Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Managing for quality sport fishing is becoming more difficult as natural resources dwindle. This trend also creates additional problems with endangered species. Benefits accrued from land and water conservation programs pay dividends to both. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has embarked upon an aggressive approach to resolving species and habitat conflicts through cooperative programs with local governments and especially private landowners.

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were first introduced into inland waters of Texas in 1967. Since that initial introduction, 44 inland waters within the state have been stocked with over 120,000,000 striped bass and the species has become the fourth most popular sport fish among anglers. Although successful striped bass fisheries have been established in numerous Texas reservoirs, there are few self-sustaining populations, and maintenance of the fisheries is dependent upon hatchery stocking programs. The high fecundity of striped bass renders the species vulnerable to genetic drift and inbreeding since hatcheries may meet production quotas with relatively few brood fish. Even when large numbers of brood fish are used, offspring typically are reared and distributed in a manner that may limit the effective population size (Ne) of fisheries created and maintained through hatchery stockings.

Invasive species, diseases and parasites often move from place to place as undetected hitchhiker contaminates contained within pathways. Natural resource agencies could inadvertantly provide pathways for invasions through their work unless protocols are developed to prevent and remove hitchhikers. Strategic planning which identifies and removes contamination risks is necessary to craft effective protocols or best management practices (BMPs). HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a strategic planning tool developed by Pillsbury Foods in the 1960s to ensure product safety in food produced for the space program. Its straightforward planning logic has been modified slightly to serve as a pathway management tool. Sequential steps in HACCP guide planners to ask the right questions to identify hazards and define effective BMPs to prevent, remove or reduce pathway contamination.

No paper was submitted with this abstract. Abstract was too long so please refer to pdf.

No paper was submitted with this abstract. Abstract was too long so please refer to pdf.

In April 2005 a newly formed panel of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF) held its first meeting. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Panel on aquatic invasive species (MARP) is authorized under Section 1203 of the Non-Indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Protection and Control Act of 1990 (NANPCA). The MARP consists of individuals representing Federal and state agencies, regional and academic entities, non-profit environmental groups, and commercial interests from Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Challenges and exciting opportunities for management of aquatic invasive species are framing an action-oriented agenda for this newly-formed panel.

Since largemouth bass virus (LMBV) was implicated in 1998 and 1999 as responsible for fish kills in some of Texas' most prestigious bass fisheries (Fork, Sam Rayburn, Conroe and Toledo Bend lakes), the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has taken an active role to better understand this emerging pathogen. An extensive statewide survey of 49 water bodies conducted in 2000 coupled with continued monitoring of bass fisheries has detected LMBV in 23 water bodies within nine of 13 water basins in the state. The virus has also been detected at TPWD freshwater hatcheries and procedures intended to minimize the incidental spread of this pathogen have been implemented. These measures include routine testing of hatchery-produced fingerlings and available brood stock, limiting stockings from LMBV-positive hatcheries to LMBV-influenced waters, disinfection of fish hauling units, and fish health inspection requirement for fish imported to the state.

Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) is well-known for its commercial and ecological importance and has been historically declining in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, one of its principal nursery habitats along the eastern coast. Utilizing data from the Striped Bass Seine Survey of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, we evaluated how the distribution of over 1 million Atlantic menhaden had changed from 1966 to 2004 for 12 river drainages. We observed significant or marginally significant declines in 42% of the drainages, with drainages of the northern Bay showing the majority of those declines. Continued recruitment to several drainages of the Bay may partly explain why the adult spawning population is not putatively declining. We determined if temporal changes in abundance were related to changes in salinity or water quality for five major drainages of the watershed.

No paper was submitted with this abstract. Abstract was too long so please refer to pdf.

Significant declines in American shad (Alosa sapidissima) populations have warranted restoration efforts by natural resource agencies along the Atlantic coast. In 1998, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission developed a restoration plan for declining stocks of American shad in the Roanoke River. One strategy in the plan was to supplement wild American shad reproduction with annual stockings of hatchery-reared American shad fry. The fry were marked with a discrete oxytetracycline (OTC) mark specific to the stocking year and stocking location in the upper Roanoke River basin. Total numbers of American shad fry stocked ranged from 481,000 in 1998 to 2.5 million in 2005. To evaluate the contribution of stocked American shad fry to the portion of juvenile American shad that outmigrate, we checked for OTC marks on processed otoliths of American shad juveniles collected at night during weekly fall (September-November) samples in the lower Roanoke River.

The following presentation examines the costs which fishermen holding commercial permits in the south Atlantic snapper-grouper and mackerel fisheries incurred to participate in those fisheries for calendar years 2002 and 2003. The two types of data collected to conduct an economic analysis were the variable costs data for each individual fishing trip and the fixed annual expenses data for operating in the fisheries. This evaluation has been undertaken to gain a better understanding of the economic ramifications, which different changes in management and regulation of the fisheries might have on the individual fisherman as well as the industry as a whole. To achieve this goal, regulation history is described, methodology is explained, and results are presented through correlations between vessel lengths, gear types, fishing locations, and crew size.

We performed a literature review on alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula). It revealed that habitat loss and over-harvest has caused this species to decline throughout the southern United States. The literature contained information about range, status, growth, sex determination, ecological roles in various habitats, and the public's perception of this fish. This information leads us to believe that alligator gar could be successfully reintroduced at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. A fish community sample will be conducted prior to releasing alligator gar into Mingo NWR. We will employ a multi-gear approach to assess fish species richness and community structure. Sampling will include enough effort to detect changes in fish population size structure for selected species of interest (e.g., crappies, shad, buffalo, and carp) which may be affected by alligator gar predation. Stocking is planned for summer 2007.

Effective conservation and restoration of endangered mussels requires community support. Numerous studies have been made of the aquatic resources in the upper Clinch River, Tazewell County, Virginia, but prior to this effort, no study has assessed what the human community that lives in this biodiversity hotspot knows and thinks about their community's natural resources. We surveyed community leaders and residents of Tazewell County, Virginia, to assess baseline knowledge of the upper Clinch River watershed, endangered mussels, aquatic conservation, and water quality issues. The survey response rate is 40%. We compared total knowledge scores of the community to attitude and opinion data to assess if knowledge and understanding of endangered mussels are correlated with attitudes and opinions of the resource. According to preliminary results, residents are aware mussels occur in the community, but are not as aware of their status or their ecosystem services.

Assateague Island National Seashore supports approximately 150 non-native horses (Equus caballus) and it is important to ensure they do not adversely affect native species. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between feral horse activity and bacteria levels in ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa). Understanding this relationship is important because shellfish host bacterial pathogens, including those within the Vibrionaceae and Aeromonaceae families, can negatively affect the health of aquatic organisms and human health. We test two hypotheses: 1.) whether there is a difference in Vibrionaceae and Aeromonaceae levels in ribbed mussels along the Island and 2.) if there is a difference in Vibrionaceae and Aeromonaceae levels in ribbed mussels in regards to levels of horse activity, using horse distribution data. Bimonthly from May to November 2006, three replicates of 50 g of ribbed mussels were collected at each site.

On 18 September 2003, Hurricane Isabel inundated northeastern North Carolina with heavy winds, rain, and storm surge that flushed high BOD organic materials and anoxic water from the floodplains adjacent to the lower Roanoke River and its tributaries into the river proper. Dissolved oxygen levels rapidly decreased and remained at or near 0 mg L-1 for 12 days causing an extensive fish kill throughout 25 km of the lower Roanoke River. Using boat-mounted electrofishing gear, we had surveyed fish assemblages at three fixed sampling sites on the lower Roanoke River during the summers of 2001 and 2002 and at two of the three sites one week prior to the hurricane in 2003. We returned one month after the hurricane to examine the fish assemblages at those two sites following the fish kill. We assessed recovery of the fish assemblages at the three lower Roanoke River sites by sampling during the summers of 2004 and 2005.

Recovery of the federally endangered oyster mussel (Epioblasma capsaeformis) depends upon present efforts to successfully propagate and rear juveniles, and hold adults in a captive environment. An understanding of food quantity and food quality requirements for E. capsaeformis is vital to successful captive care. Neither an optimum food quantity nor specific food quality requirements have been identified for adults of this species. Oyster mussels were collected from Clinch River, Tennessee, and held at White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery, West Virginia, during spring, summer, and fall 2005 and 2006. An optimum feed ration for adults fed green-algae (Neochloris oleoabundans) was determined via measurements of filtration rate and absorption efficiency. Diet quality was examined by targeting protein demand of specimens, since protein is essential for all biosynthesis and serves as a secondary energy source. Seasonal protein demand was examined by feeding mussels diets of N.

Turbidity and sediments in hatchery ponds can adversely impact water quality and fish production. To reduce turbidity, hatchery managers use chemical coagulants, chopped hay, or cottonseed meal. However, the turbidity-causing substances removed from the water column sink to pond bottoms as sediments which, when the pond is drained, can pollute receiving water bodies. For hatcheries to operate within effluent discharge limits, total suspended solids (TSS), total settleable solids, total ammonia nitrogen, pH and carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD) must be effectively managed. We tested the effects of the probiotic, the Liquid Live Micro-Organisms System (LLMO), on sediment accumulation, selected water quality variables (turbidity, Secchi disk transparency, CBOD, chlorophyll a, TSS, and pH), and koi carp production in plastic-lined ponds for 148 days (June-November 2004).

Faced with declining license sales in the last quarter of the twentieth century, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recognized that it needed to take a new approach to traditional fisheries management. Research, fishery surveys, and fish stocking were no longer enough. Education and outreach were also needed to help sustain the high quality of Texas recreational sport fishing in the new millennium by maintaining the existing customerbase while building interest in fishing among a population that was increasingly urban, multi-ethnic and exposed to a wide variety of potential recreational activities. Fishing now has to compete for consumers' limited time and money with a plethora of school activities, organized sports leagues, the Internet and a host of other recreational activities. The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC), opened in November 1996, was constructed to facilitate two top-priority needs: sportfish production and outreach.

The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) has been described as one of North America's most widely distributed and underutilized fishery resource. This resource has been largely ignored by the majority of anglers in the United States because of the reputation of carp as an undesirable species. In contrast, carp are highly esteemed as a sport fish and food fish in many other countries of the world. In recent years, the negative perception of carp in the United States has been challenged by a small but growing number of anglers who view carp as a sport fish. The Carp Anglers Group has held the annual Austin Team Championship (ATC) carp tournament at Town Lake in Austin, Texas, since 2002. The lake is a world-renowned trophy carp fishery. Anglers competing at the fifth ATC (24-25 March 2006) were surveyed to gauge the status of carp fishing in Texas. A maximum of 45 two-person teams were permitted to compete at the event.

The creation of lentic habitats in Texas by reservoir construction provided the impetus for the establishment and management of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fisheries. Concurrently, many underlying societal factors and advancement in fishing technology helped focus the utilization of these fisheries. Just as Texas was experiencing a boom in new reservoir construction and angling opportunities, the population was becoming urbanized with more free time and money and better baits, boats, rods, reels and electronics were being developed. Competitive bass angling became well established, Florida largemouth bass (M. s. floridanus) stocking programs expanded, and bass management philosophy changed from being focused on harvest to catch-and-release. Presentation summarized information on how these factors combined to create a renowned recreational fishery which has a huge impact on the Texas economy.

The ShareLunker program is a multifaceted angler recognition program that encourages anglers to donate largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) ≥5.9 kg to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). These fish and their offspring have been used to enhance trophy bass fishing in Texas. Data from the program have been used to evaluate Florida largemouth bass stocking success and restrictive harvest regulations, and to identify reservoir characteristics which produce trophy fisheries. In addition, the program has emphasized the importance of catch and release fishing. The mission of the program is to involve the public in the conservation and enhancement of trophy bass fishing in Texas. TPWD provides significant incentives for anglers to participate, and cooperation from anglers has been excellent. Since the program's inception in 1986, a total of 418 fish from 54 reservoirs and 13 private lakes have been donated to the program.

The Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) has taken a lead role in the development of a regional Aquatic Habitat Plan as part of the National Fish Habitat Initiative (NFHI). SARP has been working with its partners, including 13 southeastern states fisheries management agencies, Gulf and Atlantic marine councils and commissions, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other public and private stakeholders, in development of the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan. A SARP Habitat Planning Team first met in March of 2006 to develop a vision and guidance for completing a regional plan during 2007. A workshop to draft the regional plan was set for October 2006. The Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan is on schedule to be the first regional plan associated with the NFHI, and may serve as a model for other areas of the country.

Schools across the nation are facing increasing challenges in addressing and meeting requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, standardized testing schedules, and increasingly stringent state curriculum standards. These challenges, coupled with traditionally-restrictive school district budgets and a mind-set that field trips are “vacations from school,” result in outdoor education programs being considered superfluous activities. Aligning outdoor education programs to state curriculum standards can be used to promote these programs as a tool in curriculum adherence as opposed to an unnecessary trip away from school. This session provided a basic introduction to curriculum standards and assessment and evaluation methods. Using Georgia Performance Standards as examples, the session also explored quick methods to align existing outdoor education programs with state learning standards.

Outdoor expositions (expos) are high visibility outreach and education events put on by fish and wildlife agencies and others as a way to thank supporters and to engage potential clients in conservation efforts by introducing them to fun, lifelong outdoor pursuits. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo is an annual education and outreach event coordinated and conducted by the agency as an open house to its statewide programs and efforts. Begun as a one-day event in 1992 to thank hunters for their contributions to conservation, Expo grew quickly into an annual two-day affair to recognize hunters, anglers, boaters, park goers, and others involved in conservation of the state's natural and cultural resources. Expo also has attracted a high percentage of non-traditional customers and families to Texas Parks and Wildlife's mission, people, programs, and places.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) offer a teacher education course that promotes awareness of Virginia's significant wildlife and fishery resources. Virginia Waters, Woods, and Wildlife focuses on middle- and high-school science teachers. The 40-hour, hands-on program introduces 20 teachers each year from across the Commonwealth to the wealth of Virginia's biodiversity, including birds, mammals, fishes, and invertebrates, and the principles and technologies used to manage and conserve these populations. Professional wildlife biologists and environmental scientists present the ecology and life histories of Virginia wildlife through field experiences as well as effective AV and IT technology.