Commercial Fishing's Bycatch

I originally was going to write about the sustainable fisheries that feed our country but I found a topic that is just as important. Bycatch, is the non-targeted fish, reptiles, marine mammals and seabirds that are caught accidentally during the commercial fishing process and can cause species decline. Bycatch is responsible for catching and killing a very large number of sea creatures. There are ongoing efforts to change this in most of the commercial fishing industry. For more than 40 years, NOAA has been changing the regulations for fishing practices to successfully reduce the amount of bycatch (1). The push to reduce the amount of bycatch has been a result of things such as:

·         Prohibiting nations who exceed the limit of chinook salmon are prohibited to fish the rest of the season,

·         TED’s (Turtle Excluder Device),

·         Changing fishing drift gill net depths and adding pingers to alert animals there is a net to reduce whale and dolphin bycatch,

·         Adding streamers to ropes to scare seabirds away from fishing lines,

·         Circle hooks reduced the amount of turtles being caught,

·         Weaker hooks prevent catching bluefin tuna 

·         LED lighting to illuminate a path of escape for Columbia River smelt

These are just some of the examples of the successful methods that are presently being used to achieve less bycatch around the world (1). Legislation such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Magnuson – Stevens Act and the Endangered Species Act are the backbone for regulating bycatch in my opinion.

The amount of bycatch that is killed daily is still too high no matter what the species is that has been accidentally caught. When the bycatch is caught and pulled onto boats it is most likely returned back into the water with the largest percentage of the non targeted species is already dead or almost dead and most likely will not survive (6). 

There is an estimated 300,000 plus dolphins, porpoises and whales killed from being tangled in fishing nets every year (2). These mammals are dying at a rate of one every two minutes and has been identified as the single largest cause of mortality among cetaceans (5).Sea turtles like the endangered loggerheads, green turtles and leatherbacks are especially in danger of becoming extinct. There are efforts like the TED's are being used to reduce the amount of bycatch of sea turtles (4). Some of the species that are facing extinction most likely will become extinct if nothing is done to better our commercial fishing practices (2). There are species other than sea turtles that are extremely close to extinction some are cetaceans as well as some sharks plus many other species.   

According to Oceana.org in 2011 the total bycatch for just the United States was close to TWO MILLION pounds. There are attempts being made to monitor the amount of bycatch on ships, this is done by placing observers on ships to watch as the fishing operation is taking place and they are not part of the ship’s crew. The observers present on fishing vessels in some fisheries was around one percent and found that less than five percent of United States fisheries accurately report bycatch (3).

A good example to show how the amount of bycatch can be so large is the shrimp industry. Shrimp is one of America’s favorite meals, it is caught by using trawling nets that are dragged behind large boats. Worldwide these shrimp trawlers average catching 5.7 pounds of bycatch per every 1 pound of the targeted shrimp and in some areas it is as high as pounds of bycatch per 1 pound of shrimp (6). These numbers are horrifying to me and should be to anyone who reads this. I personally never have seen any statement on the packaging stating that the shrimp I purchased was “bycatch safe” maybe it is on there but does not catch my eye when I am purchasing it or I have never seen a restaurant post a sign stating the “all you can eat” shrimp dinner has not harmed any other marine wildlife during the harvest of the shrimp used for the special. The picture below shows the percentages of bycatch from all types of fishing that is discarded by United States fisheries.

 Photo from Oceana website: bycatch-oceana-report-2

I feel that most people do not think about this issue, to be honest I never think about it, except when I buy tuna, I do make sure it is dolphin safe tuna. I don’t know if I would have ever even thought about bycatch if it were not for becoming a wild life student because it is not part of my everyday life. No I am not going to quit eating meat and fish, but I know I will take a better look at how it is harvested before I make a decision to purchase the seafood or not to purchase it. I believe that most people would never kill or harm a seabird or sea turtle or cetacean personally or intentionally but most people do not think about how the food that they purchase at the local grocery store is harvested. Maybe if they were better informed they would want and push for different fishing techniques and regulations to prevent the amount of bycatch killed. I feel that more effort needs to be done to minimize the amount of bycatch which may lead to higher prices for our seafood that we consume but it will help all species of marine wildlife. It will have to also help the sustainable fisheries as it will keep from depleting a food source for many marine ecosystems. If we do not change the commercial fishing techniques to reduce the amount of bycatch, will there be any thing left in our oceans for future generations to enjoy as a food source or just simply sitting on a beach or boat watching whales or porpoises or sea turtles or even an albatross?  

I hope that anyone that has read this takes a moment to think about how much more needs to be done to reduce the amount of useless killing of marine creatures the next time they are setting down to enjoy a seafood dinner.

By R.Krauss

(1)National Oceanic and Atmosperic Administration. Bycatch. http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index. web. Accessed 4/20/17.

(2)World Wildlife Fund. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/bycatch. 2017. Web. Accessed 4/20/17.

(3)Oceana. Reducing Bycatch. http://oceana.org/our-campaigns/bycatch/campaign. Web. Accessed 4/21/17.

(4) World Wildlife Fund. Protecting Turtles from the threat of Bycatch. https://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/protecting-turtles-from-the-threat-of-bycatch. Web. Accessed 4/24/17

(5) World Wildlife Fund. Bycatch Victims. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our _earth/blue_planet/problems/problems_fishing/fisheries_management/bycatch222/bycatch_victims/. Web. Accessed 4/24/17.

(6) Koch, Vernique, 20 Lbs Of Bycatch Per Pound Of Shrimp, Fish Navy Films. 5/30/13.

   

Chronic Lyme Disease – Fact or Fiction?

 

Blood sucking, disease carrying, widely distributed arthropod. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when reading those terms? TICKS. Ticks are an increasing threat to both humans and animals, regardless of one’s location across the United States. However, Pennsylvania is the leader in confirmed cases of a particular tick-borne disease and the vector of this disease has been found in all of PA’s 67 counties (PA DOH 2017).

 

Lyme Disease, transmitted by deer ticks, is the culprit to the shocking statistics sweeping over the state. In 2016, Pennsylvania reported 12,092 cases of this disease; a staggering increase from the 9,000 reported cases in 2015 (Schmitt 2016). Dr. Richard Horowitz believes global warming changes could explain the spike in Lyme Disease cases (FNH 2016). The need for insect repellents and pesticides are typically pushed off until the early summer months; however, without long, freezing temperatures, deer tick nymphs are able to survive the winter months and emerge earlier than unsuspecting residents would think. This is another contributing factor to the increase in this potentially chronic disease and imperative reasons why you should care and take action.

 

Lyme Disease has the ability to cause a slew of symptoms in its host that are often misdiagnosed as other viruses. The host could feel flu-like symptoms, extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain/swelling, fever, headaches, and so on. Interestingly, fifty percent of patients do not present with a bullseye rash and some may not even remember having a tick, making it a difficult diagnosis. Without proper treatment, Lyme Disease may cause more severe issues in main organs, such as the brain and heart (LDAER 2017). However, there is debate amongst physicians as to whether or not Lyme Disease can be classified as a chronic condition. There are two sets of guidelines used to diagnose and treat this disease that differ from one another. One guideline is from the Infectious Disease Society of America, and the other is from the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society. One guideline states the blood tests performed to aid in the diagnosis of Lyme are reliable and that the disease can be cured within 30 days via intensive antibiotic therapy, while the other guideline reflects the opposite findings (FNH 2016). Physicians caught in the middle must make the crucial decision whether or not to test and treat the patient with the suspecting symptoms of Lymes.

As a patient who did not present with a rash or recall having a tick, I still tested positive for Lyme Disease over a year ago. Without the crucial findings most patients notice, I was not able to get immediate treatment and have been fighting my own symptoms of chronic Lyme Disease, including flares of flu-like symptoms, debilitating fatigue, nerve pain, and joint/muscle aches. Frequent oral antibiotics have become a safety net and some patients have needed a PICC line, which is an implanted catheter, to have a consistent flow of IV antibiotics over a period of a month or more.

 

So, why should you care? Both rural and urban areas are at high risk of tick-borne diseases and some feel Lymes is the number one epidemic we are facing today (FNH 2016). As mentioned before, humans are not the only ones at risk; pets and wildlife can contract tick-borne diseases and need treatment just as humans do. It is extremely important to take appropriate cautionary measures while enjoying the outdoors to prevent Lyme Disease and other zoonotic illnesses. For pets, you can purchase tick collars, prescription medicine from your vet, or liquid treatments to place on their skin. Always be sure to check your pets’ coat for ticks using a brush or your fingers and remove them appropriately if found. Consult your veterinarian if you need help removing the tick or if you feel your pet is displaying abnormal behavior. DEET and other insect repellents are useful for humans, as well as wearing long sleeve shirts and pants while outside, if able. If a tick is found, remove it properly, place it in a plastic baggie, and consult your physician as soon as possible to see if a treatment plan is needed. Although there is not anything that can be done regarding the global warming changes, which is one of the contributing factors to the increase in Lyme Disease, we can take precautionary measurements to help protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our pets from this debated chronic illness.

 

 

Below is a link to a symptom checklist to see if you are at risk of Lyme Disease:

https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-disease-symptom-checklist/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Fox News Health [FNH]. 2016. The lyme disease debate: can the condition be chronic?

<http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/05/25/lyme-disease-debate-can-condition-be-chronic.html.> Accessed 5 April 2017.

Lyme Disease Advocacy, Education & Research [LDAER]. 2017. <https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/lyme-disease/chronic-lyme/.> Accessed 1 April 2017.

Pennsylvania Department of Health [PA DOH]. 2017. Lyme disease.

<http://www.health.pa.gov/My%20Health/Environmental%20Health/Environmental%20Public%20Health%20Tracking/Pages/Lyme-Disease.aspx#.WQC54J3D-Uk.> Accessed 16 April 2017.

Schmitt, Ben. 2016. Pennsylvania again leads nation in Lyme disease cases. Trib Total Media. 29 December 2016.

 

 

 

 

Pictures:

http://www.medicinenet.com/lyme_disease/article.htm

 

http://www.ciasinc.com/picc.html

http://www.aboutlyme.org/tag/chronic-lyme-disease/

 

Pennsylvania Mentored Youth Hunting Bill

By: Zack Good

 

House Bill 485 has been introduced and this legislation if passed would make the Pennsylvania mentored hunting program to be in the age group of 12-17. April 26^th the House Fish and Game Committee will go over this bill. Right now the mentored youth program is for those under 12. There is also a program that is like this for people are the age 18 and older. With this bill those who are 12-17 would not be required to complete a hunter safety program in order to hunt. It is true that the mentored youth program has had positive outcomes, allowing someone to experience and understand hunting at a young age. The question will changing the age for mentored youth do more harm than good?

 

The person who mentors the youth has to be a licensed hunter of the age 21 or older. The youth that is going to be in this program needs to obtain a permit to continue with the hunt. When the child is hunting they have to stay still when in possession of a weapon. Whoever is mentoring the youth is they only one who able to move while carrying the firearm and then provide the youth with it when stationary. While mentoring the adult is not able to do so with more than one youth or junior hunter. Only one hunting tool is permitted to be taken when going on a mentored youth hunt. As for anyone else they both need to be wearing the proper amount of fluorescent orange for that specific hunting season. There has been a lot of success with this program, as it is known as well youth hunters experience the fewest amount of hunting accidents. But this bill should not be extended to the ages of 12-17.

 

The House Bill 485 is supposedly supposed to fix a loophole in the current mentored program that doesn’t allow those of ages 12-17 to participate. It can be thought to be a barrier to participate in the hunter and trapper safety program, but that is far from what it is. It cannot be denied that yes the mentored youth program is very successful, but going through a safety course is very essential. When someone is from the ages of 12-17 that is a very important time period in order to retain information. Being required to take that hunter safety course at a young age provides future hunters with the knowledge to hunt safely and use that information in the future.

 

One argument that could be made is that by this bill being signed into law could potentially decrease the amount of hunting accidents. The fact of the matter is thanks to the hunter safety courses there has been a tremendous decrease in the amount of hunting fatalities. In recent years for example 2012 it was found that there were actually no hunting fatalities in the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has the second highest of the amount of license sales in the country, and it is really extraordinary to see that there is very few accidents. Due to the hunter safety program shooting related incidents have actually decrease by 80 percent. Before this mandatory program in one year on average there were at least 60 deaths. With that being said it is very much needed in order for young people to participate in the course, teaching them how to be safe for the future.

 

While the mentored youth do have someone that is licensed accompanying them that person alone may not be able to teach them all the proper regulations. Before someone becomes of the age of an adult and can hunt alone, it is good that a requirement is to take the course while still being accompanied. The people who take the hunter safety course from the ages of 12-17 still cannot hunt alone. With hunting with a adult and having their own knowledge from the course would greatly increase the chances of safety.

 

Extending the age of the mentored youth program may seem to be a good idea due to all its success, there are many outlying issues. It has been shown throughout the years that these young hunters taking the course has done a lot of good for all hunters. There are proven instances on how much safer the woods have become from taking the hunter safety course. The age should stay at 12 for the mandatory course, and will create great and safe hunters for future yars to come.

 

References

Goodman, Neal P., and Keith Gillespie. "Expand PA's Mentored Hunting Programs to Include Junior Hunters." Legis.state.pa.us. House of Representatives, 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20170&cosponId=21302>.

 

Hayes, John. "For first time ever, no hunting related shooting fatalities in Pennsylvania." Post-gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12 May 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/hunting-fishing/2013/05/12/For-first-time-ever-no-hunting-related-shooting-fatalities-in-Pennsylvania/stories/201305120207/>.

 

National Rifle Association. "Pennsylvania: Youth Mentor Hunting Legislation Goes Before Committee Tomorrow." Nraila.org. 25 Apr. 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170425/pennsylvania-youth-mentor-hunting-legislation-goes-before-committee-tomorrow>.

 

Pennsylvania Game Commission. "Mentored Youth Hunting." Pgc.gov. 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Law/Documents/2016-17 Hunting Trapping>.

West-Nile Virus: The Ruffed Grouse Killer

West-Nile Virus: The Ruffed Grouse Killer

For my second blog post, I have chosen the topic of West-Nile Virus and the effects the disease has on the population decline of ruffed grouse throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

What is West-Nile Virus?

West-Nile Virus is an infectious disease primarily carried by infected mosquitoes. West-Nile Virus first made an appearance in the United States of America in the year 1999. Victims of this disease typically show little to no symptoms, but, for those who do, fever, headache, skin rashes and swollen lymph glands are all prominent signs of the disease (Medline 2017).

West-Nile Virus enters through the brain. Even though the symptoms may be mild, this disease is known to be deadly, not only to humans, but to a number of wildlife species. Once the disease enters the brain, it begins to infect the tissue of the brain, causing inflammation around the brain and spinal cord. This inflammation can cause trigger different diseases such as encephalitis and meningitis (Medline 2017).

There is really no way of curing West-Nile Virus, but there are several ways of preventing the spread of the disease. One way is by simply using insect repellant. Another way is by destroying the areas around your home that mosquitoes may use as breeding sites; areas such as old tires, buckets and barrels are all know areas mosquitoes may use as breeding sites.

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed grouse are a rather small, plump game bird primarily found in Northeastern United States, with a small distribution in the Pacific Northwest. Ruffed grouse typically stand about a foot in height and typically weigh in at a whopping 26.5 ounces. Their camouflage pattern of a mottled red, brown and grey with a mixture of dark barring, give them the appearance of a dead leaf forest floor, which is beneficial because of their numerous predators. During the breeding season, male ruffed grouse can be easily heard throughout Pennsylvania forests because of their distinctive drumming beat caused by the pumping of their wings against their bodies (Cornell 2017).

Ruffed grouse typically live in mixed aspen, spruce and birch stands which is essential habitat for all of the life phases of the ruffed grouse. Ruffed grouse also spend a majority of their time around waterways such as streams and swamps in search of an easy meal such as insects and other invertebrates.

Ruffed Grouse and West-Nile Virus

Ruffed grouse and West-Nile Virus do not have a very good relationship. Because of the ruffed grouse habitat preference, they spend a lot of time around prime mosquito breeding grounds. With this close relationship, ruffed grouse make an easy meal for the local mosquitos, some of which may be carriers of the West-Nile Virus disease (RGS 2016).

The Pennsylvania Game Commission noticed a huge drop in both ruffed grouse population numbers and hunter success rate between the years 2002 and 2005. This raised a huge red flag and biologists knew this was an issue that required further research. Pennsylvania Game Commission ruffed grouse biologist, Lisa Williams, began to read into the situation and did extensive research on different diseases of game birds in Pennsylvania, and West-Nile Virus was the disease that really stood out. To find an answer to this problem a laboratory study was set up to determine if the exposure of West-Nile Virus had a deadly effect on ruffed grouse (PGC 2017).

During the study Lisa was able to collect hundreds of eggs from wild ruffed grouse nests throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Upon collection of these eggs, they were safely packaged in individual foam pouches and shipped to a farm in Idaho who would safely incubate and eventually hatch the eggs into ruffed grouse chicks. Once the chicks reached an age of four to six weeks the live young were packaged and shipped to a laboratory in Colorado, where they would be exposed to the virus. After the first week of exposure to West-Nile Virus, approximately 40% of the ruffed grouse chicks had died as a direct result of the disease. Chicks that survived at least two weeks after the exposure were then opened up and their vital organs were examined. These chicks showed severe organ damage such as infected brain tissue and infected heart tissue, which showed these chicks would have not been able to survive in the wild (PGC 2017).

This study shows that West-Nile Virus is the main cause in the decline of ruffed grouse populations throughout the state of Pennsylvania. There is not much we can do to stop this disease but there is extensive research going into ways we can prevent this disease from spreading and possibly killing the ruffed grouse species in Pennsylvania (PGC 2017).

                                        Literature Cited

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2017. Ruffed grouse. <https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruffed_Grouse/lifehistory>. Accessed 25 April 2017.

MedlinePlus. 2017. West Nile virus. <https://www.medlineplus.gov/westnilevirus.html>. Accessed 25 April 2017.

Pennsylvania Game Commission [PGC]. 2017. Ruffed grouse- short version. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE_KnTAt7AY>. Accessed 25 April 2017.

Ruffed Grouse Society [RGS]. 2016. West Nile virus and ruffed grouse. <https://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/WNV-and-grouse>. Accessed 25 April 2017.

Images

Image 1: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35427491

Image 2: https://www.flickr.com/photos/warrenlynn/15560709701

Pennsylvania Pheasant Hunting – By Jake Felix

There is no other season in Pennsylvania like Autumn. The leaves start changing color, the air starts to cool off, and, most importantly, it is time to get back in the woods to hunt. To me and my family one of our favorite hunting seasons is small game season, especially for the majestic ring-neck pheasant. Pheasants are easily one of my favorite small gam species to hunt, as well as eat. Each year, my family and I all get together on the Saturday before the first day of rifle season for deer and go have a ball hunting for pheasants. But over the last year, some major changes have come to the state about pheasant hunting.

There have been many conversations about what to do about pheasant hunting and pheasant stocking across the state. It is obvious that without pheasant stocking, the species would not survive on their own. This is a serious issue because raising the birds is not free and it takes some time, so something is going to have to change. Not all hunters buy a license just to hunt pheasants, if they even do hunt them. This means that the state can not raise the price of the license just to put towards raising and stocking the birds. The option that was chosen to solve this problem was to make hunters that want to hunt pheasants buy a pheasant permit.

Image 1

Now obviously, this is not going to make every hunter happy. But saying that, there is nothing that can be done that will make every single hunter in Pennsylvania happy. The action that has been agreed upon goes like this, if you want to legally hunt pheasants in Pennsylvania, you will need to purchase your general hunting license along with the newly generated pheasant permit. This permit will cost 25 dollars on top of your general license cost. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has estimated that this new pheasant permit will generate around 1.5 million dollars annually. The yearly cost over the past years to raise and stock the birds was about 4.7 million dollars. But during last December, the state agency announced that it would close two of its four pheasant raising farms. By closing half of their farms, they expect to cut the cost of raising the birds by 1.7 million dollars. (Pennsylvania Game Commission Reports, 2017.)

Image 2

To go along with the changes made to pheasant hunting, another change is going to be made. This change deals with the dogs that some people use to hunt pheasants. The Pennsylvania Game Commission also reported that it will be illegal to train future hunting dogs on State Game Lands before small game seasons. The Commission stated that you will not be allowed to train dogs from the Monday before the first day of youth pheasant until the first day of regular pheasant hunting. Now, this does not mean that you cannot train your dogs at all, but you can’t train them on any part of any State Game Land. The game commission made this law to try and keep pheasants around the area where they were stocked. They believe that people training dogs on the game lands drives the stocked birds away from game lands and making it harder for hunters to have success on their hunts. By having hunters be successful, it could also show an increase of sales for licenses and permits for years to come. (Pennsylvania Game Commission Reports, 2017.)

Image 3

In my opinion, I think that the Pennsylvania Game Commission is taking steps in the right directions with both of these new ideas. I thoroughly enjoy pheasant hunting, so I care about the decisions being made into the future of the sport. I want to keep hunting these amazing animals for years to come, so I want the officials to do all they can to keep the pheasants in our state and accessible to hunt. You should care about this topic for many reasons as well. If you are reading this, there is a very good chance that you also hunt or care about the wildlife in the state of Pennsylvania. Pheasants used to thrive across the state, and hopefully the can have success in the future and begin to thrive again. Pheasants also provide meals for other wildlife. Witty predators will catch and consume the birds as a part of the life cycle. These birds are important parts of the ecosystem. Pheasant hunting can not only provide a tasty meal, but can help make memories that will last a lifetime with your closest family and friends. It is important to keep them as a part of our state and legacy.

Image 4

Literature Used

"In Pennsylvania, pheasant permit needed in 2017-18." Outdoornews. N.p., 30 Mar. 2017. Web. 22 Apr.

                2017. <http://www.outdoornews.com/2017/03/30/pennsylvania-pheasant-permit-needed-

                2017-18/>.

"Measure limits dog-training on Pennsylvania game lands." Outdoornews. N.p., 30 Mar. 2017. Web. 21

Apr. 2017. <http://www.outdoornews.com/2017/03/30/measure-limited-dog-training-

pennsylvania-game-lands/>.

Image 1- http://www.outdoornews.com/2017/03/30/measure-limited-dog-training-pennsylvania-game-lands/

Image 2- http://netnebraska.org/article/news/pheasant-conservation-losing-ground-farmland

Image 3- http://www.texashuntlodge.com/pheasant_hunt_package.asp

Image 4- Self-taken

A  2^and Board of Commissioners?

By: Alec Baker

On April 10, 2017, House of Representative David M. Maloney, Sr. posted his memorandum about a bill he plans to propose in the near future to improve wildlife habitat. In his memorandum, Maloney is proposing to create a Forest and Wildlife advisory council to assist the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) with managing the commonwealth’s wildlife populations (sounds like the board of game commissioners?).  The memorandum states “My bill would establish an independent Forest and Wildlife Advisory Council to assist the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) in performing its duties by working with a Pennsylvania-based, private, nonprofit, independent, scientific organization to design a habitat enhancement program that benefits deer and other forest-dwelling game and nongame species of wildlife.” My question here is, why put funding towards a second wildlife agency, instead of improving the current one?

[1]

Maloney also states in the memorandum that the commonwealth’s sportsmen should be valued, and that the mission to serve them as well; I agree with this statement but the PGC is not just responsible for managing game species.  The PGC’s mission is, “to manage Pennsylvania's wild birds, wild mammals, and their habitats for current and future generations.” The PGC is not just responsible for managing game species (but they manage game species more intensely than non-game species).  Mr. Maloney goes on to say that with sufficient oversight and accountability, we will see massive declines in wildlife populations, and he uses ruffed grouse as an example. To elaborate on Mr. Maloney’s statement, the ruffed grouse population decline in Pennsylvania is due to west nile virus, which the PGC can not cure (since there is not one). After talking and listen to Lisa Williams, PGC Wildlife Biologist, who studies ruffed grouse says her research with monitoring and managing ruffed grouse in Pennsylvania is because ruffed grouse hunters. What confuses me about this memorandum, is Maloney talks about how this council would help manage game species, but claims that populations are drastically decreasing, when ruffed grouse and woodcock are about the only game species in Pennsylvania that are not as abundant as the rest. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, black bears, and other game species are plentiful statewide, so I am interested to see where Mr. Maloney is getting his information since none of his information in the memorandum had sources to back them up.

Another thing that bewilders me is the redundancy of what Maloney is trying to get across. The memorandum states that this new organization would conduct scientific analyses to determine the health and carrying capacity of the commonwealth’s forests to maximize the deer population. As I state earlier, the PGC’s mission is to manage all birds and mammals within the common wealth not just deer. After this new organization conducts these analyses, the organization would present their data to the state and board of commissioners to determine amount of doe tags allotted. Why then is this organization called the Forest and Wildlife Advisory Council, when all this organization is doing is looking at deer management? There is already a deer and elk section within the PGC that manages white-tailed deer and elk throughout the commonwealth. Also, this council would just advise the PGC what they should do, which is what the wildlife biologists from the PGC do anyway. My concern here is do we need to put funding towards this advisory council, or maybe put more funding towards the PGC, and maybe revamping the requirements of the board of commissioners (adding more requirements other than holding a PA hunting license for the past 5 years).

[2]

House of Representative, David M. Maloney, Sr. ends his memorandum discussing the economic incentives about implementing this Forest and Wildlife Advisory Council. Maloney claims that $400 billion could be generated if this legislation is passed, since the current situation is impacting rural communities because there is a lack of deer. Finishing the memorandum, Maloney claims that for every $10,000 invested by the common wealth there will be an annual return of $1,600. This economic impact lacks support; there is no in-depth explanation on how this Forest and Wildlife Advisory council will cause this positive economic impact other than that this council will increase the deer population.

[3]

From an aspiring wildlife professionals standpoint I want to leave you readers with these last few statements. The PGC has wildlife biologist that every year conduct surveys to manage Pennsylvania’s wildlife, and makes harvest regulation recommendations to the board of game commissioners, who then make the final decision. From the sounds of this memorandum, the forest and wildlife advisory council will basically be doing what the PGC biologists already do. I want to leave you guys thinking about why should this proposed council exist; they would only worry about managing forest dwelling game species (mostly white-tailed deer), when there are other wildlife species in the state that need to managed as well; just because a species is not a game species does not make it anymore or less important to manage.

I encourage you if after reading this, and are concerned, to contact Mr. Maloney and express your concerns and opinions on this matter. Silence does not make a difference, but using your voice can make a change!

Here is the link to Maloney's memorandum: 

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?           chamber=H&SPick=20170&cosponId=23559&mobile_choice=suppress

Works Cited:

Maloney, Sr., David M. Memorandum. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 10 April         2017. <http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20170&cosponId=23559&mobile_choice=suppress>. Accessed 24 April 2017.

Williams, Lisa. Lecture. April 2017.

Pennsylvania Game Commission [PGC]. About Us.<http://www.pgc.pa.gov/InformationResources/AboutUs/Pages/default.aspx>. Accessed 24 April 2017.

Photos:

[1] - Hannah White

[2] - Stephen Baker

[3] -Alec Baker

Fight Against Fish Hatcheies

Fight Against Fish Hatcheries

Chandler Schloder

For my second blog post I would like to bring up the issue of fish hatcheries. Many people have said that hatcheries are a great way to bring back fish populations, while other people say that hatcheries have been found to be nothing but a racket. This has been a major issue lately and has been an issue for a long period of time. Another reason this has been an issue is because the stocked fish help the population increase tremendously, but at the same time those large populations deteriorate and only have short-lived gains.

The majority of the argument is in the issue with Salmon (Salmo salar) and Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Steelhead can live up to nine years and spend between one and three years in freshwater before entering the ocean. After spawning, many adult steelhead return to the sea and some return to freshwater multiple times. Pacific salmon only have the ability to spawn one time, which die after their first and only spawning. Both of these species are anadromous, which means they are born in freshwater, migrate to saltwater, and then return to freshwater to spawn (FOCPR 2013).

There are a few benefits to hatchery fish; the biggest benefit is that these fish tremendously increase the population of that species. There was a study done in the 1970’s on the North Umpqua, which is found in Oregon. The summer runs of steelhead ranged between 2,000 and 3,000 adult wild steelhead each year. Once they began using hatcheries the population shot up to 15,000 fish, which is a huge increase (Baughman 2016).

Many people depend on building and sustaining hatcheries and say these hatchery fish are extremely important, but some studies argue against that. “At all stages of life, from fresh water out to the ocean and back, hatchery fish compete with wild fish for space and food, to the clear detriment of the wild fish. Studies have conclusively proved that even when hatchery steelhead survive to spawn in the wild, their offspring have little success at reproducing” (Baughman 2016).

As for the fisherman catching these fish there is a huge difference between wild and hatchery fish. The actions of these fish are completely different. A stocked fish was raised in a tank and its only purpose is to allow fisherman to catch them and either keep or release. A wild fish was born in the wild and had to find food, avoid predators, and survive many years before capable of returning to freshwater to spawn. A stocked fish is not very energetic and can be very sluggish at times, a wild fish in most cases are very hard to catch because they are smart, but also when they are hooked it is their first time and they fight hard a vigorously to break free.

The issue isn’t with the fisherman though. The real issue is with the wild fish populations and the health of the rivers and streams in which they are stocking hatchery fish. Aldo Leopold once concluded, “that throwing an intricate river system out of natural balance places that system in danger. He pointed out that planting fish has nothing to do with identifying and solving the specific problems that led to the presumed need to plant them, and he believed that far more good could be accomplished by doing away with hatcheries and investing in habitat protection and restoration instead.”

In other cases it isn’t even the hatchery fish that are the issue. In some places and river systems dams and logging create silted-up spawning beds and blocked small streams. Salmon and trout died because the water temperatures were driven to intolerable heights. Not only did these conditions cause the wild fish populations to decrease, but it allowed some of the “junk” fish species to move in and thrive. If it wasn’t for some of these river issues such as dams and logging, we may have never needed to begin using hatchery fish.

Personally, I believe this is a huge issue that needs to be solved. I believe we should avoid using hatchery fish and allow the wild population to recover on its own and set more regulations for these species. With dams coming down, why not hatcheries? We need to make an effort to protect and conserve these wild fish populations before it is too late.

Literature Cited

https://www.google.com/search?q=steelhead&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0a

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https://www.google.com/search?q=salmon+in+spawn&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X

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Michael Baughman Opinion Dec. 13, 2016 Print Share Subscribe Donate Now. "High Country

 News." An Argument against Fish Hatcheries. N.p., 13 Dec. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region. "Steelhead Facts." Fisheries and Oceans Canada,

            Pacific Region. N.p., 14 May 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.