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In This Issue
July 28, 2009
**Note - All Links will open in new windowsWho Will Establish the Rules? Invasive species issues are still new in many ways and our political leaders and resource managers are still struggling to find the most effective ways to deal with many of the unexpected problems that they bring. We have reported about the problem that states are having trying to find ways to pay for invasive species programs. Another issue that needs to be thoughtfully discussed is when and to what extent can local jurisdictions institute regulations that are more restrictive than those established by state agencies. This question became more than an academic argument this past month as officials in Massachusetts struggle to find an appropriate response to a new invasion. The story began in early July when state officials announced that they confirmed the existence of zebra mussels in Laurel Lake. As a precautionary measure, state officials closed the boat ramps on the popular lake to insure that the mussels would not be spread to other area waters. This move was largely supported by the residents of the area and typically this would be the end of the story. However, in this instance, officials in several surrounding areas decided that they needed to close boat ramps in their areas to prevent any possibility of infestation. On July 13, reports surfaced that two other lakes would be closing their ramps. Community leaders argued that the potential impact of introduction was so serious that they wanted to be prudent and take strong measures in prevention. They stated that the ramps wold remain closed until there was time to prepare an adequate prevention plan. These moves were strongly supported by the local populations who, with a few exceptions, believed that it was more important to protect the resource than to pursue their recreation. Unfortunately for these local leaders, Massachusetts authorities weighed in the next day and informed them that the state has the only authority to close boat ramps in the state and the localities must reopen the ramps they closed. This resulted in the local news reporting City ‘begging' to protect lakes. The local interests were not able to convince the state officials to change their decision leaving them in a tough situation. On community responded that they would keep their ramp closed and take the state order to reopen the ramps "under advisement" adding that they found the state position inadequate for the protection of their waters. Finally, a week later, the state forced the reopening of the ramp. This angered many local residents but they conceded that Law trumps sentiment. This story shows exactly how complex the ANS problem is and how poorly prepared we are to address it. No one wants a situation where boaters and anglers struggle to understand the regulations for any particular water, but, it seems that in many ways we are headed in that direction. The best thing that we can do is make sure that we are not personally spreading anything and we need to teach others to do the same. The better job we do of voluntarily acting the less likely it becomes that it is required of us. Encouraging Invasives? In early July there was a very disturbing posting on the minnesotafishing.com forum. The author suggested that perhaps we should be encouraging the introduction of zebra mussels and Eurasian milfoil because he believes they can make fishing better. In his view there are no examples of fishing getting worse because of invasives. Of course, this is foolish as there are countless accounts of recreation being ruined by these species. Many on the forum immediately pointed this out to him but I suspect that he will never understand. I don't know this person but the way he asked his questions makes me fear that he is one of those worst kind of anglers, ones who believe that as long as they personally catch the fish they want then it must be good. This is the same attitude we see in bait bucket biologists who haul sport fish to inappropriate waters because they want them there. All that matters to them is their perception of what the sport and resource should be and they don't care about any damage created as long as they have their sport. Although one other poster spoke up in support of milfoil expansion, it was good to see how many posters quickly provided thoughtful comments that debunked the idea that these species are beneficial and even if they might aid a particular species we want to fish for they should be fought at all costs. Take a minute to read this very interesting forum thread on the advantages of invasive species Killing Carp for Fun There are lots of different ways to get involved in the fight against invasive species, the same as there are many different ways to enjoy fishing. Asian carp are a serious fish invader on parts of the Midwest and a couple of different kinds of anglers have set their sights on creating opportunities to eliminate as many carp as possible while having a great time! The Redneck Fishing Contest is an event like no other. In fact, this event, in just it's fifth year, gain so much notoriety that National Geographic filmed this year's event. The object of this contest is for teams to take to the water to see how many carp they can catch by scooping them out of the air with nets. Asian carp are amazing jumpers and a boat running through the water will get them jumping. At times huge numbers leap from the water and individual fish can weigh more than 20 pounds. At the Redneck Fishing Tournament, teams from across the country fish in heats striving to remove as many fish as possible. The contest is held on the Illinois River and water was running high this year. 101 teams participated in the two day event and 1,539 fish were donated to Heartland Processing where they will be processed into fishmeal and fish oil. Watch the Redneck Fishing Tournament Video and read the full story While the Redneck Tournament gets more attention, the Innerloc State Bowfishing Championship gets a whole lot more fish. With an estimated 18,000 carp taken this year, the 10.4 tons of fish was an amazing catch. 31 boats and about 100 shooters participated with one boat taking more than 4,000 carp in a 12 hour period. These bow fishers shoot the carp as they leap in the air but many were also taken that just jumped into the boats. The largest fish taken was more than 16 pounds and bowfishers from around the Midwest traveled to participate in the Illinois River event. According to Bowfishing Association of Illinois President Ed DeVries "We expect this shoot to continue to grow making it not only Illinois premier bowfishing event but one of the top bowfishing events in the nation." The tons of carp that were harvested were disposed of to a number of worthwhile projects. Read the full story of Bowfishers Harvest 10 Tons of Carp. Congressional Interest Increases Increasingly our political leaders at all levels are recognizing the extent of the aquatic invasive species threat. We have frequently reported (including this issue) on the new legislation that various states have implemented, as well as on the number of localities that are pushing for strict regulations of their own. The issue has also gotten a lot more attention from some of our national leaders and this month several are in the news for their comments about invasives. U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) announced he is cosponsoring a bill introduced by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) that would help prevent harmful, invasive Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act would list the bighead Asian carp as harmful under federal law thereby prohibiting the importation or sale of the carp across state lines without a Fish and Wildlife Service permit. “Asian carp would have devastating environmental, ecological and economic effects on the Great Lakes,” Feingold said. “We need to get a handle on this dangerous species that has already invaded the upper Mississippi River." "Maine's lakes are under attack, and we risk losing the battle. Every year, native species of fish and plant life are challenged by foreign intruders and, since the newcomers to Maine's lakes and waterways do not have natural enemies in our waters, they tend to overcome native species and drive some to extinction." So writes Maine Senator Susan Collins in an article posted on her web site . She goes on to call on all boaters to clean their boats to avoid spreading invasives and pledges to provide federal support for invasive species control. It is an unfortunate fact that for the past eight years support for invasive species issues has been far short of what is needed. It is heartening to see that our federal leaders are recognizing that prevention is the best way to avoid the certain costs that invasion brings. Quick Hits - A brief roundup of stories of interest In New York, a program on Great Sacandaga Lake is designed to reduce the chance that the Lake's anglers will spread the invasive Spiny Water Flea to other waters. A donor has contribute money to hire summer boat inspectors to educate anglers leaving the lake about the pest they may be carrying to nearby waters. It is not unusual to see residents pay to keep invasives from entering their waters but in this case they are doing it just to help others. Imagine a giant mound of dead zebra mussels piled eight feet high. Now picture this mountain of shells stationed at the opening of a Lake Erie intake pipe that supplies water to homes and businesses throughout the city. That is the headache facing Buffalo, New York's Water Department — a dilemma that might end up costing several million dollars to solve. Read the full story of Zebra Mussels blocking Buffalo's water intake as reported by the Buffalo News. In West Yellowstone, MT we get the story of a great partnership effort. Staff from Yellowstone National Park have teamed up with Blue Ribbon Flies to spread the word about ANS prevention. The well known fly shop recently hosted an open house just to teach people how to do their part. According to Blue Ribbon's owner Craig Matthew "There needs to be more awareness about aquatic invasive species in Yellowstone and what's being done." Is it time to switch to rubber-soled wading boots? asks Roger Phillips of the Idaho Statesman. He goes on to relate his experience using one of the new rubber soled boots available. He ends with this advice "When I weigh the advantages and disadvantages, I think rubber soles are the way to go." What is the best way to control Eurasian Milfoil? That's the question being asked in New York where two different lakes are taking different approaches to control. One is using divers to remove the weeds while the other is using herbicide application. In each case there was a careful examination of the options with very different solutions selected. Aliens invade the Great Lakes is the title of an excellent article that examines the ecological transformation of the Great Lakes as zebra and quagga mussels have so thoroughly filtered the water that the entire plankton base that supports the fishery has collapsed. This is an excellent article that really tells the story of this dramatic change. Oregon is following the lead of Idaho and will be implementing an Oregon Invasive Species Sticker for almost all boats in 2010. The stickers will be required for all boats except inflatables less than 10 feet in length and the proceeds will provide funds for the State's invasive species programs. Visit the Clean Angling Store Be sure to visit the Clean Angling Store and see the new products we have added. When you but something from the store you will show others that you have committed to doing your best to protect our waters from invaders and we will make a small profit that will help us to continue to do our work. The
Clean Angling News is regularly produced by the Center for Aquatic
Nuisance Species. If you have questions,
suggestions or would like to learn
more about ANS please contact us:
Center
for Aquatic Nuisance
Species
P.O. Box 1429 Livingston, MT 59047 406-220-2059 info@stopans.org |