0673; Fax: (303) 661-0653; Email: RWLACN@AOL.COM <4> 20/11/95 at702 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE This issue of _Aquatic Survival_ marks the end of the first year in which the ACN has been supervised by a Board of Directors. It has been a learning experience for all of us. A special thanks goes to Shawn Prescott and Henrik Hornhaver whose terms come to an end this year. They will always have the bragging rights for having been members of the first BOD. New members of the BOD will be J.R. Shute, Director of Conservation Fisheries, Inc. in Tennessee and Stephen Somermeyer who is the 1994 Chairperson of the American Cichlid Association. Mark Rosenqvist was re-elected and will continue to serve as ACN Vice-president. I will again serve as President with Dennis Hough and Paul Loiselle continuing on the BOD for 1995. We are fortunate to have this talented group of volunteers and anticipate much progress for the ACN in 1995. The ACN Affiliate Club Program is off to a good start. We now have 10 aquarium societies - 5 from the United States, 3 from the United Kingdom, and one each from France and Australia that have joined. There continues to a be a concern about item #6 which reads: "Breed fish in such a way that they maintain the characteristics of the species found in nature and avoid breeding for distortions in color, shape, fin size, etc." Elsewhere in this issue you will find concerns expressed about the implications of this goal of the Affiliate Club Program. There has been a long tradition in the aquarium hobby to breed fish with the idea of enhancing their beauty. In fact, entire societies have been organized around the breeding of fancy guppies, bettas, goldfish, livebearers and discus where "improvement" of the species and the development of new color varieties is encouraged. The ACN is not asking that these traditional ways of breeding fish be stopped. We are, however, making the point that none of these fancy strains are suitable for purposes of conservation. Conservation efforts require that fish be maintained as close to specimens found in nature as possible with the hope that one day conservation aquarists may be able to legally place the fish back in their natural range. The ACN encourages specialty groups who already breed fish for the achievement of interesting color varieties to also breed fish for conservation. For example, there are several betta species threatened with extinction and betta breeders are urged to maintain captive populations of these species, keeping them separate from other club efforts. This does not mean that "fancy" populations should not be developed in order to be affiliated with the ACN but pure populations should continue to be available. The same can be said for the many threatened livebearers from Mexico and elsewhere. Along with inbreeding and crossbreeding to achieve aesthetic goals, we encourage programs that produce fish suitable for conservation. In a conversation with Heiko Bleher, he mentioned that many European discus breeders have stopped the practice of crossbreeding the various species and subspecies in order to maintain pure populations. With some education and planning it is hoped that conservation will become an important part of all club activities. The purpose of the Affiliate Club Program is to encourage respect for all species of fish with special emphasis on their conservation. It has been estimated by many conservation biologists that 50% or more of natural fish populations will be extinct by the year 2050. We encourage each of you to join with us in our efforts to save some of these species for future generations. Roger Langton <5> 20/11/95 at702 LETTERS Sandelia bainsii First the good news. Three years ago I set up a tank with the endangered _Sandelia bainsii_ in it. Now I have had success with spawning them and also had success with filming them in the act. I now am raising and following the development of the young. GREAT. I was feeling very elated at this success and then I got a phone call that someone has introduced the sharptooth catfish, _Clarias gariepinus_, into a dam in the system where _Sandelia_ occur. In another system the introduction of the catfish caused a local extinction of Sandelia. This introduction has made me feel very depressed after all the PR work I have done - Saturdays taking school groups to the _Sandelia_ pool in the river, removing over 600 tonnes of the other alien _Azolla filiculoides_, the water fern, and now this IDIOT introduces another alien which could easily be the end of _Sandelia_. We are mounting a campaign to get the catfish out but we need about R5000 for rotenone and it appears that the money is not there. It is URGENT and I feel quite frustrated. I will NOT give up, people introduced the fern and I have worked hard, now this. I was wondering if we could do a Joint Effort and put together the laws of the world against translocation of fish. Done country by country. In the Cape Province the fine is only R1500 if caught, in Australia in one state it is $50 000 plus clean-up charges (GREAT). I want to use this as a PR stunt here and will be writing to our local newspaper about this irresponsible act. The thing is to get the people on your side NOT against you so that they will not sneak in and dump fish in the system. I will keep you informed about the _Clarias_ and maybe you could get the net busy with the Laws if you are interested?? Take care Jim and _Sandelia_ larvae. Dr Jim A. Cambray Albany Museum Somerset St, Grahamstown South Africa, 6140 Tel +27 [0]461 22312 Fax: +27 [0]461 22398 Email: amjc@giraffe.ru.ac.za British Cichlid Association I should take this opportunity to let you know how we are getting on with the "greening" of the cichlid keeping hobby. Basically it has been just over a year since myself and Martin Chandler started formalising the captive maintenance activities of our membership, principally with respect to the 'in vogue' Victorian cichlids but also others (Madagascan, Central American and S. African). It has been a hard slog formulating a definitive list (and compiling a reference library) of the species supposedly held in the hobby (or extant in the wild) and then matching it to what our members have (or think they have) as well as validating such claims. The next major undertaking is to persuade our members to give serious thought to their long term maintenance and educate them into thinking that they can no longer rely on wild stock to revitalize poor quality captive populations. A more responsible attitude of course will be applied to all species kept - we need to reduce demand not increase it by raising the value (conservation wise) of our charges. Much of our practical work is in support of Gordon Reid and his aquarium staff at Chester Zoo with their Private Breeders Scheme, but hopefully we can show aquaristic maturity in the near future and maintain indefinitely other taxa too. Yours sincerely, Trevor Baker British Cichlid Association c/o Hill View Cottage Stockleigh Pomeroy Crediton Devon, EX17 4AU England, U.K. Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa During the past year and the first months of this one, I have been organizing the Freshwater Section of the Ichthyology Collection of the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa. This collection was created by Prof. Abraham Kobelowski as the result of several collecting trips to coastal lagoons in Mexico. Now the freshwater section has been extended with specimens of Mexico and Costa Rica. Also, I intend to establish a subsection for specimens breeding in aquaria. The families included up to this moment are: Clupeidae, Cyprinidae, Characidae, Anablepidae, Cyprinodontidae, Goodeidae, Poeciliidae, Atherinidae, Mugilidae, Eleotridae, Gobiidae, Cichlidae, Gerreidae, Ariidae, Ictaluridae, Pimelodidae and Synbranchidae. Hoping that this information could interest someone, I say good-bye. Sincerely yours, Antonio Hernandez-Rolon Playa Olas Altas #513 Col. Marte 08830 Ixtacalco Mexico Views on the Affiliate Club Program In the few months since its inception, we have already enlisted ten clubs in our Affiliate Club Program (see back page for listing). At the same time, several other clubs have raised points concerning a few of the articles, especially points 6 & 9. It is gratifying to know that this initiative is being considered seriously and time is being taken to write letters of concern. The entire program was outlined in the September '94 issue of _Aquatic Survival_, but here again are points 6 and 9 to refresh you: 6. Breed fish in such a way that they maintain the characteristics of the species as found in nature and avoid breeding for distortions in color, shape, fin size etc. 9. Never dispose of fish or other aquatic animals by "dumping" them into waters that are not part of their natural habitat. The concern with the latter hinges on whether this provision would put affiliates at odds with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We perhaps should say that fish should not be released into waters which "are" part of their natural habitat - except when part of an "official" conservation program, or words to that effect. Roger has addressed the concerns around point 6 in his President's Message on page 2 of this issue. Consideration may be given to amending the wording of either/both points 6 & 9 accordingly. The following is a sample of the concerns raised concerning point 6. rh Deutsche Gesellschaft fuhr Lebendgebarende Zahnkarpfen [German Livebearer Society]: My letter regards the Affiliate Club Program and especially one point. It's point 6. In the DGLZ we have a longstanding tradition in breeding ornamental fish and - additionally - support this tradition and will continue to do so. It [point 6] will not be one of our aims for guppies and livebearers and I will explain to you, why this helps conserving fish. First we have a strong lobby in Germany who wants to prohibit any import of wild caught fish. The ornamental fish are easily recognized as captive bred and thus make no problems. Additionally these fish helped very much in genetics. Cancer research would not be possible if platies and swordtails had not been used. There is much contact with scientists regarding these points. However, to make it better for everybody we could sign a paragraph which does not allow to mix wild stocks and ornamental stocks. And that's what we do for conservation. We keep our ornamental stocks separate, as we do with our wild stocks. And - of course - we don't breed wild stocks under the same genetic aims as ornamental ones but under the aim to conserve the natural gene reserve and maybe also the gene pool. You should discuss this point with your friends and maybe ask for some opinions in the newsletter. I believe that many of the good breeders, especially the livebearer hobby, do want to do both - breed ornamentals and additionally help conserve nature. And we have examples that it works. Harro Hieronimus Nachtigallenweg 52 D-42657 Solingen Germany Tel: 0212-819878 Fax: 0212-816216 Columbus Area Fish Enthusiasts I'd like to see the local aquarium society get more involved with conservation and species maintenance. I was pleased to see your Affiliate Club Program, but I think there will be a problem locally with item 6: "Breed fish in such a way that they maintain the characteristics of the species as found in nature and avoid distortions in color, shape, fin size etc." CAFE has a number of people deeply involved with fancy guppies and with bettas. While I certainly agree that we should maintain the wild form of every fish and attempt to maintain as much genetic diversity as possible, does ACN really need to condemn selective breeding for "fancy" characteristics in all fish? It seems to me to be a fight you can't win -- IFGA and IBC just have too much of a head start on you. I would suggest rewriting item 6 to say something like: "Breed fish in such a way that they maintain the characteristics of the species as found in nature. Selective breeding for "fancy" characteristics or color morphs should be avoided except with species which are already irrevocably modified, such as guppies, _Betta splendens_ and goldfish." This wording would accomplish much the same thing, I think, and avoid a confrontation with the _IFGA, IBC, et al_. As it presently stands, I think item 6 is likely to cause some folks to brand ACN as "extremist environmentalists" and dismiss you. I'd hate to see this happen. Paul S. Gardner 74E Jeffrey Pl. Columbus, Ohio 43214-1702 U.S.A. Email: gardner.113@osu.edu Northeast Alabama Aquarium Society I am the President-elect of the Northeast Alabama Aquarium Society and I am responding to a letter we received from your organization today. I personally am very interested in your organization and hope that I can convince our Board of Directors that membership for our club would be beneficial to both organizations. There is one point I would like to have clarified before presenting this to the BOD at our next meeting. Under your Affiliate Club Program goals I reference number 6: " Breed fish in such a way that they maintain the characteristics of the species as found in nature and avoid breeding for distortions in color, shape, fin size etc...". Several of our members breed _Betta splendens_ for competition in the International Betta Congress shows and two of our most active members breed guppies for shows sponsored by the International Fancy Guppy Association. Is your Network attempting to put a halt to the breeding practices these people involve themselves in? On all other points I feel sure the BOD of our club will surely agree with me in saying this is a worthwhile and needed function. Thank you for your time. William E. (Butch) Kreh 213 E. 29th St. Anniston, Alabama 36201 U.S.A. CompuServe: 74654,1734 <6> 20/11/95 at702 FRESHWATER FISHES OF TROPICAL ECOSYSTEMS: THREAT AND PROTECTION [SuBwasserfische tropischer Okosysteme: Gefahrdung und Schutzmoglichkeiten] Workshop March 9th to 12th, 1995 at Zoological Research Institute and Museum Alexander Koenig Bonn (Germany) The German Cichlid Society (DCG - Duetsche Cichliden-Gesellschaft e.V.), the International Anabantoid Association (IGL - Internationale Gemeinschaft fuhr Labyrinthfische) and the Zoological Research Institute and Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK - Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig) are the organizers of a workshop concerning this topical theme. Most important reasons for the threat of tropical ichthyofauna, possibilities of protection and requirements of research will be represented and discussed. Contributions to the workshop (15 min. lecture, poster) concerning protection and threat of tropical freshwater fishes will be welcome. - Which species have become extinct during the last few years or will in the near future? - Which species and fish communities are most endangered at present? What are the main reasons? - Which projects are dealing with the protection of endangered freshwater fishes? - Does commercial fishing (aquaristic/nourishment) threaten the natural stocks? - Could conservation by breeding in captivity be successful? - What is the prognosis for Lake Victoria? The deadline for contributions has passed (December 15, 1994) but for your information the contact person is H. Jorg Freyhof, Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Sektion Ichthyologie, D-53113 Bonn, Germany. Fax: 0228 21 69 79. The deadline for participation is January 15th, 1995 and the contact is Claus Schaefer, Villemomblerstr. 34, D-53123 Bonn, Germany. Fax: 0228 79 74 40. <7> 20/11/95 at702 THE COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON PASSAGE MODEL CRiSP 1.5 is a computer model that tracks the downstream migration and survival of individual stocks of natural and hatchery-spawned juvenile fish through the tributaries and dams of the Columbia and Snake Rivers, from release site to the estuary. The model describes in detail fish movement and survival, and the effects of various river operations on these factors. It provides managers with an interactive tool to evaluate effects of individual operation strategies on salmon recovery efforts. Strategies that can be evaluated include barging smolts around dams, spilling fish over dams, "drawing down" reservoirs to speed fish down the river, and augmenting flow to reduce fish travel times. The modelling effort involves work in four areas: development of theory, calibration, training, and system evaluations. There are five major uses of the model: 1) Instruction of users on the state of knowledge of the Columbia River, 2) assisting researchers in designing experiments, 3) evaluating sensitivity of fish survival to different system factors, 4) providing estimates of juvenile fish survival for use in life cycle models, and 5) evaluating levels of uncertainty in model predictions. The model treats passage and survival of pre-selected salmon substocks through the Snake and Columbia rivers and their tributaries. Modeled factors that affect survival of hatchery and wild juvenile stocks include river flow and temperature, predator activity and density, nitrogen supersaturation, and river operations such as spill, fish transportation and operation of bypass systems. The model tracks multiple fish releases and assigns passage and survival parameters to individual stocks. A model run covers migration of all stocks over a year. Input parameters describing fish behavior and system operations are specified for each year. Menu driven graphical input tools allow selection of specific combinations of parameters. The model has been distributed to state, federal and public agencies and tribes in Idaho, Oregon and Washington and is being used to evaluate hydrosystem operations and salmon recovery plans. A series of workshops have been conducted at the University of Washington to train agency personnel in the use of the CRiSP models. Employees from twenty-five federal, state and regional agencies have undergone training. In addition demonstrations have been given to public school classes and the news media. The CRiSP model is programmed with a robust and flexible structure that allows for easy future accommodation of new theory with a minimum of reprogramming effort. Our understanding of salmon ecology indicates that smolt migration and survival depend on fish behavior, physiology and morphology, fish interactions with their food base, and predators. Future work will focus on defining these interactions with emphasis on hatchery practices, disease control programs, bypass systems, transportation programs, and predator population control. CRiSP 1.5 is one component of a planned series of models to define salmon in their ecosystem and the impact of human activities on that ecosystem. CRiSP 2 is a harvest model that accepts input from the juvenile passage model, and it is also available. Work is underway to develop a model of salmon productivity in their spawning habitats. For more detailed information contact Josh Hayes, The CRiSP Project, Center for Quantitative Sciences, University of Washington, HR-20, Seattle, Washington 98195, U.S.A. Email: josh@pogo.cqs.washington.edu or examine the models via World Wide Web by accessing the URL: http://www.cqs.washington.edu/crisp/index.html <8> 20/11/95 at702 MADAGASCAR UPDATE Dr. Paul V. Loiselle As part of the continuing effort to obtain breeding stock of as many non-anadromous Malagasy freshwater fishes as possible, Mr. Oliver Lucanus and I were in Madagascar from 5 through 28 October 1994. This expedition was made possible by generous financial support from the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, Old World Exotic Fish Ltd., and Marineland Aquarium Products. Our primary goal was to ascertain the status of _Pachypanchax sakaramyi_, a cyprinodont last reported from the Grand Lac de Montagne d'Ambre in 1954 and if possible, to secure sufficient founders to establish a secure captive population. Secondary focus of the trip was the island of Nosy Be. The objectives here were to secure live specimens of _Pachypanchax omalonotus_ and the cichlids _Paratilapia polleni_ and _Paretroplus dami_ from their type localities, to ascertain what fishes occur in the island's crater lakes and to determine their conservation status. The trip also afforded opportunities to explore _in situ_ conservation possibilities with Malagasy authorities. _Pachypanchax sakaramyi_ was originally described from a locality well below and outside of the boundary of Montagne d'Ambre National Park and had last been reported from Grand Lac, the highest of the five crater lakes present on the massif. It thus seemed likely that this fish would be found throughout the upper reaches of the Sakaramy River within the park proper as well as in all of the crater lakes. This expectation proved unrealistic. We found no fish whatsoever in the upper reaches of the Sakaramy River, which appeared to support only tadpoles of several frog species and freshwater crabs. Time constraints limited our sampling efforts to two of the park's five lakes, Petit Lac and Lac Maudit. The former contained only _Gambusia affinis_ and _Tilapia rendalli_. The only fish found in the latter were common carp, _Cyprinus carpio_, and black bass, _Micropterus salmoides_. Extending the search for this species to its type locality also proved unproductive. Our stay coincided with the end of the dry season and due to the effects of large-scale deforestation, the smaller tributaries of the Sakaramy River in the vicinity of Sakaramy village no longer flow year around. The presence of several large crocodiles precluded seining Lac Mahery, a crater lake immediately adjacent to the village. However, we observed no small surface-dwelling fish in the shallows. When interviewed, local fishermen stated that this lake now contains only introduced _T. rendalli_. Two small rivers flowing down the western slope of the massif into the Mozambique Channel, the Anambato and the Ankazomenafelana, were found to contain only guppies, _Poecilia reticulata_, and the Mozambique tilapia, _Oreochromis mossambicus_. We finally found zoto, to give _P. sakaramyi_ its Malagasy name, in a stretch of the Sakaramy just outside of Joffreville, the town immediately adjacent to the park. The collecting locality was located in an area of intense _tavy_, or slash-and-burn cultivation. The forest cover on the surrounding hillsides had been replaced by patches of bananas, sugar cane, tobacco and chili peppers. Partial rock barriers had been placed in the stream bed to slow its flow sufficiently to allow the cultivation of watercress. This highly modified habitat supported a large population of _P. sakaramyi_. With the assistance of local residents, we collected sufficient individuals of both sexes to permit the establishment of a secure managed population of this distinctive species overseas. Our efforts to secure founder stock of the cyprinodont _Pachypanchax omalonotus_ from its type locality on Nosy Be were also successful. We found this species to be abundant on the island. _Paratilapia polleni_ and _Paretroplus dami_ proved more elusive. Fishermen shown photos of both species indicated while still present on Nosy Be, they had become extremely rare. A longer stay on the island, which might have produced a few specimens. was unfortunately precluded by time constraints. We visited five of Nosy Be's eleven crater lakes. Our sampling was constrained by the presence in all of them of crocodiles described by local residents as "tres dangereux". However, we observed sexually active _Ptychochromis_, known locally as _tsipoy_, in Lakes Ampombilava, Djabala, Bempazava and in the Lake of the Two Sisters. Founders of the Djabala and Bempazava _tsipoy_ were successfully captured and shipped to Florida. The tsipoy in Lake Ambombilava, referable to the nominal species _Ptychochromis nossibeensis_, have breeding dress identical to that of fish from the immediately adjacent Lake Djabala. Those from Lake Bempazava and the Lake of the Two Sisters differ substantially from one another in this regard. Neither bears any resemblance to _Py. nossibeensis_, while none of the Nosy Be populations resembles any of the three putative "races" of _Ptychochromis oligoacanthus_ known to occur on Madagascar proper. It thus seems probable that Ampombilava and Djabala aside, each of Nosy Be's crater lakes supports an endemic species of _Ptychochromis_. Clearly this situation warrants closer study. Fortunately such research is not a matter of extreme urgency. While _Tilapia rendalli_ was present in all of the lakes visited, this species did not dominate the catches of local fishermen. Indeed, all specimens examined displayed poor coefficients of condition. The native cichlids, in contrast, were abundant and gave the impression of robust good health. As long as predators such as black bass or snakeheads remain absent from Nosy Be, there is every reason to believe that these populations of tsipoy will continue to dominate their respective lakes. Nosy Be seems to be the one place in Madagascar where native fish are likely to benefit from implementation of some classic in situ conservation measures. It is certainly worth trying to secure a ban on any further introduction of exotic fishes. A visit to the Service des Peches' fish culture facility at Ifanadiana, where efforts to pond-breed _marakely_ have enjoyed some success, also produced an interesting surprise. The _Paratilapia_ in question is not, as originally thought, _P. polleni_. These strikingly colored fish, descended from animals collected just outside the southern boundary of Ranomafana National Park, represent either a distinctive ecophenotype of _P. bleekeri_ or an undescribed species. As half a dozen founders were sent back to the U.S., DNA analysis will hopefully contribute to the resolution of this population's status. On a less positive note, five of the seven species of the endemic crayfish genus _Astacoides_ present in the Ranomafana region are showing signs of severe overfishing. Mean size of animals harvested and catch per unit effort have declined precipitously over the past five years, due in large part to the fact that fishing efforts, which do not spare ovigerous females, are at their greatest during the three month breeding season. The local extinction of the two largest species, _A. caldwelli_ and _A. betsileoensis_, seems inevitable unless effective protective measures are immediately enacted. Ignorance of their basic population biology complicates attempts to devise an effective conservation strategy for these vividly colored crustaceans. As they appear to be good candidates for captive propagation, these Malagasy crayfish seem well worth the attention of the AZA's Invertebrate Taxon Advisory Group. Perhaps the most exciting news to emerge from Madagascar this year was the discovery of a breeding population of Madagascar's largest native cichlid, _Pytchochromoides betsileanus_ by two European colleagues, Dr. Jean-Claude Nourissat and M. Patrick de Rham, whose collecting efforts coincided with ours. _Trondro mainty_ has been extinct in Lake Itassy for nearly a quarter of a century. Its presence in the Ilana, a tributary of the Onilahy River several hundred kilometers southwest of its type locality is something of a mystery. In any event, its rediscovery is the ichthyological equivalent of finding living _Aepyornis_! Jean Claude and Patrick also managed to get to Marolambo, where they collected nice series of _Oxylapia polli_ and the undescribed black and yellow _Ptychochromoides_ species Drs. Peter Reinthal and Melanie Stiassny discovered in the Nosivolo River a few years ago. As their fish suffered heavy losses prior to shipping, this initial attempt to establish these two cichlids in captivity proved less than fully successful. Hopefully next year's efforts will prove more fruitful. We also had the opportunity meet two of Dr. Peter Reinthal's students who had just returned from an extensive survey of the Masoala peninsula in northeastern Madagascar. They found that although exotic species were present even in this remote region, native species were still to be found in many localities. The only native cichlid they collected was _Paretroplus polyactis_, but they found two distinctive _Rheocles_ phenotypes that may well prove to be new species as well as a very large, distinctively colored _Bedotia_ that may also prove to be new to science. On an earlier trip to northwestern Madagascar, they succeeded in recollecting the new _Rheocles_ and _Sauvagella_ species that Patrick de Rham collected from the Sofia River last year and found another distinctive _Rheocles_ in the Ankofiah River. These discoveries, which represent a significant range extension for the Family _Bedotiidae_, point up how little we know about the freshwater fishes of Le Grand Isle. It remains to be seen what further surprises Madagascar's ichthyofauna has for ichthyologists and aquarists alike. Dr. 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. <9> 20/11/95 at702 WHY DO WE WANT TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY ANYWAY? by Peter F. Brussard Reprinted, with permission, from the President's Column, Society for Conservation Biology Newsletter, November 1994. One might think that the subject of this essay is superfluous in the SCB newsletter, but I am quickly discovering that it is not. In discussions with dozens of people in all walks of life I have found a rather startling naivete on what biodiversity is, why it is important, and why we are concerned about it. Most of us are comfortably ensconced in academic or other environments where it is sine qua non that biodiversity conservation is good. It comes as a rather rude surprise to find out how many people in the world are ignorant of, indifferent toward, or opposed to the conservation of biodiversity. Among these are many elected officials, some state and federal agency employees, most people working in the extractive industries, a goodly number of farmers and ranchers, a few environmentalists, and a generous share of the public at large. In short, we will have to "sell" biodiversity to many constituencies before we can succeed in conserving it. We have tried a number of sales pitches over the past few years, and some have been more successful than others, Here are four of them. 1. It's the law. While clearly true (in the United States, 31 pieces of federal legislation mandating the conservation of biodiversity have been passed by Congress, and many states have similar laws), this argument has won few converts. In the western U.S. in particular, many groups regard biodiversity conservation as yet another example of federal interventionism designed to diminish their "rights" or means of livelihood. This argument has sometimes been useful, however, in extracting cooperation from persons accustomed to dealing with federal and state environmental regulations. 2. Other species and natural communities have intrinsic value and hence a right to exist. While I would be the first to admit that the development of less anthropocentric philosophies is critical for the world's future, few people who are not already converted have been swayed by this argument. Even at best, intrinsic value discussions seem to be much more persuasive when dealing with organisms that are cute and cuddly or bright and colorful rather than with comparatively drab native minnows or obscure plants. Educating the next generation is the best way to make intrinsic value arguments convincing. At present, if the first question someone asks about an endangered species is "What good is it?" it is probably best to move on to another line of argument. 3. Biodiversity conservation makes good economic sense. This approach seems to have been more successful than others, although it too meets with its share of skepticism. Here is the argument in brief: a. A region's natural resources are its capital; natural resources are both abiotic (e.g. water, minerals) and biotic. b. Biological resources consist of natural and semi- natural ecosystems, the species found in these ecosystems, and the genetic information that these species contain. These resources are maintained by a variety of ecological and evolutionary processes, and the resources plus the processes that maintain them are sometimes referred to as biodiversity. c. Biodiversity not only provides goods, such as forage for livestock, and fish and wildlife for harvest or enjoyment, but also services, such as control of hydrologic cycles, detoxification of waste, and generation of soil. (Most people understand the goods part; few are aware of the services. Many are surprised to realize, for example, that events occurring in distant forest ecosystems can determine the quantity and quality of water that comes out of their faucets.) d. Many human activities, such as management focused on single-species or commodity production, have led, often unwittingly, to ecosystem degradation. Highly degraded ecosystems are not effective producers of either goods or services, and once ecosystems reach this state their restoration is slow and costly at best and impossible at worst. Thus, conservation and economics are inextricably linked. The restoration of degraded ecosystems is going to be a huge cost that we will pass on to future generations if decisive action is not taken now. The conservation of biodiversity is not necessarily incompatible with other land uses, although some compromises will be required. 4. Biodiversity conservation may help get the government off your back. This line of argument is the most pragmatic of all, but it has caught many people's attention. Its two components are: a. One of the major indicators of widespread ecosystem degradation is the ever-increasing list of endangered, threatened and candidate species. Recent evidence suggests that many species that are still common will soon join the queue because a substantial proportion lack the dispersal capability to exist in highly fragmented landscapes. Every time the Endangered Species Act or comparable legislation is invoked, additional governmental restrictions result. b. Biodiversity conservation, by helping to reverse ecosystem degradation, will result in far fewer listings under the Endangered Species Act. It is critical for us to disentangle knowledge of the importance of biodiversity conservation from the practice of conservation biology. Every conservation biologist should be well versed in these and similar arguments and must be prepared to present them on a moment's notice; lack of preparedness can easily be interpreted as lack of commitment. Of course, once people are convinced that biodiversity conservation really is a good idea, it is also important to be able to demonstrate convincingly how conservation biology can offer much useful guidance in this regard. Peter F. Brussard can be contacted at the University of Nevada - Reno, Biodiversity Research Center, Department of Biology - 314, Reno, Nevada, 89557-0015. Tel: (702) 784-4009; Fax: (702) 784- 1302. <10> 20/11/95 at702 LAKE VICTORIA AN UPDATE by Joe Norton As the captive management aspects of this Species Survival Plan evolve and progress, we are about to become more heavily involved with _in-situ'_ work in early 1995. This has become possible due to a substantial grant from Kal Kan Foods, Inc. The Freshwater Fishes Taxon Advisory Group working through the Columbus Zoo has been instrumental in procurement of these funds. While we continue to manage captive populations, we will shift some of our focus to regional surveys, education, acquisition of more founder stock to increase captive genetic diversity, in addition to the beginning of a U.S. internship for 2 Kenyan and 1 Ugandan students. Here are some of the highlights of what this Kal Kan grant will allow us to do. We are beginning the training of East African biologists in aquaculture, aquatic biodiversity, aquatic conservation, and taxonomy of indigenous fishes. These biologists will complete thesis work relevant to the goals of the Lake Victoria SSP. They will also be responsible for training future biologists in this region. Members of the SSP will conduct faunal survey work in the Yala Basin region in early 1995. This area could provide sites for experimental reintroductions once we are confident of appropriate release sites. These funds will provide for further 1995 assessments of the Kooki lakes, the satellite lakes of Lake Kyoga, as well as species recovery from the Nabugabo lakes. We will train a fish aquaculturist for the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi and set up an appropriate display with educational graphics. Uganda will provide a work site for a native Masters candidate to be trained in taxonomy to begin work on surveying fishes, primarily haplochromines, which are exported for the European tropical fish hobbyist. All of this work along with the development of a working draft of the _Field Guide to the Extant Fishes of Lake Victoria_ have all become immediate reality with the funding from Kal Kan. Joe Norton can be contacted at the Aquarium, St. Louis Zool. Park Forest Park, St. Louis Missouri 63110, U.S.A. Tel: (314) 781-0900; Fax: (314) 647-7969. <11> 20/11/95 at702 HIGH SCHOOL AQUARIUM WINS ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD Most science classrooms have a tank or two full of tropical fish, and it's not unheard of for an enterprising teacher to keep a salt water aquarium going with artificial seawater and some hardy marine creatures. What is unusual is for a school to put together an array of saltwater tanks so remarkable that other students come from miles around to visit the school's "aquarium". Cabrillo High School in Lampoc, California did just that, and their efforts have been recognized with an Anheuser-Busch Pledge and a Promise environmental award of $5,000. Begun as one student's special project, the Cabrillo High School Aquarium has grown into a bona fide educational and research facility where students of all ages learn about marine creatures and how to care for them. "Children who get the chance to watch and handle marine life in this kind of facility cannot help but go on to become advocates for the health and conservation of our ocean resources," says Dave Long, faculty advisor to the aquarium and a strong believer in the value of hands-on science education. Source: Excerpt of an article by Alison Merow, in Marine Conservation News Vol. 6, No. 3, Autumn 1994, published by the Center for Marine Conservation. <12> 20/11/95 at702 PUPFISH IN EDUCATION by Mark Rosenqvist Besides my work with the Aquatic Conservation Network, I am also a member of the _Cyprinodon_ and Related Genera Study and Maintenance Group. I am holding and breeding the Charco Azul pupfish, _Cyprinodon veronicae_. Being typical _Cyprinodon_, they reproduce well and I always have fish from each new generation that must be disposed of. My excess fish are always available first to public aquaria and conservation groups but it seems that pupfish don't get many takers. Not wanting to destroy fish all the time, I have been looking for alternate homes for the extras. I have started giving excess fish to school teachers who are interested in teaching fish biology and conservation to their students. Using the pupfish, students get to interact with living things in the classroom, do projects with a fish which is relatively easy to breed, and maintain and see first hand and up close a species that is for all intents and purposes extinct in the wild. Seeing an animal in their classroom that no longer exists in the wild can have a major impact on children's attitudes about conservation. When Suzanne Martin of Pentucket High School came through our facility on a tour with two of her students at a time when I was looking for fish homes, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. These two and one other student were given the task of working with the pupfish for the full four years they are in high school. This will give them a chance to learn a great deal about the maintenance of these fish in a captive environment and it will also give them the opportunity to use the fish for various behavioral and environmental research projects. Just the experience of using the scientific method on a real, long term project will be invaluable to these students. It will be interesting to see what types of work they will do with the pupfish over the next three years. One of the things they have talked about is testing how temperature affects egg survival and hatch time. Another possibility is to test how differences in pH will affect the sex ratios of different batches of eggs. As you read their report, you will see that some of their assertions will also lead to further study. Mark Rosenqvist can be contacted at Aquatic Research Organisms, Inc., P.O. Box 1271, Hampton, New Hampshire 03843-1271, U.S.A. Tel: (603) 926-1650; Fax: (603) 926-5278. <13> 20/11/95 at702 BASELINE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE PUPFISH, _CYPRINODON VERONICAE_ by Anna Christiansen, Jessica Moss and Erika Woodbury Introduction by Suzanne Martin Anna, Jessica and Erika are students at Pentucket Regional High School in West Newbury, Massachusetts. During their freshman year, they were invited to tour Aquatic Research Organisms, Inc. in Hampton, New Hampshire as part of an extra curricular science research activity at their school. At that time they acquired 18 _Cyprinodon veronicae_ from Mark Rosenqvist at ARO, hoping to establish a population at the school for further investigation. During the spring and summer of 1994, they maintained one population of 9 pupfish in a standard 30 gallon aquarium. Daily recordings of pH, temperature and fish behaviour were taken. Egg laying was also documented. At the beginning of the fall semester, they compiled their journal entries into 10 assertions that summarized their findings. The other 9, in a separate tank maintained at the school, died at various times over the summer. One of the fish, a very large (approx. 3.5 cm) male, survived the summer, only to succumb in early October. the students, now with a data base of "typical" behaviour, want to conduct further research on the pupfish, possibly studying the effects of pH and temperature on their reproduction as well as general behaviour. Pupfish Experiment Information Pupfishes, like topminnows and other killifishes, are small and have upturned mouths, one dorsal fin and no visible lateral line. They are deep bodied and the tops of their heads are flattened, however the back is usually high arched, especially on the males. Pupfishes are able to survive extreme environmental conditions such as temperature ranging from 0 to 43 C, salinity four times that of saltwater and oxygen levels lower than any fishes restricted to gill breathing. Populations have been discovered in small pools as well as in springs, inlets and shorelines of rivers and lakes. Most individuals live for only a year in the wild but they are able to be quickly bred in artificial settings. they are generally herbivores and react favourable to man-made foods. These pupfish from Charco Azul, in the Sandia valley of Mexico, were discovered when some Mexican biologists were flying over the desert and noticed four small ponds. As of may, 1992, there were approximately 1,000 of this pupfish species left. The purpose of this study was to document the daily habits of this population of pupfish relative to the areas of behaviour, reproduction, food, human interaction, pH levels and temperature. Through daily observations of the pupfish, the following assertions can be made: 1. Dramatic behaviour changes occur with temperature fluctuation; 2. The most desirable temperature is between 19 - 20 C; 3. When temperature decreases, most of the fish are located near the bottom of the tank, their movements are slow and activity level drops; 4. The females take possession of certain areas; 5. The rank in the group is very important; 6. A "watch dog" patrols around the tank and protects the group; 7. The males fight for the females; 8. The egg survival is low. When they are laid, they are quickly destroyed; 9. The amount of food does not affect reproduction; 10. Human contact and food causes a "frenzy". ****Include chart*** (chart ommited in unformatted version of Aquatic Survival) <14> 20/11/95 at702 ACN EDUCATION WORKING GROUP One of the ACN's goals is to educate the public about human impacts on freshwater fish and their habitats. To that end, I am looking for teachers and other interested people to form an informal Education Working Group. This group would explore ways in which the ACN could contribute to freshwater conservation education. If you are interested, please contact Mark Rosenqvist at Aquatic Research Organisms, Inc., P.O. Box 1272, Hampton, New Hampshire 03843-1271, U.S.A. Tel: (603) 926-1650; Fax: (603) 926-5278. <15> 20/11/95 at702 HIDROVIA PARANA-PARAGUAY ***************************************** AGREEMENT ON HIDROVIA SIGNED November 17, 1994 Following two years of studies, Argentina has signed a river transportation agreement with Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, under which the five nations recognize free navigation on the Paraguay and Parana Hidrovia. The agreement also guarantees access to the sea to Bolivia and Paraguay, which do not possess ocean shoreline. ***************************************** CONCLUSIONS OF THE SEMINAR "Hidrovia Parana-Paraguay: Impacts and Alternatives" The participants in the International Seminar "Hidrovia Parana-Paraguay: Impacts and Alternatives", meeting at the Latin American Parliament in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from December 8-10, 1994, representing environmental organizations, social movements, universities, and indigenous peoples, with participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, the United States, Canada, and Holland, declare: "We are extremely concerned about the likely social and environmental impacts of going ahead with the Parana-Paraguay Hidrovia project, which will affect extensive and unique ecosystems, such as those making up the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and the Great Chaco of Paraguay and Argentina; and particularly indigenous peoples and traditional communities in the region. Therefore, we accept and endorse the Letter of Chapada dos Guimaraes (September 7-9, 1994), from which we reiterate and expand upon the following points:" - The Pantanal of Mato Grosso, one of the largest wetlands areas on the planet, extremely rich in biodiversity, with exuberant natural landscapes, a fantastic network of waters, with rivers large and small, home to an incredible variety of flora and fauna, inhabited by traditional populations, Indians, fishermen, and cattle ranchers, is degrading rapidly. - The Hidrovia Paraguay-Parana project plans a series of large-scale engineering works and alterations in the bed and banks of the Paraguay River, including the straightening of curves and the closing off of tributaries and lakes. The greatest part of these and the most serious modifications in the river system would take place in the area of the Pantanal, which certainly would bring disastrous consequences, even greater than those which have taken place in the Mississippi and Rhine Rivers, where Hidrovias similar to that which is planned for the Paraguay River, were built. - The groups taking part in the Chapada meeting are not against river transportation along the lines of that which has existed for a long time, and which continues to this day on the Paraguay River. However, we are extremely concerned with the current HPP project, which is intended to permit ocean-going vessels to travel 3,400 km from Caceres in Mato Grosso (Brazil) to Nueva Palmira (Uruguay) - We also denounce the fact that those who will be impacted by the HPP project are not being consulted, and are being excluded from taking part in decisions being made by the governments of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia, and the Inter-governmental Committee on the Paraguay-Parana Hidrovia (CIH), ever since the project's conception. The Environmental Impact Studies should include the participation of all sectors of society. Economic viability studies should calculate in all social and environmental costs. It is also necessary to analyze economic and transportation alternatives for the region. The process for decision making and formulation of work plans regarding the Parana-Paraguay Hidrovia project, on the part of the Inter-governmental Committee on the Hidrovia, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme should be transparent. If studies and consultations are to have value, they must be open, and truly participatory. Given the irreversible consequences of the engineering works, parts of the Hidrovia project, including the explosion of rock outcroppings at Remanso Castillo and Paso Arrecife (Paraguay), and other parallel undertakings to the Parana-Paraguay Hidrovia project should not be carried out until the Environmental Impact Studies for the entire project are completed, and public consultation regarding the studies can take place. We have now established a permanent international network on this issue, which includes environmental groups, social movements, indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and scientists. A coordination has been formed, which includes delegates from those countries directly affected by the HPP, the international NGO community, and indigenous peoples, which will study, analyze, and monitor the project. The groups meeting in Sao Paulo recognize that complex environmental and social problems, as well as the Parana-Paraguay Hidrovia, confront the region, and we are prepared to continue and to broaden our work, to the maximum extent possible, in order to contribute to the search for solutions and alternatives which will improve living conditions of local populations, through the continuation and deepening of technical and scientific studies, as well as reaching all sectors of society about the project, so that informed debate on the project may take place on the local, national, and international level. Source: Internet announcement posted by Glenn Switkes, International Rivers Network (IRN), 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, U.S.A. Tel: (415) 243-4146; Fax: (415) 243-0661; Email: glenirn@igc.apc.org <16> 20/11/95 at702 THE YELLOW FISH ROAD(TM) - STORM DRAIN MARKING PROGRAM The main goal of the Yellow Fish Road(TM) Storm Drain Marking Program is to raise awareness that what goes into storm drains can end up in nearby waters, therefore affecting water quality and posing a threat to fish, wildlife, and our health. Volunteers paint yellow fish symbols beside sewers and distribute fish-shaped brochures to nearby households to remind people to dispose of unwanted household products in an environmentally-sound way, and not to dump them down these curbside drains. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Trout Unlimited Canada are the lead agencies in the implementation of the Program in Ontario. In addition to numerous partners, the Great lakes Health Effects Program (Health Canada) and the Cleanup fund (Environment Canada) are providing input and support. Both programs are part of the Great Lakes Action Plan designed to accelerate the cleanup of the Great Lakes and protect human health. Most importantly, let's not forget that "Mother Nature" knows no boundaries. In order to address these concerns, the International Great Lakes Fishery Commission also supports this program which encourages community volunteerism. The Yellow Fish Road(TM) Storm Drain marking Program reflects all of its partners' desire to protect our aquatic resources and to facilitate its development and use for maximum benefit for both this and future generations of Canadians. Source: Background Information from the program's Instructor's Guide. Contact: Yellow Fish Road Program, Regional Coordinator, Bayfield Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 4A6. Fax: (905) 336-4819 <17> 20/11/95 at702 INTERNATIONAL GOBY AND BLENNY STUDY GROUP - UPDATE The IGBSG will now produce its newsletter as a single annual edition. This edition is to be published in May, each year, and will be distributed to supporters of the study group. This journal will contain monographs, and articles from submission collected throughout the year. The deadline for submission will be January 15, 1995, for the 1995 edition, and each subsequent January 15th thereon. The IGBSG was started to collect, archive, and disseminate information on Gobies and Blennies, and all similar families. Information on populations, natural history, and captive ecology will be the primary focus of the Annual, but other related material is welcome for submission, review, and publication. Submissions are suggested in English, but other languages are acceptable as long as an English abstract is provided. All manuscripts must provide an abstract written in its native language. Submission can be sent via electronic mail to the address below, or via postal service. For submission requirements contact the editor at the address below. The IGBSG is a group for the novice as well as the scientific professional. There are no membership fees for the study group, but to receive the Annual, a $10.00 donation is requested. The IGBSG is not a nonprofit organization, and all funds and proceeds are used by the editor, Rodney W. Harper, to help in publication costs. All contributing authors will receive two complimentary copies. For more information on the IGBSG, please send an SASE or Email query to IGBSG, c/o Rodney W. Harper, 11450 Boe Road Ext., Grand Bay, Alabama 36541, U.S.A. Email: IGBSG1995@AOL.COM, CompuServe: 75130,1321 <18> 20/11/95 at702 CONSERVATION OF HAWAIIAN FRESHWATER FISHES - PUBLICATION _Authors: William S. Devick, Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, 1151 Punchbowl, Honolulu, HI 96813, U.S.A.; J. Michael Fitzsimons, Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, U.S.A.; and Robert T. Nishimoto, Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, 75 Aupuni Street, Hilo, HI 96720, U.S.A._ The fish fauna of the Hawaiian Islands is an exception to the generality that diversity is greatest in the tropics. Native freshwater fishes include only four species of gobies and one eleotrid distributed throughout the island chain as planktonic larvae. Fishes are most abundant on the windward sides of islands where there is adequate rainfall to supply streams with year-round flow, but populations persist in the upper reaches of some streams on the leeward sides although there may be no water in the lower reaches for months or years at a time. Because fresh water is a finite resource in Hawaii, fishes are placed in direct competition with man. A petition to list one of the endemic gobies, _Lentipes concolor_, as threatened or endangered is not supported by recent stream survey data. A more rational alternative to listing would focus on ecosystem protection and would in effect give habitat legal standing. Towards this end, major efforts were initiated in 1990-9l to secure the safety of all native freshwater biota through an invitational symposium of Hawaiian stream ecosystems, preparation of an integrated five year plan of management/ research/ protection, moves toward incorporation of complete streams and adjacent lands within Conservation Districts, and development of a four-tiered system of protection ranging from planned use to absolute protection. To obtain a copy of the publication, contact William S. Devick at the address above. <19> 20/11/95 at702 EFFECTS OF SPILLED VEGETABLE OIL The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking data from researchers and other sources on the various aspects of non-petroleum oil (e.g., vegetable oil and animal fats) on fish, the aquatic environment, water quality, and other areas listed below. EPA published a notice in the Federal Register on 10/26/94 requesting data on this subject in response to a petition by seven agricultural organizations. However, we would like to make this request for data more broadly known. The organizations asked EPA to reconsider its final facility response plan rule (59 FR 34070, July 1, 1994), because they believe the rule inappropriately treats non-petroleum oils nearly the same as petroleum and other non-petroleum oils they characterize as "toxic." In the October 26 notice, EPA asks for data and comments to help the Agency determine whether and how the differences in properties of various oils warrant further different treatment, and what are the effects of spills of vegetable and animal oils on the environment. The petitioning organizations drew several conclusions from studies about the physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of animal fats and vegetable oils compared with other types of oils. Federal natural resource agencies dispute some of the conclusions reached in the petition. We are particularly interested in data and comment regarding the following issues: 1) The effects of sudden spills of animal fats and vegetable oils on the aquatic environment; 2) The probability that spilled animal fats and vegetable oils will persist in the environment and the physical effects of these substances on wildlife, aquatic biota, and water quality; 3) The extent to which environmental factors (e.g., water temperature, salinity) affect the physical characteristics of animal fats and vegetable oils; 4) Whether oil toxicity is critical in determining the harm that might be caused by animal fat or vegetable oil spills and what kind of equipment resources and strategies responders should use in containment and recovery; 5) The affect of spill size or location on the question of whether a response can be more harmful than leaving the oil in the environment; 6) response techniques (i.e., containment, recovery) vs. dispersing the oils chemically or mechanically; We would be happy to provide a full copy of the request for data. Please address all requests to (202) 260-2342 or (703) 603-8790. We would also welcome your written comments or data. Send to Bobbie Lively-Diebold, EPA, 401 M St. S.W., Washington D.C. 20460 or by Email to Kaiman.Brad@epamail.epa.gov or to me. While we can accept data submitted later, we would appreciate any information that can be submitted prior to January 24, 1995. John Cunningham Email: CUNNINGHAM.JOHN@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV <20> 20/11/95 at702 UNITED NATIONS ACTION ON FISHERIES ISSUES by Bill Woolf On Monday, December 19, the 49th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York adopted four fisheries resolutions recommended to it by the Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. The first, titled "Fisheries Bycatch and Discards and Their Impact on the Sustainable Use of the World's Living Marine Resources," was offered by the United States at the urging of Senator Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska). The key element comprises a decision by the General Assembly to include a discussion of bycatch and discard issues on its agenda for next year's 50th Session. The resolution also notes previous and current international efforts on the issue, and recognizes that improvements in monitoring and assessing bycatch and discards and in improving bycatch reduction techniques continue to be necessary. It calls on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the U.N. Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks to continue their respective efforts on the subject, and invites regional and subregional fisheries organizations to provide their perspectives on the issue as well. As the author of the original draft, I can attest that the purpose of the resolution is to encourage political authorities in the member nations to take the issue seriously. It is intended to encourage additional support for current efforts, such as the FAO work on developing an International Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing or attempts to incorporate language in the Straddling Stocks agreement. Murkowski has a long-standing interest in this area. In 1993 he introduced the first Magnuson Act amendment on bycatch in the last Congress, which was incorporated into the Senate's comprehensive Magnuson reauthorization bill, on which action will resume early in 1995. That amendment calls on each regional Fishery Management Council to define the scope of bycatch and discard in its region to the best of its abilities, and to incorporate steps addressing bycatch related mortality into its formal fishery management plans. The other U.N.-approved measures included resolutions: - Reinforcing previous United Nations action on large-scale high-seas driftnetting; - Providing for the work of the Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks to continue with two additional meetings of the conference in 1995; and, - Calling on member nations to take steps to curb unauthorized fishing inside their zones of national jurisdiction, calling for international assistance for developing nations without adequate monitoring and enforcement capability, and for an annual report on unauthorized fishing activities annually from 1995-2000, and as needed thereafter. Bill Woolf can be contacted c/o Senator Frank Murkowski, 706 Hart Senate Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510, U.S.A. Tel: (202) 224-6665; Fax: (202) 224-5301; Email: Bill_Woolf@murkowski.senate.gov <21> 20/11/95 at702 MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK Occasionally persons inquire with the ACN as to whether we are one and the same as the "Marine Fish Conservation Network". The answer is, "no we are not"! The ACN could conceivably have programs dealing with marine fish in the future, but presently we have been focusing on freshwater fish. Here are some points which describe the Marine Fish Conservation Network, taken from an article which appeared in _Marine Conservation News_ (Vol. 6, No.1, Spring, 1994): - The Marine Fish Conservation Network was created in 1993 by the Center for Marine Conservation (CMC) and several other conservation organizations. It is a broad-based coalition of national, regional, and local organizations concerned about the future of fish and U.S. fisheries; - The Network's immediate objective is to improve the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act or FCMA), the nation's [U.S.A.] primary law to conserve and manage fish, when Congress reauthorizes the Act this year. The Network believes substantial reforms are needed to restore and conserve populations of marine fish; - As a member of the Network's steering committee, CMC has been active in developing the Magnuson Act reform proposals and in testifying on the Network's behalf before Congress; - More than 40 organizations now have endorsed the Network's _National Agenda to Protect, Restore, and Conserve Marine Fisheries_. For information about the legislative package, a 25 minute video on threats facing U.S. fisheries, the Network's newsletter, and place and times of the Network's monthly meetings (either Washington, DC or at coastal locations around the country) contact Bill Mott, Center for Marine Conservation, 1725 DeSales Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, U.S.A. Tel: (202) 857-3274. <22> 20/11/95 at702 COMING EVENTS Freshwater Fishes of Tropical Ecosystems: Threat and Protection March 9th to 12th, 1995 - See separate announcement on page 3. Marine Animal Models: Their Care, Culture and Uses in Basic Biological, Biomedical and Toxicological Research This course is offered by the Woods Hole, Marine Biology Laboratory and takes place May 14-26, 1995. For information contact: Admissions Coordinator, Marine Biology Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, U.S.A. Tel: (508) 548-3705 (ext. 401); Email: admissions@mbl.edu; World Wide Web: http://www.mbl.edu Reinventing the Commons The Fifth Annual Common Property Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property will be held in Bodoe, Norway, 24-28 May, 1995. Details were provided in the September '94 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. Contact Erling Berge, Department of Sociology and Political Science, University of Trondheim, AVH, N-75055 Dragvoll, Norway. Fax: (+47) 7359 1564; Internet: erling.berge@svf.unit.no Natural and Human-Induced Change in Madagascar: An International Symposium at The Field Museum June 2 to 4, 1995. An article appeared on page 19 of the September issue of Aquatic Survival. For information contact B. D. Patterson, Center for Evolutionary & Environmental Biology, The Field Museum, Chicago IL 60605-2496, U.S.A. Tel: (312) 922-9410 (ext. 468), Fax: (312) 663-5397 OR S. M. Goodman, B.P. 738, WWF Aires Protegees, Antananarivo (101), Madagascar. Fax: 261-2-348-88; Internet: symposia@fmnh.org Society for Conservation Biology - 1995 Annual Meeting June 7-11, 1995, in Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A. For information: Richard L. Knight, Dept. of Fishery and Wildlife, Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, U.S.A. Tel: (303) 491-6714. Sustainable Aquaculture '95 PACON Hawaii is organizing an international, multi-disciplinary symposium and exhibition entitled Sustainable Aquaculture '95. The symposium is being convened by Dr. John Bardach, internationally known authority on aquaculture and its place in society. It is being held from June 11-14, 1995 at the Ilikai Hotel, Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. PACON International, P. O. Box 11568, Honolulu, HI 96828, U.S.A. Tel: (808) 956-6163; Fax: (808) 956-2580; Internet: saxena@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists The next annual meetings of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH), the American Elasmobranch Society (AES) and the Herpetologists League (HL) will be on the campus of the University of Alberta (with its museums of zoology and palaeontology). This will be the 75th annual meeting for the ASIH and will take place June 15 to 19, 1995. For further information, please contact: Conference Services, University of Alberta, 44 Lister Hall, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H6. Tel: (403) 492-4281; Fax: 403-492-7032; e-mail: mhoyle@opal.ucs.ualberta.ca Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment This conference will be held at the Park Plaza Hotel and Towers Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. from June 21-25, 1995 and is hosted by the Interdisciplinary Environmental Association (IEA) in conjunction with Assumption College. Details were given in the September '94 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. For information contact the conference chair: Dr. Demetri Kantarelis, IEA, Economics/Foreign Affairs Dept., Assumption College, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0005, U.S.A. Tel: (508) 752-5615 (ext. 557); Fax: (508) 799-4502; Internet: dkantar@eve.assumption.edu International Larval Fish Conference An International Larval Fish Conference will be held in Sydney at the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum, from 26-30 June 1995 with the annual meetings of the Australian Society for Fish Biology (ASFB) held the following weekend (1-2 July). Details were given in the June '94 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. For information contact: Jeff Leis, Australian Museum, PO Box A285, Sydney South 2000, Australia, Tel: +61 2 339 8242; Fax: +61 2 339 8360; Internet: jeffl@amsg.Austmus.oz.au 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. Details were reported in the March 1994 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. 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. Marine Science Short Course - National Science Foundation June 10 - 25, 1995. The University of San Diego and Grossmont College are offering this course to college instructors of undergraduate classes with marine science content. Activities will include: oceanographic data collection at sea with subsequent laboratory data reduction and analysis; field studies in local estuarine habitats, nearshore shallow water environments, sandy and rocky shore habitats; field studies of exemplary paleomarine facies; presentation of specific media aids (including Internet and CD-ROM), laboratory exercises, teaching techniques, and aspects of textbook selection; visits to marine science teaching and research institutions in San Diego and Mexico; and tours of selected commercial/industrial and government marine operations. For information: Dr. Anne Sturz, Project Director, Marine and Environmental Studies Program, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, California 92110, Tel: (619) 260-4096; E-Mail: ASTURZ@TEETOT.ACUSD.EDU American Cichlid Association The 1995 ACA Convention will be hosted by the Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, July 20-23, 1995, at Le Baron Hotel in San Jose, California. Scheduled presentations include: Endemic Madagascar Cichlids - Patrick de Rham Discus - Dick Au Dwarf Cichlids - Kurt Zadnik Cichlid Marketing - Robert Rodriguez Aulonocaras - Steve Lundblad Tanganyikans - Myles Neiman Collecting in Belize - Al Castro Victorian Conservation - Paul Loiselle Effects of Collecting/ New World Cichlids - Ron Harlan 1995 Importations - Laif DeMason For more information contact the Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, P.O. Box 28145, San Jose, California 95128, U.S.A.PERCIS II - Second International Percid Fish Symposium The Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute will host this symposium on August 21-25, 1995 in _Vaasa_, Finland. Details appeared in the September '94 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. For more information contact Antti Lappalainen, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, P.O. Box 202, 00151 Helsinki, Finland. Internet: antti.lappalainen@rktl.fi Strategies and Methods in Coastal and Estuarine Management This international scientific conference will be held in Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland from 11th - 16th September, 1995. This is the 25th annual symposium of the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association. Emphasis will be on the marine and estuarine environment. It is intended that the meeting will encourage scientists to consider how their work contributes to coastal management in these areas. It will also be concerned with identifying the issues and problems that scientists need to address in coastal management. A special session will cover 'Conservation' in recognition that 1995 is European Nature Conservation Year, and a workshop on the classification of marine biotopes in the North-East Atlantic will be held in conjunction with the conference. Offers of papers are required by the 6th of January 1995. further details are available from Dr. Mark J. Costello, ECSA 25, Environmental Sciences Unit, Trinity college, Dublin 2, Ireland; Fax: +353-1-671 8047; Email: mcostllo@mail.tcd.ie Marine Aquarium Conference of North America Louisville, Kentucky will be the site of the MACNA 7 Conference, September 15-17, 1995. The Louisville Marine Aquarium Society is the host club. One of the major themes of this year's event is "The Environment and the Marine Hobby". Guest speakers include Dr. Jean Jaubert, Dr. John E. Randall, Dr. Gerald R. Allen, and Dr. Phil S. Lobel. For more information contact Jim McCubbins, 10204 Waycross Av., Louisville, Kentucky, 40229, U.S.A. Tel: (502) 969- 8219, or call the information line at (502) 969-5599. 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) 792-7084; Fax: (803) 792-7875. Fourth International Aquarium Congress - 1996 Tokyo Sea Life Park will hold the Fourth International Aquarium Congress. Currently it is planned for June 23-27, 1996. Details appeared on page 4 of the September issue of _Aquatic Survival_. For information contact Yoshitaka Abe, Director, Tokyo Sea Life Park, Fourth International Aquarium Congress, 6-2-3 Rinkai-Cho, Edogawa-Ku, Tokyo 132, Japan. Tel: 03-3869-5152; Fax: 03-3869- 5155. World Fisheries Congress July 28 to August 2, 1996 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Contact: 2nd World Fisheries Congress, P.O. Box 1280, Milton, Brisbane, QLD 4064, Australia, Fax: (+)617-369-1512. <23> 20/11/95 at702 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS _Fishkeepers' Advocate_, October 1994, for several references to the Aquatic Conservation Network. Trevor Baker for the review of _Aquatic Survival_ in a recent issue of the British Cichlid Association's newsletter. Gordon Orlikow for his mention of the ACN in his article "Growth Through Conservation" in the April '94 issue of _Fish File_, Aquarium Society of Winnipeg (and reprinted in the FAAS Report, Sept./ Oct. 1994) _The Fish Breeders' Exchange_, December 1994, for the headline "Thank You -- ACN" plus reprinting two articles from the September 1994 issues of _Aquatic Survival_: "Conservation Constraints and Opportunities for the Aquaculture Industry" and "ACN Captive Breeding Guidelines", both by Rob Huntley. Advertisement or press release soliciting input for the 2nd edition of the _International Directory of Aquarist Organizations_: - _Aquarist & Pondkeeper_, Vol. 59, No.9, December 1994, p. 61. - _FAAS Report_, Federation of American Aquarium Societies, November/December 1994, p.9. - _FLARE_, Journal of the International Betta Congress, Vol. 28, No. 3, November/December 1994, p. 18. - _The Business Newsletter_ of the American Killifish Association, Inc., November 1994 - _Sea Wind_, Bulletin of Ocean Voice International, July- September 1994, Vol. 8, No. 3, p.35. - _Glaucus_, Journal of the British Marine Life Study Society, Vol. 5, No. 3, Autumn 1994, p. 15. For general advertising of the ACN: - _Discus Talk_, Volume 1994, Issue III, p. 16. <24> 20/11/95 at702 LIST OF SPONSORS, DONORS AND NEW MEMBERS Brett W. Albanese 3608 Peach St. Hattiesburg Mississippi 39401 U.S.A. Dr. Chris Andrews National Aquarium in Baltimore Pier 3, 501 East Pratt St. Baltimore Maryland 21202 U.S.A. Robert Arne The Paul Revere Society 5435 S. Albany Chicago Illinois 60632 U.S. John Bondhus 7336 Aladdin Ave. NW Buffalo Minnesota 55313 U.S.A. Cichlid Aquarists of San Antonio 8306 Star Creek San Antonio Texas 78251 U.S.A. Mike Collins 115 Robins Ave., Apt. 2 Hamilton Ontario L8H 4N5 Canada Anthony Cotter Nottingham Aquarists 268 Hempshill Lane Bulwell Nottingham NG6 8PF United Kingdom Michel Dantec Communaute Internationale pour les Labyrinthides (C.I.L. France) 35 rue Andre MALRAUX Blois F-41000 France Geoffrey Davis 10 Forest Road Dartmouth Nova Scotia B3A 2M3 Canada Bernard D. Echt Jacksonville Aquarium Society 5347 Swaying Oaks Ct. Jacksonville Florida 32258 U.S.A. Bill Freeman Perth Cichlid Society, Inc. P.O. Box 323 Gosnells West Australia 6110 Australia James Hensinger Ascot International P.O. Box 77 Marlton New Jersey 08053 U.S.A. Tom Kennedy University of Nevada - Reno Biology Department / 314 Reno Nevada 89557-0015 U.S.A. Gene A. Lucas Drake University Dept. of Biology Des Moines Iowa 50311 U.S.A. Gregory J. Niedzielski Niagara Frontier Killifish Association 51 McParlin Ave. Cheektowaga New York 14225 U.S.A. Joe Norton Aquarium St. Louis Zool. Park Forest Park St. Louis Missouri 63110 U.S.A. Erle Rahaman-Noronha #702, 8 Wilsonview Av. Guelph Ontario N1G 1V3 Canada Dr. K. Rana University of Sterling Institute of Aquaculture Stirling FK9 4LA Scotland, U.K. Christopher Scharpf 1107 Argonne Drive Baltimore Maryland 21218 U.S.A. NEW GROUP SUBSCRIPTION Lake Victoria Species Survival Plan (list excludes those who are already ACN Members) Nancy Porter Burnet Park Zoo 500 Burnet Park Drive Syracuse New York 13204-2504 U.S.A. Nick Zarlinga Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 3900 Brookside Park Drive Cleveland Ohio 44109 U.S.A. Dave Mahan Cincinnati Zoo 3400 Vine Street Cincinnati Ohio 45220 U.S.A. Warren Pryor Fort Wayne Children's Zoo 3411 Sherman Blvd. Fort Wayne Indiana 46808 U.S.A. Steve Collins Indianapolis Zoo 1200 W. Washington St. Indianapolis Indiana 46222 U.S.A. Bill Huffman James R. Record Aquarium Fort Worth Zoo 1989 Colonial Parkway Fort Worth Texas 76110-1787 U.S.A. Roger Klocek John G. Shedd Aquarium 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr. Chicago Illinois 60605 U.S.A. Joel Groberg Laguna Blanca School 4125 Paloma Drive Santa Barbara California 93105 U.S.A. Bill Mchahan Louisville Zoo P.O. Box 37250 Louisville Kentucky 40233-7250 U.S.A. Jack Ritter Miller Park Zoo 1020 S. Morris Ave. Bloomington Illinois 61701-6351 U.S.A. Rob Whiteford Nat. Res. Fish. Ctr. 7920 NW 71st St. Gainesville Florida 32606 U.S.A. Dr. Bill Cooper Michigan State University Department of Zoology East Lansing Michigan 48824 U.S.A. Dr. Paul Fuerst Ohio State University Department of Molecular Genetics 484 W. 12th Ave. Columbus Ohio 43210 U.S.A. Laif DeMason Old World Exotics P.O. Box 970583 Miami Florida 33197 U.S.A. Oklahoma City Zoo Aquarium 2101 N.E. 50th St. Oklahoma City Oklahoma 73111 U.S.A. Rick Lockwood Curator Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo 3701 South 10th St. Omaha Nebraska 68107-2200 U.S.A. Randy Goodlett Pittsburgh AquaZoo Box 5250 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15206-0250 U.S.A. Joe Norton (Group Base Member) Aquarium St. Louis Zool. Park Forest Park St. Louis Missouri 63110 U.S.A. Dr. A.J. Smith Santa Barbara Zoo 500 Ninos Santa Barbara California 93103 U.S.A. Pete Mohan Sea World of Ohio Aquarium Department 1100 Sea World Drive Aurora Ohio 44202 U.S.A. Tom Tucker Steinhart Aquarium Golden Gate Park San Francisco California 94188 U.S.A. ACN AFFILIATE CLUBS Aberdeen Aquarist Society (U.K.) Cichlid Aquarists of San Antonio (U.S.A.) Confederation of Aquarists (U.K.) Communaute Internationale pour les Labyrinthides (France) Jacksonville Aquarium Society (U.S.A.) Niagara Frontier Killifish Association (U.S.A.) Nottingham Aquarists (U.K.) Paul Revere Society (U.S.A.) Perth Cichlid Society, Inc. (Australia) Southern Colorado Aquarium Society (U.S.A.) <25> 20/11/95 at702 NOTEBOOK - There is a new Institute of Ecological-Genetics to Study the Amazonian Biodiversity. The central offices and research labs will be in vicinity of Florencia, the capital of the State of Caqueta in Colombia. The institute will work closely with Peruvian and Brazilian scientists interested in Amazonian biodiversity. Applications are being considered to fill posts as research scientific staff members. Evolutionary biologists, geneticists, ecologists, systematists, botanists, zoologists, mathematicians and other Ph.D. individuals interested in neo-tropical biological research with at least 10 years of research experience preferably, but not exclusively, in the tropics, and about 10 published scientific papers will be considered. For further information or to apply for a position write to Dr. Hugo Hoenigsberg, Instituto de Genetica-Ecologica y Biodiversidad Amazonica, Cra.4 No.71-69, Bogota D.C. Colombia. Fax: 612 7369. There are also graduate degrees planned. Please contact the Rector of the Amazonian University - Dr. Ernesto Fajardo, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caqueta, Colombia. Fax: (988 35) 8231. - Connie Young of the Denver Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contacted the AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium Association) and FFTAG (Freshwater Fishes Taxon Advisory Group) regarding the availability of 350-400 federally endangered hatchery reared razorback suckers, _Xyrauchen texanus_. The fish are approximately 4 inches in length and are currently on #3 trout chow pellets. They are maintaining them at 68-70 F at present. These animals are from a single pair of adults and are over represented, genetically, in their breeding/reintroduction efforts. They would like to offer them to public aquariums/zoos for educational display. She also indicated that she would supply information regarding their status and recovery plan for graphic use, upon request. They need to move these animals as soon as possible, so please call to make permit and shipping arrangements quickly. Apparently, they may have some larger individuals available sometime in the future as well. contact: Connie Young, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225, U.S.A. Tel: (303) 236-2985 (ext. 227). Source: Doug Warmolts, AZA FFTAG - The 21st edition of the IATA Live Animal Regulations (International Air Transport Association), effective 1 October 1994, emphasizes the importance of compliance with the Regulations to make certain animals arrive at their destination. The new edition contains the amendments that the IATA Live Animals Board has approved in consultation with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and other international government authorities. To purchase a copy, contact Joseph Chan, Manager Special Cargoes, International Air Transport Association, IATA Building, 2000 Peel Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2R4. Source: AZA Communique, November 1994. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently placed several electronic information items on its Information Resources Management Library Server, which makes these items accessible to users of Internet and the Service's Wide Area Network. These items include: - The List of Threatened and Endangered Species (entitled, "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants"), current as of June 30, 1994, and to be updated monthly; - The Plant Notice of Review (entitled "Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species, Notice of Review"), as published September 30, 1993; - The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended through the 100th Congress; - Species Maps that indicate listed species and proposed species by state and territory, current as of December June 1, 1994; - Species maps that indicate Category 1 listing candidates and candidate species by state and territory, current as of December 31, 1993. Those from outside the Service with Internet email capabilities should use R9IRMLIB@mail.fws.gov (the Library Server's Internet address) to access the above information. - Ihor Hlohowskyj is developing a training workshop and methods manual to evaluate the vulnerability of African freshwater and marine fisheries resources to climate change. This project is part of the U.S. Country Studies Program, which is a multiagency program that includes the USEPA, DOE, NOAA, USAID, and the Department of State. One of the objectives of this program is to assist developing and transition countries in Africa in assessing the vulnerability of their natural resources (in this case fisheries resources) to the potential impacts of climate change. He is interested in corresponding with researchers who have worked with African fishes and/or on evaluating potential impacts of climate change on fisheries resources. In particular, he would like input regarding potentially appropriate field and laboratory methods, as well as computer programs, that may be applicable for incorporation into a training program for Africa. Contact: Dr. Ihor Hlohowskyj, EAD Building 900, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., Argonne, Illinois 60439, U.S.A. Tel: (708) 252-3478; Email: hlohowsi@SMTPLINK.DIS.ANL.GOV End of Volume 3, Number 4 - Aquatic Survival