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13 - Artificial propagation of freshwater fishes: benefits and risks to recipient ecosystems from stocking, translocation and re-introduction
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- By John M. Epifanio, Illinois Natural History Survey, Robin S. Waples, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
- Edited by Gerard P. Closs, University of Otago, New Zealand, Martin Krkosek, University of Toronto, Julian D. Olden, University of Washington
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- Book:
- Conservation of Freshwater Fishes
- Published online:
- 05 December 2015
- Print publication:
- 03 December 2015, pp 399-436
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Summary
We must not think that the highly laudable but expensive art and science of restoration ecology is going to put back ecosystem integrity, even though it ‘regreens’ with a highly convincing look-alike. –
M. J. Samways (1996)INTRODUCTION
This book examines emerging and historical perspectives and approaches to the conservation of inland fish biodiversity and the freshwater ecosystems upon which this diversity relies. Together, these approaches present enormous opportunities, yet daunting challenges, in efforts to sustain viably functioning freshwater ecosystems with the full complement of ecosystem services and societal values they provide. In this chapter, we focus the reader's attention to a set of interrelated practices aimed at augmenting the production of new recruits to a targeted population and ecosystem often as means to restore or conserve fish populations. These practices include artificial propagation and stocking, direct translocation and re-introduction (NB: key terms used herein are italicised on first use and defined in Box 13.1. Many of these terms have no widely accepted definitions in practice. Therefore, we provide these as they relate to our usage). Widely used in fisheries management, aquatic conservation and restoration, these activities are the subject of considerable scrutiny and lingering debate as to whether they truly provide a demonstrable ecological benefit as opposed to a suite of more societal benefits (economic, cultural, political, and so on). Moreover, critical examination of whether such benefits justify or balance the attendant risks to recipient biodiversity and ecosystems are generally lacking. We address both sides of the debate by presenting a general discussion of the kinds, range and magnitude of benefits and risks associated with artificial enhancement practices including those used under the banner of ‘conservation’, but also more generally. Where space and information permit, we also provide evidence gleaned from specific cases documented from the literature or the authors’ experiences. We acknowledge a bias toward examples gleaned from our North American experiences with inland and anadromous species, but suggest that underlying concepts are common and broadly relevant to any fauna regardless of geographical location.
10 - Integrating evolutionary considerations into recovery planning for Pacific salmon
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- By Robin S. Waples, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Michelle M. McClure, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Thomas C. Wainwright, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Paul McElhany, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Peter W. Lawson, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
- Edited by J. Andrew DeWoody, Purdue University, Indiana, John W. Bickham, Purdue University, Indiana, Charles H. Michler, Purdue University, Indiana, Krista M. Nichols, Purdue University, Indiana, Gene E. Rhodes, Purdue University, Indiana, Keith E. Woeste, Purdue University, Indiana
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- Book:
- Molecular Approaches in Natural Resource Conservation and Management
- Published online:
- 05 July 2014
- Print publication:
- 14 June 2010, pp 239-266
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Summary
Pacific salmon (see Table 10–1 for more information about terms in bold) enjoy iconic status in northwestern North America. As key components of both freshwater (Schindler et al. 2003) and marine (Beamish 2005) ecosystems, salmon play an important biological role in community structure and function. But salmon are no less crucial to the fabric of human societies. They have provided important food resources to Native Americans for at least 10,000 years (Butler & O'Connor 2004) and figure prominently in cultural, social, and economic traditions. Over the last ~200 years following European settlement, Pacific salmon have supported substantial commercial and sport fisheries, as well as continuing tribal harvest. Renowned for their long migrations and strong homing instinct, salmon have long been symbolic of Northwestern beauty and culture for human inhabitants of the region.
However, Pacific salmon also face a wide range of challenges to their persistence, due largely to major anthropogenic changes to their ecosystems (National Research Council 1996; Lackey et al. 2006). Urbanization, dams, road construction, harvesting, logging, mining, ranching, hatcheries, agriculture, invasive species, and other forms of habitat modification have all taken their toll on salmon populations. As a consequence, approximately 30% of historic salmon populations in the contiguous United States have been extirpated (Gustafson et al. 2007), and half of those that remain are formally protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Table 10–2).