Q&A with Ted Danson, author of ‘Oceana’
Actor and activist says oceans can recover from overfishing and acidification, but only with our help.
Why did you feel the need to become an ocean activist?
Here you can find stories and information about the environment. Conservation efforts across the nation involving all creatures. New green products available will be featured, along with helpful tips do do your part in keeping our rights to hunt and fish for future generations.
Why did you feel the need to become an ocean activist?
NASA is partnering with other federal agencies to fund new research and applications efforts that will bring the global view of climate from space down to Earth to benefit wildlife and key ecosystems. NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Smithsonian Institution will provide $18 million for 15 new research projects during the next four years. Organizations across the United States in academia, government and the private sector will study the response of different species and ecosystems to climate changes and develop tools to better manage wildlife and natural resources.
Fish and Wildlife Service announces proposal to delist Morelet’s crocodile
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a proposal to remove the Morelet’s crocodile from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act, due to recovery of the species, which is found in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. The Service determined that the species is no longer threatened with extinction.
Long winter complicating bison, elk management
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
The late winter in southwest Montana is keeping animals at lower elevations than normal this year and making managing elk and bison tricky. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has delayed opening some wildlife management areas in southwest Montana to give elk more time in their winter range before opening the areas to recreation.
World to lose forest area 27 times as big as Austria
AFP via Yahoo News
The world stands to lose 230 million hectares of forest by 2050, with drastic consequences for the climate, biodiversity and the global economy, according to the WWF wildlife campaign group. “Those responsible — policy-makers and industry — are sawing away at the branch we’re all sitting on,” WWF’s head of forests, Philipp Goeltenboth, said in a statement, noting that the area projected to be lost is 27 times the size of Austria.
Once nearly extinct, the California condor nears new milestones
CNN
Almost 25 years after the California condor went extinct in the wild and dwindled to just 27 birds in captivity, North America’s largest flying bird is on the verge of a watershed moment: Its total population is projected to hit 400 this spring, including 200 birds thriving in the wild. The projections come as curators are reporting a successful hatching season at breeding centers in California and elsewhere.
Nepal rhino census shows increase
WWF
Data from the three-week National Rhino Census in Nepal shows that the population of the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros Unicornis) has increased. There are 534 rhinos in Nepal, marking an increase of 99 rhinos from the 435 recorded in the last census in 2008.
Trapping threatens near-extinct Philippine eagle
Physorg
Conservationists have raised alarm over the future of the near-extinct Philippine eagle after several maimed or diseased birds were retrieved from captivity in recent months. The Philippine Eagle Foundation said that since last December it has rescued four of the birds, which are among the world’s largest raptors, suggesting conservation laws have not deterred trapping.
Hundreds of endangered whales swarming New England coast
OurAmazingPlanet
A record number of critically endangered right whales are crowding the chilly waters off Cape Cod, Mass. Researchers counted more than 100, and possibly as many as 200, animals during recent aerial surveys, the Boston Globe reported, a number that could represent nearly half the entire known right whale population that remains on Earth. Right whales, one of the rarest kinds of baleen whales, are teetering on the brink of extinction. Only about 450 to 500 North Atlantic right whales are thought to remain on the planet.
Many causes behind catastrophic amphibian declines
LiveScience
Many species of frogs and other amphibians around the world are on the brink of extinction, but the causes have remained elusive. A new report finds the reasons are much more complex than realized. No one issue can explain all of the population declines that are occurring at an unprecedented rate, and much faster in amphibians than most other animals, scientists conclude in a study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
TOP FISHING NEWS: NJ Legislator Calls for Hearings After Funding Lost for Artificial Reef Programs
by Brandon
Published on 04-21-2011 02:41 PM
Many coastal states have made a increased effort over the years to increase the number of artificial reels to replace lost fish habitat and enhance existing habitat. New Jersey was recently notified by the federal government is that it will be terminating funding for New Jersey’s artificial reef program because the state has failed to comply with fishing regulations near the reefs, Assembly woman Alison Littell McHose called for an immediate hearing on bipartisan legislation she has sponsored that would bring New Jersey into compliance with the federal rules.
“Not only will the loss of this funding hurt our state’s tourism industry and businesses such as tackle shops and charter and party boats, but it’s unfair to the 800,000 recreational anglers and divers who will suffer because state lawmakers failed to take appropriate action to protect the reefs and much needed federal dollars for the program'” explained McHose, R-Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon.
“For years, various outdoor organizations have appealed to legislators to bring New Jersey into compliance with the federal Sport Fish Restoration Act (SFR),” she continued. “Unfortunately, those pleas have fallen on deaf ears. As a result, our recreational fishermen, who paid to have these reefs constructed, are the ones who will have to endure the consequences.”
McHose is a co-sponsor of A-1152 which would limit commercial fishing on New Jersey’s artificial reefs that are located in federal waters. Specifically, the measure would prohibit any person from using, leaving unattended, setting or deploying fishing gear, other than rod-and-reel, hand line spear or recreational gig, within 100 feet of artificial reefs created under the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s artificial reef program.
According to SFR regulations, the artificial reefs are meant for hook and line, and spear fishing only. Commercial fishermen however, have been using fixed gear on the reefs in violation of federal rules. Since the state has failed to rectify the situation, it is in violation of SFR rules which has resulted in the loss of federal funding.
Five states along the Atlantic coastline have brought their reef programs into compliance with federal regulations including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and New York. Delaware is in the process.
McHose said Assembly Democrat leaders should post the bill for an immediate hearing and move it quickly through the legislative process to minimize the effects of the funding loss. The Senate last month approved an identical bipartisan measure, S-221.
(pictured are the locations of New Jersey’s current reef locations)
Here’s to hoping New Jersey pulls things together to continue to allow the great fishing and habitat that the reefs provide.
Brandon, Chief Angler, TidalFish.com
All Fishing, All the Time!
By Brendan Trembath
Updated Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:51pm AEST
Use old oil rigs as fish nurseries, scientists say Researchers believe fish could find refuge within the rigs and be safe from the trawlers.
AUDIO: Oil rigs could have new ocean friendly role (The World Today)
Australian marine scientists are proposing leaving thousands of decommissioned oil rigs in their deep-sea spots indefinitely to become long-term fish nurseries.
The huge chunks are of steel are meant to be removed when they reach the end of their productive life, but the scientists say their approach could save the oil industry millions of dollars and protect vulnerable fish nurseries.
The Deepwater Horizon disaster a year ago showed deep sea oil exploration at its most destructive.
Eleven workers were killed and almost 5 million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico.
Now marine researchers at University of Technology Sydney are pondering the future of the more than 6,000 rigs still in the sea.
“There’s a huge number that are due for decommissioning – they’ve reached the end of their production life, there’s no more oil left and the question is what do we do with these structures?” Dr Peter Macreadie said.
“There’s actually not much habitat in the deep sea – not a lot of hard structured habitat, not a lot of reef and so by adding more reef the idea is that maybe you can boost production, you can boost the amount of fish.”
But it would take some major legislative changes to put the proposal into practice.
“Current legislation requires rigs to be dismantled and removed and recycled onshore if they can be recycled,” Dr Macreadie said.
“But we’re actually starting to think maybe there’s a much better use for those rigs and in some cases there actually isn’t the technology to remove these rigs.
“They’ve been in operation for 20-odd years and now we’re wondering actually, in removing them are we actually causing more problems than if we left them in place or if we moved them into the deep sea to form artificial reefs?”
Protection for species
Dr Macreadie says illegal fishing trawlers going through deep-sea areas are decimating coral reef communities and fish species.
“What’s really devastating about that is that these organisms that live in the deep sea, they’re slow growing, they reproduce very late in life and they are very vulnerable to exploitation,” he said.
“To give you an example, the orange roughy takes about 30 years until it can reach sexual maturity and breed.
“They form huge aggregations around structures in the deep sea and structures are very rare.
“When they form those aggregations fishermen have become aware of this and they can remove entire populations, generations and generations with one swoop of their net.
“So the idea is with rigs – which have a lot of hollow internal space – the fish could find refuge within those rigs and be safe from the trawl fisheries.”
Dr Macreadie says researchers do not know how long the defunct oil rigs will take to disintegrate.
“But we can say that many of these rigs have been in production for 30-odd years and they’re showing very little signs of decay, but at some point they will eventually disintegrate in the deep sea,” he said.
Dr Macreadie and his UTS colleagues have written an article published in the US journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
They hope to stimulate a rational debate about the future of the world’s rigs.
Dr Macreadie says he does not work for, consult, or own shares in any company or organisation that would benefit from the proposal.
Humans are stopping proper functioning of reefs
April 2011: In an unprecedented collaborative analysis, scientists from 49 nations demonstrated that the ability of reef fish systems to produce goods and services to humanity increases rapidly with the number of species.
COMPLEX: But coral reef systems function best when there is more biodiversity |
However, growing human populations hamper the ability of reefs to function normally, with the most diverse reef fish systems suffer the greatest impairments from stressors triggered by human populations.
‘Coral reefs provide a range of critical goods and services to humanity – everything from nutrient cycling to food production to coast protection to economic revenues through tourism,’ says Camilo Mora at Dalhousie University in Canada and lead researcher of the study. ‘Yet the complex nature and large-scale distribution of coral reefs is challenging scientists to understand if this natural ecosystem will continue working to deliver goods and services given the ongoing loss of biodiversity in coral reefs.
Study involved 2,000 coral reefs worldwide
‘Numerous experiments have shown that biodiversity has positive effects on several ecosystem processes, although the number of species required to ensure the functionality of a given process is fairly low, as many species often have similar ecological roles,’ says Michel Loreau from Canada’s McGill University, a co-author of the study. ‘What remained largely unknown, however, was whether the results of experimental studies reflect what happens in real ecosystems.’
To fill this unknown, 55 researchers, in a two-year study, collected the necessary data to determine whether biodiversity influences the efficiency of reef fish systems to produce biomass, and if so, work out the role of humans in such a linkage.
The team collected demographic data on human populations as well as environmental and biological data on the identity of species, their abundances and body sizes in almost 2,000 coral reef locations worldwide. The data on abundance and body size were used to calculate the cumulative weight of all fishes on each reef (also called standing biomass), which is one of the main services reef fishes provide to humanity through food supply but also a very close proxy for how effectively ecosystems produce biomass.
‘The more biodiversity the better’
‘The results of the study were stunning,’ says Kevin Gaston at Sheffield University. ‘While experimental studies have elucidated that the biomass production of ecosystems stabilises after a certain number of species is reached, this field study demonstrated that the production of biomass in reef fish systems did not saturate with the addition of new species.’
‘This study shows, quite simply, that the more biodiversity, the better,’ says Marah Hardt with OceanInk. ‘The benefits appear limitless, if we allow ecosystems to operate at their full potential.’
Michel Kulbicki of the French Institute for Research and Development said: ‘This strong relationship clearly indicates that species interact in such a way that their combined effect is larger than the addition of their individual parts and that the loss of species can have far-reaching consequences in the functioning of coral reefs.’
The study also demonstrated that standing biomass reduced with increasing human density, although for the same number of people the reduction of biomass was significantly larger in more diverse ecosystems.
‘Curbing human population growth is at the core of finding ultimate solutions for the protection of biodiversity’
‘It’s been usual to expect that diverse ecosystems could lose a few species without it mattering very much because the high redundancy of species should allow the replacement of any species that is lost,’ said Peter F. Sale, assistant director of the Institute for Water, Environment and Health of the United Nations University, who was not involved in the study.
‘The results of this study now suggest that we do not have such insurance and that reef ecosystems are at greater risk from human pressures than we previously thought.’
The negative impact of humanity on reef fish systems can be widespread, as some 75 per cent of the world’s coral reefs are near human settlements and could worsen, as 82 per cent of countries with coral reefs are expected to double their human populations within the next 50 to 100 years.
‘Unfortunately, we find again and again that our global population cannot be sustainably supported without the deterioration of the world’s natural resources and the resulting backlash on human welfare,’ says Mora. ‘Thus, identifying socially and politically acceptable solutions to curb human population growth is at the core of finding ultimate solutions for the protection of biodiversity and the prevention of unnecessary hardship.’
‘This is a critical situation,’ says coauthor Sebastian Ferse from the Leibniz Center of Tropical Marine Ecology. ‘It underlines once again that current management approaches are insufficient to protect marine biodiversity on a large scale, and that holistic approaches combining natural and social systems are needed.’
However it was not all doom and gloom. The study reported that at least 25 per cent of the world’s reefs remain distant from direct human effects. Those reefs are located on small and isolated areas where human habitation is sparse. ‘These few reefs are in stark contrast with degraded sites, and may still be able to act as sources to replenish others. This is a fortunate situation that can buy us some time while we figure out effective solutions to this coral reef crisis.’
artificial fish habitat at fishiding.com
What’s this? Choco Hills rising underneath seas? ( Check out pvc fish habitat at: fishiding.com)
A plan is shaping up for embedding artificial coral reefs here in the form and look like the world famous natural wonder Chocolate Hills found only in Carmen town as proposed by The Unique Reefs, Inc., said the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO), in-charge of the environmental management and implementing arm of the provincial government. The undertaking is the community project of barangay Danao of this premier tourist town, said the proponent, The Unique Reefs, Inc. through executive director Danny Brumbach, a German who is married to a Filipina. The Unique Reefs Inc. tries to rebuild damaged reefs with local community and offers “complete reef management” apparently for tourism, fisherfolk, marine biologists and dive enthusiasts. According to the proponent that the construction of the artificial coral reefs has become one of the best alternatives necessary “to save the reef dwelling species throughout the world whose natural habitats are threatened due to human impacts by pollution.” It will also help “control the erosion of beaches, create recreational dive sites and bring back more fish for local fisher folks.” It has become a positive method for enhancing, renovating, and constructing new habitat for species threatened by the loss of their natural reefs, the proponent said. The plan would create 8 pieces of 3 x 1.5 m; 8 pieces 6 x 3 m; and 1 piece of 10 x 5 m for a total of 17 Chocolate Hills-formed spread out in an area of 2500 m². Including in the plan would be the replicating a 3-meter “Tarsier” Statue. The project is expected to be completed after four months. “We will attach the mesh wire around the hills as well building hiding places for different kinds of fish species made out of materials like PVC, concrete and hollow blocks and connecting the EMG system to the structures and start to attach broken corals found around the area to the hills. All of the materials to be used are environmental friendly to assure a high quality and Unique Reef,” the proponent said. The Choco Hills reefs will help grow or produce coral reefs through “electro-accretion” developed by Prof. Wolf Hilbertz of Galveston, Texas, said the proponent. (RVO) Check out pvc fish habitat at: fishiding.com |
Here is their home page. It is part of the pursuit channel.
http://www.pursuitchannel.com/default.asp
I was looking around on their site and found Keith Warren. He is a hunter who is now putting back helping young people and others get excited about hunting. He was in North Dakota back in March
http://www.pursuitchannel.com/News.asp?ArticleID=71
The High Road
The High Road with outdoor icon Keith Warren can be seen on the Pursuit Channel Sundays at 8:30 pm EST, Tuesdays at 7:30 pm EST, Thursdays at 12:00 am EST, and 5:00 pm EST, and Fridays at 7:30 pm EST. This half hour outdoor television show features big game hunting from around the world.
Host Keith Warren has been pioneering big game hunting on television for more than twenty five years. His enthusiasm and passion is unequalled and his commitment to viewers and sponsors is unmatched.
“My mission is to unify sportsmen no matter how they hunt, what they hunt, or where they hunt. In order to protect the future of hunting, sportsmen must unite and realize that if we don’t, the hunter will be the next endangered species,” said Warren. “The best way to do that is by looking for a common thread that connects us all.”
Warren believes that the best available platform is through programming on the Pursuit Channel. “Pursuit Channel is connecting with the blue collar sportsmen that other networks seem to have left behind. The diehard outdoorsmen and women of our country are craving outdoor programming they can relate to,” said Warren. “Additionally, Pursuit is committed to working closely with producers to create a network that will provide producers with a place where they can grow while also providing outdoor manufacturers with measurable results that don’t break the bank.”
Upcoming episodes on The High Road include hunting elk in Canada, moose in Alaska, whitetail in Pennsylvania, and whitetail, hog, alligator, frogs and Nutria Rat in Louisiana.
For more information on The High Road, go to http://www.pursuitchannel.com/ShowDetail.asp?ShowID=74
Structure Fishing 101
written by Tim Allard
Structures are a big factor in fish habitat and certain types will concentrate fish.
Structures are areas where there is a variance in the depth or contours of the lake bottom.
If you’re new to fishing, knowing how to find structure and understanding how fish relate to it will dramatically improve your ability to find and catch fish. As a term, structure gets used a lot in fishing articles, television shows and presentations by professional anglers. In this guide I’ll define structure, discuss various types and share some tips for fishing them.
What is structure?
Structures are the physical features of a lake or a river bottom. From a fishing perspective, structures are areas where there is a variance in the depth or the contours of the bottom, and these changes can range from subtle to dramatic. Structures can be natural as well as human-made features of the underwater landscape. Structures are a big factor in fish habitat and certain types will concentrate fish.
Before I get any further, let me explain what structure is not. Sometimes cover is incorrectly used interchangeably with structure. Cover refers to objects in or on the water that provide shelter for fish, such as vegetation or a dock. Of course, finding structure and cover together can make great fishing spots (e.g., a hump with a dense weed bed), so it’s no surprise that the two terms get used interchangeably.
Some Basic Structures
Here are some common fishing-structures. A ledge is the beginning of a distinct change in depth. It marks the top of a drop, which is simply the sloping of the bottom towards deeper water. Ledges and drops are main structures that hold many freshwater species, such as walleye and muskie. Add a weedline in close proximity to a ledge or a drop and they can be prime spots.
A hump is a shallow area surrounded by deeper water and often a preferred piece of structure for bass. Humps are sometimes called underwater islands. A hole is the inverse of a hump – a deep pocket in the bottom surrounded by shallow water. Holes are favorite hiding spots of bottom-dwelling hunters, like catfish.
More Advanced Structures
The above items are some basic structures, but they also form the building blocks for more elaborate pieces of structures. What follows are some of the more common fishing structures, but this listing is by no means exhaustive.
One example is a spine. To imagine a spine, first picture an underwater hump as an elastic band. Take that band, stretch it slightly and you’ve got a spine. One of the most common places to find spines is as a continuation or off of a point from a shoreline, but others exist off the end of humps as well.
The contour of spines will vary, some even have fingers running off the sides of them, and their gradient, or slope, will also vary from steep to subtle. Like a hump, spines are surrounded by deeper water, with drops and edges on each of their sides. Long spines can be travel routes for fish as they move towards shore, transitioning from deep to shallow water.
The inverse of a spine is a cut, or trough, which can be described as elongated holes. Most common in flooded areas or reservoirs, many of these structures were streambeds in their former lives before water levels rose above their banks, submerging them. Of course, drops can sometimes contain cuts in their sides that are simply grooves that were not previously riverbeds. Again, these irregularities can attract fish and are worthy of fishing and their ledges can be particularly effective at holding fish or acting as route ways.
Still got that elastic? Holding both ends, bring them together slightly until the band bows. You’ve just created a saddle between two islands or underwater humps (your finger tips). Saddles can be great structures to fish with both deep and shallow water structures as well as being corridors for fish to follow as they move from one structure to the next. Depending on their disposition, fish may be anywhere on the saddle complex. They may be tight to the islands and feeding or positioned slightly off the saddle and inactive. In this case, it pays to know the behaviors of your target species and fish these areas accordingly, but when in doubt, pick the structure apart with different lures to work a variety of depths.
Another piece of structure is the breakline (sometimes shortened to break). A breakline is really just the edge of a drop that runs perpendicular to the shoreline. If you’ve ever trolled along the shore in an S-pattern, running between shallow and deep water, you’ve been fishing the breakline. Sometimes anglers will describe the different breaks as primary and secondary. The primary breakline is the first sharp drop in depth traveling from shore outward; the secondary following thereafter and another major drop in depth. Whether you think of breaks as walls or underwater stairs, they can be good structures to fish. Yet the entire breakline does not always hold fish. What makes them great fish-holding structures is when other elements (like a cut or a bend) or cover (such as a weed edge) are added to a stretch of the break.
Why is Structure Important?
Structure often concentrates fish. Structures provide different advantages to various species (such as corralling baitfish, providing an ambush area, or being close to deep water for comfort). For reasons like the three listed above, many species seldom stray far from structure. Learning how the fish you’re targeting relates to structure and being able to find structure on the water will increase your ability to catch fish. Structures can move you away from shorelines to intimidating expanses of water that may seem void on the surface, but what lies underneath can be fishing hotspots.
Putting Structure in Context
It’s important to keep in mind that structure is but one factor in the finding-fish equation. Finding structure can put you on fish, but it’s not an absolute that you’ll catch them. Structures are often feeding areas, but if there’s no food they’ll likely not hold fish. Weather conditions and seasonal patterns are also important to keep in mind and, again, are part of a larger equation to finding fish.
Other factors affecting if structures hold fish are temperature, oxygen supply, or water quality/light penetration. Since different species have different dispositions, some structures may appeal to certain fish and not others. For example, a 12-foot hump on a gin-clear, rock bottom lake may be a smallmouth bass hotspot, but too bright an area for walleye during the day. Yet at dusk and dawn it might concentrate light-sensitive walleye that move in to feed and ambush prey. Sometimes how well structures produce fish is all about timing and putting environmental and forage factors in your favor.
Using hydrographic maps and fish finders together can make finding structure a relative easy task.
How Fish Relate To Structure
As mentioned, food and environmental factors impact the mood of fish and thus, impact how they relate to structure. A common misnomer is that if fish are not directly on top of structure, they are not there or are not relating to it. Speaking in general terms, fish “on” structure are usually aggressive (add cover to the mix and things could change), while fish suspended “off” of structure are less aggressive or in a neutral mood, resting between feeding binges (unless baitfish are also suspended off the structure). Fish distanced from structure are still relating to it and catchable, so novice anglers should learn to fish both the actual structure as well as its surroundings. It pays to ask, “How do the fish travel to this spot? Is there an obvious route on my hydrographic map?” and “If fish are not directly on the structure, where might they be off of it?”
The Tools of the Trade & Finding Structure
As mentioned earlier, the easiest structures to find are those that extend from land, such as a point. The reason is obvious; one sees the gradual slope on land and knows this piece of structure likely continues into the water. What’s difficult is finding structure when there are not hints from land. This is where a fishing finder and hydrographic maps are critical.
Hydrographic maps illustrate the bottom contours and depths, showing where the structures are on a body of water. Of course the scale of the map will impact the detail of the features it shows. Depth finders are your underwater eyes. They provide a continual reading of the depth below your boat, and help you pinpoint depth changes and find structure. Using hydrographic maps and fish finders together can make finding structure a relative easy task, even on a new lake.
A recent addition to an angler’s arsenal are GPS units, which can hold hydrographic maps as well as store waypoints, allowing you to mark structure once you find it. Of course, carrying some buoys is also handy to help you stay on structure as you fish the entire area.
Tips for Fishing Structure
I won’t try and cover how-to fish the various types of structure in one article, but I will suggest a few tips. First off, working jigs along the bottom and around the edges of structure can catch several species of fish, anglers should not just concentrate on the bottom (whether using jigs or not). Consider trying lures to work other depths around the structures. Also, try and fish “off” of structure as mentioned earlier. By this I mean if trolling the breakline, weave out into deeper water to look for suspended fish. The same concept applies when casting areas, like humps, islands and saddles.
Here’s a tip: fish sometimes suspend off of structure around the same depth as the structure itself. So, a hump that’s 12-feet deep might have a pike several feet away from the edge of the structure, suspended at 12-feet over water with a depth of 25-feet. Another important tip, which I’ve touched on already, is learning to isolate prime structure by considering other factors influencing fish behavior (such as food, cover, environmental elements, and so on).
Once you’ve done your homework and found structure you think will hold fish – take the time and fish it thoroughly. Many anglers work large structures too quickly, and if a big trophy is relating to a certain, special area on the structure (often called “the spot on the spot”) you might pass over her.
Learning about structure is just another way of thinking to solve the “Where are the fish today?” puzzle. Use maps and read up on your favorite species and how they relate to structure and you’ll find yourself catching more fish. Large pieces of structure can be intimidating to fish, so take the time to look for the best areas (considering other fish-factors) and fish them thoroughly.
Share this article with your fellow outdoorsmen:
by Kim Knowles
For nearly ten years, Prairie Rivers network has been working on
strengthening our state’s antidegradation law. This law was designed to prevent degradation of clean waters through the promotion of new and innovative water pollution reduction technologies. Prairie Rivers network was involved in the passing of the law in 2002, and since that time has been helping Illinois communities develop creative solutions to keep pollution out of their waterways.
One form of assistance we offer is education. Prairie Rivers network has developed several tools for the lay person and the professional. Our guide books are accessible to all, with illustrations, examples, and simple explanations of technologies for reducing pollution from sewage treatment plants and polluted runoff from cities. For professionals, we developed a technical document that provides vital information on state-of-the-art sewage treatment methods. you can visit prairierivers.org/resources/downloads to view these documents.
Prairie Rivers network is also working hand-in-hand with communities
that are building new or redesigned pollution treatment plants to achieve a variety of advances in clean water.
For instance, we worked closely with the villages of Chatham and new berlin on the site plans for a new drinking water treatment plant in the sangamon River Valley. because the sangamon River is already polluted by too much sediment carried to the river by stormwater and erosion, we developed a plan to keep sediment on the site by using landscape features that allow stormwater to soak into the ground. The plan includes use of
porous pavement, bioswales, a bioretention area, native plantings and nomow areas, as recommended in our stormwater management guidebook.
A riot of crocuses appeared in my back yard not long ago, stimulated, no doubt, by some roto-tilling as part of a landscaping project last year. by the time you read this, they will have faded, replaced by tulips and bluebells; the magnolias will be in flower, and everywhere, our native redbuds will be starting their spring display. The transformation of our landscape, of drab patches of earth and muddy riverbanks feels to me like a miracle every year. And the transformation of our daily lives can feel miraculous too, as we unfurl and un-layer our protections against the cold, and like the flowers, stretch out a bit in the sun and embrace the warm breeze.
With Spring finally here, I hope you are able to find joy and optimism in your life, despite natural disasters and political upheaval in so many places.in this spring edition of Prairie River Notes, you will find many reasons for optimism in our shared effort to improve the health of illinois rivers for ourselves and for future generations. stacy James writes about our efforts to improve the laws and institutions that regulate factory farm pollution that leads to fish kills and contaminated drinking water.
Kim Knowles writes about victories we have achieved by working with industrial polluters and sewage treatment plants, helping them adopt innovative ways to reduce pollution from their facilities.
Brian Perbix tells us about his work with people living near polluting coal mines and coal ash disposal sites, and how we are helping them have more of a say in the decisions that are af- strives to protect the rivers and…streams of Illinois and to promote the lasting health and beauty of watershed communities.By providing information, sound science, and hands-on assistance, Prairie Rivers network helps individuals and community groups become effective river conservation leaders.
And finally, Traci Barkley tells us about the newly-formed Heartland Coalfield Alliance, a regional coalition supporting a transition away from polluting coal-based energy – the Alliance will provide a counter balance to the extremely well-funded and influential coal industry lobby (p 4). you will also see, in our 2010 Annual Report, cause for optimism in Prairie Rivers network – a strong organization, in good financial shape, with a strong base of loyal supporters, a great track record and plans for even better things in the future.Thanks to all of you — your support makes what we do possible.with best wishes,Glynnis Collins,executive Director
Warmwater Lake and Pond Habitat Initiative
The Department’s fisheries biologists recently discussed the feasibility of installing fish habitat structures to mitigate for the absence or loss of physical fish habitat in some New Hampshire water bodies. This discussion was initiated because of the potential opportunity that exists to enhance warmwater fisheries through fish habitat improvement projects.
The overall goal of these habitat projects is to improve warmwater fish populations and the opportunities to fish for these species. An additional objective of installing shoreline habitat structures would be to increase youth fishing opportunities.
Improving fish habitat by installing structures has been a successful management strategy in use for many years in states across the U.S., as these structures can benefit both forage and sport fish populations in a number of ways. Habitat structures have been shown to provide important nursery areas for many fish species and can act to increase fish growth and survival. The abundance of forage fish species is often enhanced in areas with habitat structures, which in turn can increase the abundance and growth of sportsfish (this is especially relevant in some NH lakes and ponds where a decline or lack of forage fish and/or crayfish may be the result of the absence or loss of appropriate habitat). Additionally, studies have shown that habitat structures can increase nest density, spawning success and juvenile survival of both largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Using fish habitat structures in New Hampshire waters is currently in a conceptual phase and there is no firm timeline for when, where, and what types of structures will be used. Before formulating a specific plan, the Department’s fisheries biologist will first thoroughly review the existing scientific literature, inventory current habitat quality and quantity on various lakes and ponds, and communicate with anglers in an effort to better understand their interest in this type of initiative.
The Department is also actively pursuing a feasibility analysis of using fish habitat structures. The feasibility analysis will answer the following questions: Will fish habitat structures provide habitat for the fish species of interest? What types of structures have been used elsewhere and for what purpose? What types of structures (artificial or natural) are allowed under current regulations? What are the potential problems (maintenance, ability to obtain permits from NH DES, potential navigation issues, potential effect on other fish species such as invasive species) in using fish habitat structures? What are the costs of building, deploying and maintaining such structures? How will anglers use the fish habitat structures (i.e., how will they access them)? What monitoring efforts would be best suited for evaluation purposes?
Warmwater fish habitat projects offer an exciting opportunity to improve fish habitat and warmwater fisheries in New Hampshire lakes and ponds. Additionally, involving anglers in this process presents an excellent opportunity for the Department and anglers to work together towards the common goal of improving and sustaining our state’s fisheries resources for current and future generations.
CONTACT:
John Magee, Fish Habitat Biologist
Gabe Gries, Region 4 Fisheries Biologist and Warmwater Project Leader