|
|
|
| Home | Aquatic Survival | ACN-L | ACN-L archives | Links |
by Joe Norton
In recent columns relating to Lake Victoria, we had made the announcement that the Lake Victoria Species Survival Plan had received a generous grant for in-situ' research and conservation efforts from Aquarian® Food for Fish and Kal Kan Foods, Inc. With these funds in hand, we were able to move forward very quickly with our pre-established goals. Among these goals was the survey trip just completed of the Winam Gulf region of Lake Victoria. This SSP has taken a holistic approach to its endeavour by not just developing a captive management plan for species, but also tackling issues in the natural habitat. Although Lake Victoria in its entirety is a bit much to attempt change in, we did set our sights on more attainable goals. Although the continued presence of the Nile perch in Lake Victoria makes re-introduction of haplochromines presently under management in the lake proper impractical, we still believe these species are best conserved in as natural an environment as possible. Our goals were to survey the numerous dams adjacent to the lake to determine which are capable of supporting trophically representative communities of endemic cichlid species. With this information in hand, a proper evaluation can be made as to whether or not a given dam site could serve as a possible reintroduction site for native cichlids.
On March 20th of this year, Doug Warmolts of the Columbus Zoo, Roger Klocek of the Shedd Aquarium, Paul Sackley of Boston University, and myself departed for the first leg of this area of our study. Our immediate focus was in the North Winam Gulf area of Lake Victoria. With the much appreciated assistance of personnel from the Kenyan National Museums in both Nairobi and Kisumu, as well as personnel from the Kenyan Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), and our fishing crew led by Siegfried Engelhardt, we embarked on three weeks of exploration. We sampled 23 potential sites in the Saiya region of the Winam Gulf as well as touching more briefly in the South Nyanza region. We first sampled the fishes from each site. This was primarily accomplished by seine, but traps as well as data obtained by interviewing local fishermen were incorporated into the survey. DNA sampling was carried out. Water chemistry data were taken at each site, and the local population was thoroughly interviewed by members of the KMFRI staff. The questionnaire was produced by Dr. Paul Loiselle of the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation. It was based on a similar form that Dr. Loiselle used during the Tinga Dam survey in 1994, thereby standardizing the data obtained from the two studies.
This trip was most successful in all aspects, but especially productive in locating reintroduction sites. It is exciting to net a previously undescribed species, but it is even more thrilling to find a species previously thought to have been extirpated. This was the case with the mbiru, Oreochromis variabilis. We were fortunate to find this species surviving at two sites. This tilapia represents an important species to be considered for restoration due to its significance to the Lake Victoria fisheries.
Aquarian® Food for Fish and Kal Kan funding is allowing us to immediately accomplish other aspects of this project. Two KMFRI technicians were chosen to return with us to begin a six month internship in the United States. This program consists of two months in Boston working with Dr. Les Kaufman at Boston University as well as some training at the New England Aquarium. This will be followed by two months in Columbus, Ohio for further training. This work will be done through Ohio State University and the Columbus Zoo. They will then continue to the Shedd Aquarium for two months training in current husbandry techniques in aquariums. The goal of this internship is to assist the riparian communities by training proficient aquaculturists who will be able to carry out in-situ' captive breeding of these fish.
In addition to this internship, we are developing a second internship for a member of the Kenyan National Museums to come to the United States to train specifically in fish and reptile husbandry and exhibitry. We recommended a candidate and hope to begin his training in the very near future.
Our final objective we are able to accomplish through this grant is the completion of a field guide to the haplochromine fishes of the Lake Victoria basin. This project is being undertaken by Dr. Les Kaufman and Dr. Mark Chandler of the New England Aquarium. We hope to have a final draft very soon.
The data gathered during this trip will take a bit of time to analyze. During this period, we will also be offering assistance to conservation in Uganda. This has taken the immediate form of supporting a masters candidate who will continue to study the haplochromines of this region. We hope to expand such assistance as funding allows.
These reintroduction sites in the Lake Victoria basin are of utmost importance. Due to the very different selective pressures acting on aquarium and wild populations, long-term captive management of Lake Victoria cichlids with the objective of reintroduction may not be practical. Our best hopes are to establish communities in which all trophic types are represented in as natural a habitat as circumstances allow. This will allow evolution of these species to proceed in a more naturalistic manner than is possible in captivity. Re-establishing species in such a habitat makes the most sense for long term species preservation. Captive populations will of course be maintained as a safety net, but this approach should not be considered as the primary means of assuring the survival of species no longer extant in Lake Victoria.
Data from this survey will be published as soon as they have been analyzed. Watch in future issues of Aquatic Survival for updates.
As of June 1, 1995, contact Joe Norton at the Tennessee Aquarium, Associate Curator of Fishes, P.O. Box 11048, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401-2048, U.S.A.
| Return to Table of Contents |
If one were to agree with E.O. Wilson, a man who most conservation-minded people admire greatly, one would have to give second thoughts as to why one should spend a substantial part of one's limited life fighting for something that will, in all probability, ultimately fail. Wilson said in 1993: "People are programmed by their genetic heritage to be so selfish that a sense of global responsibility will come too late". He means, of course, too late to avoid catastrophic consequences due to a disregard for the laws of nature.
The outbreaks of AIDS, Ebola Zaire and the Marburg virus have been characterized by some writers as nature's way of defending herself against a dominant species that poses a great threat to the earth's natural stability. As species disappear from the earth, those viruses and organisms that evolved to depend on those now scarce or extinct species as hosts will seek new hosts and humans are a particularly desirable prospect because they are large, and found almost everywhere on the planet. If this is the case, the lesson is clear. The more we disrupt nature, the greater the risk of serious consequences to humans as well as all other life on earth. It is a dangerous game humans are playing.
If human nature, culture and ignorance are all working against us, why do we try? I suppose the answer is simple enough. We try because not trying is unthinkable. We try because something unexpected and good might happen. It just might come about that aspects of human nature, barely understood at the present time, will emerge to save us from what now seems inevitable.
Members of the Aquatic Conservation Network are a special group. Many are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make significant efforts towards saving some of the life on earth. We, along with thousands of others (not yet millions), have some understanding of where we are headed unless we act. These relatively small numbers represent the potential for a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren. We keep on because we have faith that the numbers will grow and that the result will be, ultimately, a deeply felt respect for all life on this planet and a willingness to make room for each and every representative of the miracle of life.
Roger W. Langton
| Return to Table of Contents |
In response to the article by Dr. David Sands (Aquatic Survival, Vol. 4, No. 1, March 1995) in which reference was made to the future of the marine section of the hobby - I have been a hobbyist for over thirty years. I am appalled at the total lack of interest from the trade in this country into the conservation issues which will result in the introduction of legislation. We constantly read of the moans and groans of importers and retailers who are concerned about their future trade. They, however, are not prepared to invest a penny into protecting the future of the hobby.
Cyanide, endrin, mango extract, have been used to catch marine aquarium fish for over thirty years with disastrous effects to the reef. Even up until last week, representatives of the trade continue to attempt to tell hobbyists there is no longer a problem, and that no damage is done to the reef as a result of the hobby.
Without the hobbyist there is no trade, and far more can be achieved for the future of the hobby by a combined initiative which would gain far more respect from legislators than the petty politics which are being indulged in at the present time, and which is intended to deliberately deceive the general public. The use of chemicals to catch aquarium fish is one issue. The use of cyanide to catch food fish is likely to receive substantial publicity and bring the whole problem to light.
If there is a ban on the import of marine aquarium fish, I am sad to say, it will be one which is quite rightly justified under the present circumstances. Do the trade believe that they can get away with it until there are no fish left to kill? I am unlikely to be around in the next thirty years. I would like my sons to have the same pleasure as I have had from the hobby.
We support the efforts of organizations like Ocean Voice International, the IMLA (International Marinelife Alliance), Haribon Foundation. But it needs a great deal more than that to resolve this issue.
The International Coral Reef Initiative we hope is a step in the right direction. It might be more beneficial if the people who do the moaning actually did something constructive for a change, and used the energy in doing something for themselves instead of believing they have the right to continue as they have for the past thirty years. Without the need for marine aquarium fish, there would be no need for cyanide.
I have heard that there are concerns that net caught fish will cost more. Sodium cyanide is sold to fisherfolk at $27.50 (US) per kilo. At least 150,000 kilos is sprayed every year. The only people making money from this racket are the same people who constantly threaten me to shut up. These are not people in the Philippines or Indonesia, but members of the trade in this country who do not want to see any change in the present system or their earnings.
There are mountains of evidence that destructive fishing is on the increase, both in the Philippines, Indonesia, and elsewhere in South East Asia. As long as there are importers who couldn't care less how fish are caught it will continue. But do you, the hobbyist, want to buy them?
There are plans to make 1996 the "Year of the Reef". Let's see some action from the moaners, and some benefit to the hobby. Governments will only begin to take notice of the trade when they begin to see some honest, responsible initiatives being put forward.
Captive breeding is a definite avenue to pursue and we fully support this programme. There are, in any aspect of life, those who intend to deceive. How many captive bred fish are actually being sold as wild caught? It is these people who will eventually be the downfall of the hobby.
I would be interested to hear from aquarists who would like to do something for the Year of the Reef - perhaps to raise money for conservation projects.
Peter Newman
The Miniature Reef Society
55 Burleigh Road
Frimley, Camberley, Surrey GU15 5EA
England
Tel/Fax: +44 1276 23728
Biologist Dr. Hanns-Joachim Franke (Gera, Germany), called Jochen by his friends, is one of the best aquarium fish breeders of the world. A specialist of characins and catfishes, he has been the first to breed a large number of little known and rare species. His keenness to observe his beloved fishes in their natural habitats, led Dr. Franke to overcome seemingly unsurmountable obstacles to travel twice to the Peruvian Amazon at a time when East Germany severely restricted its citizens' freedom of movement. Recently under more relaxed conditions, but with a few more years weighting his shoulders, Dr. Franke again undertook a successful fish observing and collecting expedition to Venezuela. Dr. Franke's unique ability to coax difficult fish species to breed, combined to his field experience, makes him a very precious recruit for ACN, which should greatly benefit from his advice in breeding and conserving endangered fishes. Dr. Franke is the gifted author of numerous articles and books on tropical fishes.
The ACN membership registration is being offered to Jochen by one of his friends and admirers.
(Source wishes to remain anonymous)
I read about your plans, to establish a new communication network between hobbyists and scientists. I think this is a marvellous idea. It will be easier then to come in contact and to exchange information or maybe also living species. Please list our organization, the "DCG", in your International Directory of Aquarist Organizations.
I am the representative of the German Cichlid Association (DCG) - Region Ruhrgebiet. The DCG is 25 years old now this coming June, and actually consists of 3,100 members. It is formed by 27 regions within Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is the aim of the non-profit association to increase the knowledge about cichlids and their different habitats, their behaviour and to breed them in captivity, especially endangered species.
Concerning cichlids, most people in the hobby are interested in fish from the east African lakes - that means, they keep mostly mouthbreeders. Actually, there is also a new development in the DCG and also in the hobby in general: more and more people keep cichlids from Central and South America.
I have been keeping cichlids from Central America for over 25 years now. Every year I do two excursions to states in the Central American region searching for new or also well known cichlids. On the last tour to Cuba, I rediscovered Cichlasoma ramsdeni and exported them the first time at all.
All the best wishes for you and your ACN plans.
Heiner Garbe, Chairman
DCG - Region Ruhrgebiet
Grummetweg 47
44149 Dortmund 1
Germany
CompuServe: 100614,1501
Nandopsis istlanus and Herichtys ramsdeni
In the ACN magazine Aquatic Survival(Vol. 4, No. 1, March 1995) I read the article of Paul Loiselle concerning (Cichlasoma) Nandopsis istlanus. I can absolutely agree with his statements concerning the endangered situation of this cichlid that only exists in the Rio Balsas and its tributaries. There should be an organised breeding program. Meanwhile I did nine tours to Mexico and it took me two tours to find out where the strongest population still exists. The strongest population as I found out still exists in the Rio Papagayo (near Xaltianguis) and in a very small tributary of this river. In this Rio and that is the big difference to the situation in the different other tributaries of the Rio Balsas there are neither Archocentrus spilurus nor Herichtys cyanoguttatum carpinte in this habitat. There is another population but much smaller in the north of the Balsas system near Nueva Italia. I myself captured several species in 1991 and once again in 1993 in the Rio Papagayo. Continuously I breed a lot of them in Germany without any problem the fish reproduce very strongly. But it was impossible to spread the fish within the hobby also within a more "specialised scene". I guess, the reason is the aggressive, territorial behaviour of this cichlid and the main fact that the cichlid is often affected by typical catgut diseases: N. istlanus suddenly doesn't eat any more and produces white excrements. Mostly this disease appears after putting fish over 4 cm in a different tank of my aquarium rooms or after the fish have been taken to tanks other hobbyists. It is obvious, that adult or semi adult specimens very often are unable cope with being transported to different tanks. Meanwhile I think, it is the stress that makes them die: Examinations of ill fish's gut revealed that the rate of parasites (in German: Flagellaten) was only a little bit higher than normal but biological experts say that this couldn't be the main reason of the mostly deadly illness of the species. If I keep the species from juvenile status onwards in the same tank only, there are no losses. It would be interesting for me to know whether you are familiar with this problem it is similar to those of Thorichtys. In different articles in the DATZ Magazine and the DCG Info I described the situation of N. istlanus in Mexico in detail. I'm very specialised in cichlids of Central America especially in Parapetenia, Thorichtys and Vieja (Paratheraps). I keep the following cichlids from Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador:
Heiner Garbe, Chairman
DCG - Region Ruhrgebiet
Grummetweg 47
44149 Dortmund 1
Germany
CompuServe: 100614,1501
| Return to Table of Contents |
Wattley, J. 1994. Diskusfische in Surinam. Diskus Brief 9(4):108 109.
Criticism has appeared in a number of places including the German newsletter DATZ (by Claus Schaefer of the Deutsche Cichliden Gesellschaft) as well as a later issue of Diskus Brief (by Henk Veenstra). There has also been some lively debate in the electronic world including the lists CICHLID-L, NIA-NET, and DISCUS-L as well as FISHNET on CompuServe.
Essentially, the article in question describes the introduction of 24 Coerulea Turquoise discus to waters in Surinam. Concerns focused primarily on a few specific parts of his article:
"The primary purpose of the trip was an attempt to establish a colony of my Jack Wattley discus in controlled Suriname streams."
The man being given the discus:
"has seeded swamp areas in southeast Suriname with Paracheirodon axelrodi, the popular cardinal tetra; and the results were very positive. Areas that contained many nondescript, small rain-water fish now include large numbers of P. axelrodi. .... Because of the dispersal of the water in the streams during the two rainy seasons, the tetras spilled into other areas and, at this time, are breeding very successfully over a large area in Suriname."
Mr. Wattley also states
"If my discus take hold and eventually propagate, one can be ensured that in years to come the only discus found in Suriname will be Wattley Coeruleas."
Several people have submitted their concerns to me and their letters follow. In fairness, I asked Mr. Wattley to provide a statement for publication and he has obliged. Following that is a note from FAMA (Freshwater and Marine Aquarium) contributor Frank Anderson who intends to delve into this question further and produce a special article in a future issue of that magazine. rh
Discus Contaminants
(adapted from an internet posting on CICHLID-L and published with permission of the author)
In a German magazine devoted to the keeping of Discus (Symphysodon spp.), an article by Jack Wattley, a Florida Discus breeder, describes how he is attempting to deliberately introduce Symphysodon in Surinam, far outside the natural range of Symphysodon.
Wattley travelled to the Sipaliwini savanna in August 1993 with the main intention to release captive raised Symphysodon in natural water, aiming at establishing a 'wild' population. He worked together with a Dutch reptile dealer. This Dutchman is said to have released Paracheirodon axelrodi in the southeast of Surinam with the result that these waters now contain "not only many undescribed small neon fishes, but also a large number of P. axelrodi". The Paracheirodon came from Manaus and have expanded their distribution in Surinam due to floods.
The Symphysodon taken to Surinam were 24 so called 'Coerulea' Turquoise Discus (a breed of Wattley). The fishes were released in Spring of 1994, apparently in a controlled pond, but from Wattley's article it is clear that the aim of the project is to repeat the 'success' with Paracheirodon, i.e., establish a feral population.
The activities are of course very strange. The whole project seems pointless as costs of extraction will not likely be lower in natural waters in Surinam than in Brazil. Likelihood of 'success' with transplanted Sipaliwini Symphysodon does not seem very high either, as suggested by the limited natural distribution, highly specialized dentition and difficult aquarium maintenance of species of this genus. What is really baffling is the "attitude". It seems to be very naive and without any understanding of fish as parts of the environment. Are aquarium fish breeders immune to concerns for the environment? Is the famous 'Jack Wattley Discus' anything other than one more contaminant? Is this the beginning of a new trend?
Reference: Wattley, J. 1994. Diskusfische in Surinam. Diskus Brief 9(4):108 109.
Sven O. Kullander
Senior Curator, Department of Vertebrate Zoology
Swedish Museum of Natural History, POB 50007
S 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
Internet: ve-sven@nrm.se
Bio-Amazonia Conservation International
Recently, I have read and been asked about the questions concerning the wild caught ornamental fishes and high mortality rate during shipment, especially about cardinal tetra. Several articles have also declared that high mortality rate and over fishing have caused the commercial extinction of cardinal tetra from mid-Rio Negro basin. It is not true and none of the authors has provided data for their assertions. Since 1989, our project "Piaba" team has studied fish diversity and their conservation in the region (Aquatic Survival, March 1994). There is a decline of fishes sold per fisher, due to increasing number of new fishers. The export statistics of cardinal tetra from the last 30 years have remained stable, between 10 and 15 million per year. The export of wild caught silver dollars, pencil fishes and angel fishes has drastically reduced. On the other hand, plecos and corydoras have increased more than tenfold. Many other exotic, such as freshwater stingray and arowana are illegally exported from Brazil. These changes show that hobbyists have changed their "fevers" and aquarists have been successful to breed many species of wild fishes.
Dr. David Sands recently reviewed the question of wild caught fish and their future (Aquatic Survival, March 1995). He has clearly pointed out that the high mortality rate of wild caught fish is due to lack of proper care and handling. I love Dr. Sands' "ideal world" for fish catchers and fishes. I also looked at the other scenario, if the future for wild caught ornamental fish ended. There are individuals and organizations promoting the total ban of wild fish. Many aquarists are helping the "ban" by successfully breeding and making money from "new" varieties of wild fish. A "ban" will take away the livelihood of thousands of riverine people, who may in turn opt to slash-and-burn marginal agriculture (deforestation), hunt other threatened wildlife or move to city slums. The environmental and social costs will be much greater than the revenue from ornamental fishes (3 million US dollars annually).
Aquarists often come to collect in South America without a permit, that's illegal. Some have described new species without locality nor following the code of International Zoological Nomenclature. The worst example of an aquarist's ego appeared in a recent article in Diskus Brief. Mr. Jack Wattley, a very successful discus breeder, reported that he had introduced his hatchery bred discus to southeast Suriname, where a Dutchman has already introduced the swamp area with cardinal tetra. Mr. Wattley also wrote that "if my discus take hold and eventually propagate, one can be ensured that in years to come the only discus found in Suriname will be Wattley Coeruleas." Mr. Wattley has openly declared his "ecological crime" with pride! The environmental damages caused by exotic fishes to local aquatic systems has been well-documented. Most tropical countries have laws to control exotic fishes; I doubt that Surinam, "truly a third-world country", has no law to prohibit introduction of exotic fish. This law is enforced in Brazil.
We cannot dismiss the fact that aquarists (including fish farmers) are responsible for releasing exotic tropical fishes in southern Florida, where many tropical fishes have held and the oscar, a predator of native fishes, has become the second most captured sport fish. I have met many aquarists/ hobbyists in the Amazon, some came to support our project and to visit natural habitats of their aquarium fishes. Some believe in conservation of wild fish and have made continuous efforts to support our project. Other enthusiasts have made a great effort to collect and purchase fishes for profit and greed (owning fishes nobody else has): one smuggled turtle eggs, one tried to sell fish to others even in the field, one wanted to sell driftwood, one was eager to buy ornaments made from wildlife body parts, etc. Sure, it takes all kinds to make a hobby.
An environmental ethic is definitely lacking in the ornamental fish industry: fishers, traders, aquarists and hobbyists. Wild ornamental fish have been harvested as a free natural resource up for grabbing, like the ocean fishery. If the industry and those involved were continuing to ignore the care of wild fish in captivity, or not making an effort to preserve their natural habitats, we will not have a future for wild ornamental fish. If the ornamental fishery were stopped in Amazon, I expect that deforestation will be intensified in some regions and the socio-economic-cultural costs to riverine people will be disastrous.
Sincerely Yours,
Ning Labbish Chao
Bio-Amazonia Conservation International
213 Reservoir Rd., Unit 2
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167. U.S.A.
also
Caixa Postal 2310
69.061, Manaus, AM Brasil
A Statement by Jack Wattley
I would like to personally thank Rob Huntley of the Aquatic Conservation Network for his requesting my input re. discus fish in Suriname.
Let me say that I am just as concerned (probably more so) about ecological balance in South American waters as the respondents who criticized me for having taken a small number of discus fish to a friend of mine for his own private collection.
These fish were put in man-made ponds - one for my discus - the other for small scalares he had purchased in Tampa, Florida. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN FLORIDA TROPICAL FISH HOBBYISTS PUTTING FRESH WATER TROPICALS IN THEIR OUTSIDE PONDS, which they have been doing for years!
I'd like to dispel the notion - in error - that discus fish are predatory. Not so! Statements directed to me that discus are predatory indicates to me that individuals who make such statements do not have the slightest knowledge of discus keeping, as discus fish are one of the meekest of all tropicals.
As to my statement that "some day perhaps Jack Wattley discus could be found in Suriname waters" was said in total jest. The man in Suriname asked me for these fish, and they were a gift from me! I've been invited to visit a discus breeder in Bulawyo, Zimbabwe. Am I not to take him a gift of young discus fish?
Ironically, discus can be found naturally in waters approx. 180 miles from the area at the Suriname/Brasil border where his two ponds are located.
Anyone who knows me should know that I have a sense of humor, and it is too bad that one can not be spontaneous in a manner to lighten-up an article a bit with a statement made in jest.
Jack H. Wattley
2500 Sea Island Drive
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
U.S.A.
Fax: (305) 463-4716
[since providing this statement, Mr. Wattley has spoken with his contact in Surinam and in a follow-up note to ACN says that "He informed me that small numbers of discus, as well as C. severum and C. festivum have been in Suriname waters for years. For verification one may want to phone him: Theo Henzen - phone 597-367-040"] rh
Frank Anderson to Follow-Up
I'd like to offer a few short comments about Jack Wattley, Suriname, and Internet gossip/reports about Wattley's reported introduction of a non indigenous species (discus) into Suriname stream(s?). So far, I've had messages from Jack Wattley (phone and fax), Rob Huntley, Joe Palermo, Don Dewey, Ray Hunziker and others about this "situation."
Because of the intensity of feelings on the issue, and because I had not seen Jack Wattley's side of the story, I took the liberty of faxing TFH's editor (Tropical Fish Hobbyist) some of the material that appeared on the Internet. It was only fair that Mr. Wattley see what was happening so he could become aware of it and react accordingly. I am not taking sides in the issue, either, except as an environmentalist/ conservationist and maintainer of good relations with as many people as possible. Mr. Wattley maintains that no discus were released into the wild, only into private ponds. Some of the Internet traffic says that they "established themselves in Suriname streams." What does that mean, exactly, when you say "established themselves." Kind of makes you wonder how that could happen, if it did.
Anyway, Jack has his version of what went on, and it's about time that he was given the opportunity to air it. For the serious truth seekers out there, and others interested in conservationist issues, go ahead and let's find out what really occurred. But for the amount of traffic that was bouncing around in Cyberspace, it was evident that one person was absent from the conversation. I'm planning a special for FAMA (Freshwater and Marine Aquarium) on this issue, and would certainly like to get as much material from anyone concerned (emotionally, intellectually and actually) with the introduction. Please drop me an E mail message.
Thanks for your time and space.
Frank G Anderson
Saudi Aramco Box 6112
Dhahran 31311
Saudi Arabia
Frank_Anderson@Sahara.com
| Return to Table of Contents |
The Province of British Columbia (Canada), Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, will be initiating a white sturgeon monitoring program on the Fraser River and its tributaries, beginning this summer. Recent surveys and investigations of white sturgeon in the Fraser system suggest that the population is threatened due to overfishing, deterioration in water quality and habitat loss. White sturgeon have been classified as "vulnerable" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), and in accordance with recent findings on the lower Fraser River (36 unexplained mortalities in 2 years) has been given high priority for further research by the Province.
Previous research on white sturgeon has primarily focussed on populations residing in regulated systems with altered flow regimes, or on aquacultural programs. The work that we are about to undertake will examine the life history characteristics of this fish in its natural (ie. unregulated) habitat, and offers the potential for some fascinating insights into the biology of the species. Our general objectives include:
This program is being funded by the Habitat Conservation Fund, which is ultimately paid for by sports fishermen through license fees.
Due to limited knowledge of the biology of sturgeons in general, the transfer and exchange of ideas and concepts is essential and will prove beneficial for all involved. If there are researchers, biologists, or managers that have previously worked on sturgeons and are interested in exchanging information on this subject, please forward your comments.
Ted Zimmerman, Fisheries Biologist, Fish & Wildlife Branch, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Province of British Columbia, Prince George, B.C., Canada. Tel: (604) 565 6852; Internet: jtzimmer@prince.env.gov.bc.ca
| Return to Table of Contents |
Ocean Voice International and The Haribon Foundation for Conservation of Natural Resources, are working on Environmental Education and Sustainable Livelihoods in the Philippines. This project is funded by the EDSP (Environment and Development Support Program) through the Canadian Environmental Network by CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). We are grateful to these organizations for their support of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable development.
One of the components of this project is related to the development of the Federation of Aquarium Fish Collectors (PMP), which is looking for alternative methods of marketing the healthy, net caught fish. To achieve this goal it was considered to evaluate the handling methods and holding facilities, that fishermen and exporters are actually applying.
For many years I've been studying the exploitation of marine fish and invertebrates for the marine aquarium trade. I'd like to share with all of you, the findings of my recent trip to the Philippines.
Importers as well as retailers and aquarium hobbyists buying ornamental marine fish from the Philippines and Indonesia are recording high mortality rates. In a previous article (Sea Wind, July Sept 92), I underlined the fact that cyanide was not the only factor responsible for these high mortality rates. One of the most important factors is the physiological damage inflicted on the fish by fisherfolk and by exporters.
(Mis)Handling Methods and Holding Facilities
The ordeal of the fish starts when it is removed from the reef. But this is only the start of its miseries.... Once ashore, there are no holding facilities and submerged cages are not widespread because of the lack of protected areas, the tides and theft. Thus the fish are dumped from the bags in to a bucket with up to 30 fish at once. The fish are then transferred abruptly into bags filled with new water from the shoreline. Depending on the species, they are bagged individually if they are expensive, or by pairs in smaller bags, or several in larger bags. The bagged fish remain on the floor or on wooden structures usually 3 5 days before they are shipped (in this case to Manila). During this time water from the bag is changed once a day. Expensive fish get two water changes a day. The water changes are always abrupt. Small inexpensive fish do not get water changes for 3 5 days. I observed large bags with, for example, more than 10 poisonous lionfish per bag, 15 fragile butterflyfish per bag and more than 70 damselfish in the same bag. It is common to see fish dying from ammonia poisoning in the bags.
Once the fish are delivered to Manila (6 hrs from Masinloc in this case) to the exporter, the fish are screened to detect damaged fins, injuries or sickness. Such fish, called rejects, are discarded, sold for the local market and very seldom returned to the sea by the buyer or middleman. The accepted fish pass to the main system, with no acclimation process. The transfers are made abruptly.
Now the fish are ready to be exported. There is no quarantine period. It was found that some exporters, not all, do not feed the fish that remain in their aquaria. When an order is placed, the fish are packed in shipping water, which could come from the Manila Bay, or, in the case of one exporter, as far away as 160 km from Manila. This water is poured into large pools, without filtering out the plankton or other kinds of material in suspension.
The fish are not acclimated to the physical and chemical conditions of the water, thus increasing the stress that the animals experienced from the moment they are harvested. At this point, it was critical to introduce the Water Quality Criteria new to the Fisherfolk and PMP organizers. Several workshops were conducted with PMP organizers and fishermen from three communities: San Salvador and Matain in the Province of Zambales and Bolinao in the province of Pangasinan. At the workshops, samples of water from the shoreline, and from some of the bags holding the fish were tested to determine the concentrations of ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, specific gravity and temperature.
The results for the shore line water were as expected for a non polluted area:
The samples of water from the bags in the three communities did show alarming readings, 12 different samples were tested, the results were all very close. Following are the averages:
The holding facilities at the exporters level, some of them are constructed with plywood covered with marine epoxy. The filtration systems design is very elementary and inefficient. The only filter media used is crushed coral (the use of bioballs is not widespread; I saw two exporters using them but the design and efficiency of the filters was considered poor). The use of protein skimmers is not widespread, some use them but the design is extremely poor if we consider the volumes of water that their systems handle. There was an exporter using a primitive version ammonia towers (inefficient). An analysis of water was conducted at the holding facilities of an exporter. The results are the following:
Conclusion
Most of the marine ornamental fish exporters in the area of Manila, and possibly in the whole country, are having significant difficulty in keeping their business going. The main reason is the high mortality rate of their exported fish, and consequently the customer dissatisfaction overseas.
This problem is due not only to the fact that some are still cyanide caught, but also because of the poor handling techniques that fisherfolk and exporters are practicing, added to the fact that the fish are held for prolonged periods of time in conditions that are of considerable danger such as:
In plastic bags or in a recirculating water system the ammonia which fish excrete becomes a crucial factor in water quality. The molecular form of Ammonia, NH3, is highly toxic,while the ionic form, NH4+, is only slightly toxic. Depending on the pH value of the water, when low, much of the ammonia may become ionized and prevent major problems of toxicity. There is a serious problem when the pH increases suddenly due to abrupt water changes. These concepts have to be analyzed in the context of osmoregulation.
All these factors are without doubt responsible for irreparable physiological damage that the fish suffer, and they must be considered as responsible for unnecessary mortality WHICH IS EVIDENT ONLY LATER. Fish under stress, even at a fairly early stage of responding, may show decreased resistance to disease.
The filtration systems at exporters facilities are not well designed, they are not equipped with the proper filter media (e.g activated charcoal) or with other efficient devices (protein skimmers) to handle the metabolic products of a heavy biological load. These are the reasons for frequent wipeouts at exporters holding facilities. The water quality criteria, as a must to anyone who is concerned with the health of fish, are not applied either at the exporters nor the fisherfolk level. The workshops about water quality and filtration systems did provide to members of the Federation and the Haribon team, with the necessary tools to set up better and efficient holding facilities to develop their exporting business.
The Federation of Fish Collectors of the Philippines are working hard to accomplish their main goals:
By implementing the above "factors" the Federation will gain the credibility and support of marine fish buyers because it will succeed in lowering mortality rates (getting customers' satisfaction). This in turn will lead to the Federation's goals of achieving a self sufficient livelihood for the fisherfolk. Of course the environment will be a big winner also.
INCENTIVES FOR AQUARIUM FISH COLLECTORS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO USING NETS IS NEEDED.
Support and cooperation are a must to everyone involved in this trade (Collectors, exporters, importers, retailers and aquaria hobbyists) and avoiding conflicts, which only slows down the process of change. Initially, and as reported by Ocean Voice International (OVI) at the PIJAC (Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council) symposium "EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF THE AQUARIUM INDUSTRY" on June 3 4, 1993, Washington, D.C., we believe that the trade of marine fish and invertebrates has the potential to become a sustainable activity if corrective measures are taken in the near future.
OVI's approach is to define problems, identify workable options, choose the most effective solution(s) and work as closely as possible with those involved in implementing the solution(s). This has been our approach to the sustainable commercialization of natural resources for the marine aquarium trade, in response to concerns resulting from the increased collection of marine fish and invertebrates in the waters of tropical countries, over the last decade. Investigating the effect of this activity on coral reefs as well as the trade's sustainability and responding to urgent needs for protective measures are activities that are long overdue and can help the industry.
OVI's articles in Sea Wind (Bulletin of OVI) and in the Netsman Project proposal and reports, emphasize that the aquarium fish trade is one of many (and not necessarily the largest) factors or agents impacting on coral reef environments. Nevertheless, the aquarium industry is not any less responsible for what it has done and should not therefore discount its obligation to become environmentally friendly. In fact, we believe it is in its short term and long term interests to do so. This requirement extends to the collection of wild coral reef fishes, live rock and marine invertebrates. OVI is clearly taking an active role in finding practical solutions and in reconciling conflicts between the aquarium trade and marine conservation needs.
Jaime Baquero is a Marine Biologist, a Director of Ocean Voice International and member of the ACN. His address is 10 Henri Lessard, Pointe-Gatineau, Québec, Canada J8T 3G6. Internet: bd268@FreeNet.Carleton.CA
| Return to Table of Contents |
To purchase a copy of this special issue, contact Alain J. Crivelli, Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, Camargue, France. The price is US $20 per copy. Money orders should be made payable to "Fondation Sansouire" in France.
(Source: Publication Announcement Letter and the "Introduction" chapter.)
| Return to Table of Contents |
| Return to Table of Contents |
Established by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1974 for research on renewable energy sources, NELHA supports a wide variety of research, demonstration and commercial projects in aquaculture, ocean technology, and other related fields. The quality of the seawater, the ability to create and control environments and the location of NELHA are all aspects that can be advantageous to a wide range of research and commercial ventures.
NELHA manages a premier ocean science and technology park on 870 acres of ocean front property at Keahole Point in the District of Kona on the "Big Island" of Hawaii. Currently there are 19 tenants involved in projects using three very unique resources:
A project recently started at NELHA to breed reef fish in aquaculture. The company is Hawaiian Bred Tropicals Inc. and they are just getting established. They hope that they will be able to supply some of the demand for the aquarium trade and thereby reduce the pressure on native reef areas.
In addition to the natural resources available at Keahole Point, NELHA offers technical and administrative support services to each tenant to assist them in their projects. For further information contact The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, P.O. Box 1749, Kailua Kona, Hawaii 96745, U.S.A. Tel: (808) 329 7341; Fax: (808) 326 7223; Email: adrianne@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu
(Source: Adrianne Greenlees, Public Information Specialist, NELHA)
| Return to Table of Contents |
The facility will be built with a $1.85 million grant from the Canada/Ontario Infrastructure Works Program, a $1 million equipment grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and money raised in a fund-raising campaign that began four years ago. Operating costs will be covered by an endowment set up with funds from the campaign.
Major donors to the project are Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. and ichthyologist Herbert Axelrod, as well as several foundations, companies and individuals.
(Source: Guelph Alumnus, May 1995.)
| Return to Table of Contents |
As part of the ongoing effort to establish a Global Environment Facility for Madagascar, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program convened a meeting in Antananarivo, 11-14 April 1995. The workshop, organized by the Washington-based NGO Conservation International, brought together 80 scientists, roughly 60% Malagasy researchers, the balance hailing from Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States. The object of the exercise was to allow experienced field researchers to integrate their experience with locality information drawn from a comprehensive computerized data base to produce a series of maps that would highlight biodiversity "hotspots". These in turn would be used to establish a list of future conservation priorities.
Participants initially worked in interest groups, focused upon a single taxon e.g., mammals, or biotope, e.g., humid terrestrial and aquatic habitats. This interest group, to which I was attached, included ichthyologists, crustacean specialists, botanists and limnologists. Although Dr. Melanie Stiassny of the American Museum of Natural History and Dr. Peter Reinthal of Eastern Michigan University had also been invited to participate in this workshop, personal or professional conflicts precluded their attendance. I was thus the only vazaha (foreign) member of the humid terrestrial and aquatic habitats working group. We began by verifying the accuracy of the computerized locality data which we had been given. We returned the corrected data sets to the computer support group and plotted this information onto a blank map of the island. The result was a map delineating localities supporting numbers of aquatic or semi-aquatic plants and animals.
The participants were then reassembled into regional working groups. Each of these focused upon a particular biogeographic region of Madagascar and comprised one or more representatives of a given interest group. My primary assignment was the northern regional working group, but I was called on to participate in the deliberations of several others. Each interest group representative brought a copy of that group's map and priority list to the meeting. Maps were overlain, which allowed us to pick out localities characterized by a high level of overall biodiversity. We were then expected to draw up a prioritized list of a dozen or so localities warranting protected status. As the number of sites indicated on the map invariably proved substantially larger than this, the discussions leading up to a final list of recommendations were, not to mince words, both forceful and vociferous. On the last day of the meeting, each regional group presented its list of recommended sites at the workshop's concluding plenary session.
Our final list of recommendations was representative of all of Madagascar's surviving terrestrial and most of its aquatic biotopes. The delineation of future protected terrestrial sites took into account areas already gazetted and was informed by the need to minimize edge effects and provide, whenever possible, corridors capable of allowing animals to move freely between appropriate habitats. In the case of aquatic habitats, species diversity, degree of habitat disturbance and the possibility of excluding exotic predators were the primary criteria of selection.
The workshop afforded highest priority to the establishment of a national park on the Masoala Peninsula. This will protect the only remaining block of lowland rainforest on the east coast as well as its associated aquatic habitats. Other priority aquatic sites include the crater lakes on the offshore island of Nosy Bé, Nosy Boraha, a snakehead-free island off the eastern coast of Madagascar that still supports native fishes, the entire Nosivolo river, which is the only known habitat of Oxylapia polli, the lakes of the Ampijoroa Forest Reserve, Lake Ihotry, a brackish-water lake of variable extent in southwestern Madagascar whose fauna includes both endemic crustacean and fish species and Sept-Lacs, a complex of artesian springs in the karst country near the city of Toliara. Once the workshop's formal report has been issued, I will submit the full list for publication in Aquatic Survival.
Because the workshop was specifically instructed to exclude marine biotopes from its agenda, it does not include any of Madagascar's remaining coral reefs. Conservation of Madagascar's marine biota is to be addressed in a forthcoming workshop dealing with coastal habitats and fisheries issues. Hopefully this meeting will second our informal recommendation that effective protection be afforded Nosy Mitsio and other small offshore islands in northwestern Madagascar that still support intact fringing reefs and their associated biota. Protecting these reefs will require an aggressive advocacy effort that may include a letter-writing campaign directed at key figures in the Malagasy government. If matters come to this pass, rest assured I will solicit the assistance of the ACN on its behalf!
On the balance, I rate the workshop as a success. It produced a realistic list of working priorities for the Malagasy government based on the best current appreciation of the principles of conservation biology. If followed to their logical conclusion, our recommendations call for the Malagasy government to create a comprehensive national park system and a Park Service to operate it. Madagascar is at about the same point in this process as Costa Rica was in the early 1950's and has only a fraction of the resources available to the Ticos when they undertook the task of establishing their national park system. The extent to which our recommendations are implemented is thus very much a question of how much outside financial support foreign donor agencies are willing to provide the Malagasy government's efforts in this direction. A meeting of donor agencies presently involved in Madagascar is scheduled later this summer to consider the workshop's recommendations. I will report its findings to ACN members as soon as I learn of them.
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.
| Return to Table of Contents |
| Return to Table of Contents |
Educating yourself is an excellent first step. Your enthusiasm will encourage others to get involved. Every project or activity will help our oceans stay fit.
Here are a few ideas:
| Return to Table of Contents |
| Return to Table of Contents |
| Return to Table of Contents |
Copyright© 1996 Aquatic Conservation Network