Economic Growth has resulted in towns all across America developing in to larger cities, This Development creates a climate change to native species in these environments. That can be seen and monitored easily on freshwater species. With the help of overfishing commercially and privately, todays society has a problem with Fresh water species landing on the endangered species list. This essay will address Fish Hatcheries and there numerous benefits to our growing society and the protection of our planet. Much like the double side of a silver dollar not only do they protect species from extinction they benefit the economy too.
Now before explaining what a Fish Hatchery is it will benefit to get an understanding of the Mekong giant catfish and the conservation strategy being implemented. The Mekong giant catfish " one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world," as stated by kai lorenzen" measuring up to three meters in length and weighing in excess of 300 kilograms"(lorenzen 6). Under the fisheries law of Cambodia the Mekong giant catfish is recognized as an endangered species and in Thailand fishing for it is illegal, along with being protected by the wildlife protection and conservation act (lorenzen 7). This Fish is considered very rare the only source of population assessment is from the work of fisheries with a low but fairly stable catch rate below forty per year (lorenzen 11).
The population of the Mekong Giant catfish has grown large in captivity with "some twenty thousand individuals [Mekong Giant Catfish] in 20 age groups" its red list status has moved border lining between the endangered and critically endangered categories (Lorenzen 15/16). With its high value on the market " the individual fish can be worth up to 3000 US dollars" (lorenzen 6). Fishing has been the main factor driving past population decline and remains a threat. Recently the Mekong aquatic habitats have started being modified drastically and quickly. The construction of new bridges and damns in the Mekong along with modifications of its waterways can be a threat to natural habitats of the Mekong giant catfish. Its hard to gauge the impact these things will have but if these changes happen in critical habitats like spawning grounds the impact would be likely catastrophic to the species(lorenzen 18-19). The main points to the conservation strategy are to regulate fishing (no more than 10 Mekong giant catfish per year can be taken from the basin with out affecting the population) for the next 20 years. Protecting spawning grounds to safeguard the species in the wild and to maintain a captive population in fish hatcheries incase needs for reintroduction arise.
The use of Fish Hatcheries to help replenish lost populations is not new and is something currently being done here in America already. Journalist Claire Mcarthur explains this well " for hundred of years, the lahontan cutthroat trout swam in the alpine rivers and streams of the Sierra Nevada and the salinic desert lakes of the great basin...overfishing, disrupting spawning grounds, erecting dams, and introducing nonnative species to the waters. By the late 1930s, after years of habitat degradation, the fish- the only trout native to Lake Tahoe - was though to be gone for good." the last spawning of the lahontan cutthroat was witnessed in 1938. However in the 1970s biologist Robert Behnke had discovered a fish " he believed to be the lahontan cutthroat trout." This put local Fisheries into action to produce the lahontan cutthroat trout. In 2006 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began stocking pyramid lake with this strain of lahontan cutthroat trout and in 2019 stocking began in Lake Tahoe. Through the few years hundreds of thousands of lahontan cutthroat trout were released back into there natural habitats through these efforts made with fish hatcheries (McArthur).
A fish Hatchery is a form of aquaculture it can be referred to as fish farming. Silheimer states " the term [hatcheries] is commonly understood in the Great Lakes region as a culture system in which the end use of that fish is for stocking, or [planting] fish into a wild habitat as a natural resource initiative."(silheimer). Most fish have an extremely high mortality rate in the first few weeks of life. Fish Hatcheries can reduce that mortality rate and then raise them in grow out facilities, or release for restoration and even sport fishing. The seafood production in 2018 from global fisheries and aquaculture made up roughly fifty percent of all seafood of the year totaling one hundred seventy eight point five million metric tons of fish. Fish production can occur in numerous ways. Natural Ponds can be used in fact Commercial production of fish commonly use constructed ponds with a drain system to grow fish for stocking, bait, and food.(silheimer)
The use of ponds as fish hatcheries is something humans have done for hundreds of years. We find evidence of this taking a look back at the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada. Just North of Highway 40, near old Donner Pass journalist Mark McLaughlin writes about a tale of a Chinese Catfish Pond. This small body of water isolated from any streams sitting at an elevation of seven thousand feet. Most winters the pond is buried in deep snow to thaw out in late spring states McLaughlin.
Now there are no indigenous catfish in the high sierras so it begs the question of how these catfish got there. Mclaughlin says " we know that in the 1860s during construction of the nations first transcontinental railroad, central pacific railroad supplied their Chinese workers with fresh seafood such as abalone and other dietary items that the laborers preferred. It makes sense that the Chinese cooks would stock a local pond with tasty catfish to supplement what the railroad provided." Catfish being a very resilient species it is still more surprising they survived 150 years in a little frozen pond than it is that they were migrated here as a supplemental food source while building the transcontinental railroad. Regrettably this pond was not developed into a Hatchery in "the early 1900s the Chinese catfish pond was dammed to provide water for the nearby Hutchinson lodge and a small dock was built. During the 1930s, it was a popular hangout for members of the Sierra ski club for summertime swimming and picnicking.
A big threat to native species that is hard to gauge is invasive species populations. Stephanie Green writes " dealing with the effects of invasion is particularly problematic in marine and freshwater habitats, because the pace at which invaders establish often greatly outstrips the resources available for their eradication." it is rarely practical in North America the focus is now on containment and ongoing population suppression of invasive species. Invasive aquatic species can eradicate native species." Aquatic habitats cover more than seventy percent of the planet, and many aquatic organisms disperse broadly, propelled by water and wind driven currents, humans have limited access to aquatic environments because of depth restrictions." stephanie states. This results in many aquatic invasions becoming widely dispersed before they are detected. The functional eradication of an invasive species follows a simple guideline keep in mind movement to the next step is done when the step before has failed. It goes Prevent (early detection and rapid response) Reconsider (undertaking population control) Eradicate (remove until eradication achieved) Contain (ongoing removal range edges) Suppress (Functional eradication in high-priority location)(extirpate from high-priority locations). Stephanie states "eradication can and has been achieved for some invasions" for many invasions the speed and magnitude make elimination not feasible with the resources available. These invasions can act as a wildcard resulting in the destruction of native species in their wild habitats. Conservation actions are urgent in situations with "high-priority invaders".
Now that we have a good understanding of a Fish Hatchery and the benefits it has on our fresh water species. Lets talk about how Fish Hatcheries create economic growth where ever they are found. Studies recently completed by the Colorado state university show "the Aquacultural Suppliers of Recreation Fish (ASRF) in the Western region of the United States contribute about one point nine billion in output and more than twenty six thousand jobs to the economy of the states in the region.". The study includes 11 states Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California Washington, Oregon Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. These studies show that for every dollar spent on recreational fish sales results in thirty six dollars of economic activity. It is estimated that one million dollars spent on Aquacultural Suppliers of Recreational Fish products results in five hundred jobs in the Western regions. This study by the Colorado state university implies"....production from Colorado recreational fish producers results in an estimated total economic contribution of more than a quarter-billion dollars and about three thousand five hundred jobs. The research collected from this is from one hundred seventy three businesses that raise fish for recreational stocking in the western region of the united states where they account for fifty three million in direct sales.
With the added expenditures of travel " the downstream effects of angler expenditures on other industries such as hotels, gasoline stations and grocery stores as well as those industries' suppliers, the total effect is just under two billion in total economic activity" states this study from The Colorado state University. All of this growth originating from Private Fish Hatcheries growing fish for recreational fishing such as fish clubs, dude ranches and anglers. It is Showed that "the biggest impacts [on profits] come from supporting recreational angling in freshwater streams, rivers and lakes across the west.' from the evidence collected by this study.
With all of these profits in mind the lengths Fish Hatcheries have taken in Africa to ensure their supply. Journalist Adebaya writes of the African giant catfish "the African giant catfish, is the second most important clariid catfish used for aquaculture in Nigeria." he says. It attains sexual maturity in 2-3 years in the wild but on ly 10-12 months in captivity but it does not breed in ponds. Its fingerlings are collected from shallow waters along river banks, fish seeds collected like this from natural waters is limited, unreliable and time consuming. Artificial spawning was implemented and successfully induced female African giant catfish with injections of carp pituitary suspensions. The percentage of larvae hatched ranged from eighty one percent to eighty six percent. This technique involving induction, maturation, ovulation and spawning in fish has allowed breeding of fish species that normally do not spawn under confinement or that do so under specific environment conditions.
The implementation of Fish Hatcheries are a vital role in our society. They have been used for hundreds of years to supply food for workers. The Economic growth they provide is remarkable resulting in job growth and trickle down economics of cash flow. Fish Hatcheries have and will continue to play a vital role in saving endangered species like the Lahontan cutthroat trout and the Mekong Giant Catfish. Creating more Fish Hatcheries across America will result in more economic growth and preservation of Freshwater species that could otherwise be lost to time.
Now before explaining what a Fish Hatchery is it will benefit to get an understanding of the Mekong giant catfish and the conservation strategy being implemented. The Mekong giant catfish " one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world," as stated by kai lorenzen" measuring up to three meters in length and weighing in excess of 300 kilograms"(lorenzen 6). Under the fisheries law of Cambodia the Mekong giant catfish is recognized as an endangered species and in Thailand fishing for it is illegal, along with being protected by the wildlife protection and conservation act (lorenzen 7). This Fish is considered very rare the only source of population assessment is from the work of fisheries with a low but fairly stable catch rate below forty per year (lorenzen 11).
The population of the Mekong Giant catfish has grown large in captivity with "some twenty thousand individuals [Mekong Giant Catfish] in 20 age groups" its red list status has moved border lining between the endangered and critically endangered categories (Lorenzen 15/16). With its high value on the market " the individual fish can be worth up to 3000 US dollars" (lorenzen 6). Fishing has been the main factor driving past population decline and remains a threat. Recently the Mekong aquatic habitats have started being modified drastically and quickly. The construction of new bridges and damns in the Mekong along with modifications of its waterways can be a threat to natural habitats of the Mekong giant catfish. Its hard to gauge the impact these things will have but if these changes happen in critical habitats like spawning grounds the impact would be likely catastrophic to the species(lorenzen 18-19). The main points to the conservation strategy are to regulate fishing (no more than 10 Mekong giant catfish per year can be taken from the basin with out affecting the population) for the next 20 years. Protecting spawning grounds to safeguard the species in the wild and to maintain a captive population in fish hatcheries incase needs for reintroduction arise.
The use of Fish Hatcheries to help replenish lost populations is not new and is something currently being done here in America already. Journalist Claire Mcarthur explains this well " for hundred of years, the lahontan cutthroat trout swam in the alpine rivers and streams of the Sierra Nevada and the salinic desert lakes of the great basin...overfishing, disrupting spawning grounds, erecting dams, and introducing nonnative species to the waters. By the late 1930s, after years of habitat degradation, the fish- the only trout native to Lake Tahoe - was though to be gone for good." the last spawning of the lahontan cutthroat was witnessed in 1938. However in the 1970s biologist Robert Behnke had discovered a fish " he believed to be the lahontan cutthroat trout." This put local Fisheries into action to produce the lahontan cutthroat trout. In 2006 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began stocking pyramid lake with this strain of lahontan cutthroat trout and in 2019 stocking began in Lake Tahoe. Through the few years hundreds of thousands of lahontan cutthroat trout were released back into there natural habitats through these efforts made with fish hatcheries (McArthur).
A fish Hatchery is a form of aquaculture it can be referred to as fish farming. Silheimer states " the term [hatcheries] is commonly understood in the Great Lakes region as a culture system in which the end use of that fish is for stocking, or [planting] fish into a wild habitat as a natural resource initiative."(silheimer). Most fish have an extremely high mortality rate in the first few weeks of life. Fish Hatcheries can reduce that mortality rate and then raise them in grow out facilities, or release for restoration and even sport fishing. The seafood production in 2018 from global fisheries and aquaculture made up roughly fifty percent of all seafood of the year totaling one hundred seventy eight point five million metric tons of fish. Fish production can occur in numerous ways. Natural Ponds can be used in fact Commercial production of fish commonly use constructed ponds with a drain system to grow fish for stocking, bait, and food.(silheimer)
The use of ponds as fish hatcheries is something humans have done for hundreds of years. We find evidence of this taking a look back at the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada. Just North of Highway 40, near old Donner Pass journalist Mark McLaughlin writes about a tale of a Chinese Catfish Pond. This small body of water isolated from any streams sitting at an elevation of seven thousand feet. Most winters the pond is buried in deep snow to thaw out in late spring states McLaughlin.
Now there are no indigenous catfish in the high sierras so it begs the question of how these catfish got there. Mclaughlin says " we know that in the 1860s during construction of the nations first transcontinental railroad, central pacific railroad supplied their Chinese workers with fresh seafood such as abalone and other dietary items that the laborers preferred. It makes sense that the Chinese cooks would stock a local pond with tasty catfish to supplement what the railroad provided." Catfish being a very resilient species it is still more surprising they survived 150 years in a little frozen pond than it is that they were migrated here as a supplemental food source while building the transcontinental railroad. Regrettably this pond was not developed into a Hatchery in "the early 1900s the Chinese catfish pond was dammed to provide water for the nearby Hutchinson lodge and a small dock was built. During the 1930s, it was a popular hangout for members of the Sierra ski club for summertime swimming and picnicking.
A big threat to native species that is hard to gauge is invasive species populations. Stephanie Green writes " dealing with the effects of invasion is particularly problematic in marine and freshwater habitats, because the pace at which invaders establish often greatly outstrips the resources available for their eradication." it is rarely practical in North America the focus is now on containment and ongoing population suppression of invasive species. Invasive aquatic species can eradicate native species." Aquatic habitats cover more than seventy percent of the planet, and many aquatic organisms disperse broadly, propelled by water and wind driven currents, humans have limited access to aquatic environments because of depth restrictions." stephanie states. This results in many aquatic invasions becoming widely dispersed before they are detected. The functional eradication of an invasive species follows a simple guideline keep in mind movement to the next step is done when the step before has failed. It goes Prevent (early detection and rapid response) Reconsider (undertaking population control) Eradicate (remove until eradication achieved) Contain (ongoing removal range edges) Suppress (Functional eradication in high-priority location)(extirpate from high-priority locations). Stephanie states "eradication can and has been achieved for some invasions" for many invasions the speed and magnitude make elimination not feasible with the resources available. These invasions can act as a wildcard resulting in the destruction of native species in their wild habitats. Conservation actions are urgent in situations with "high-priority invaders".
Now that we have a good understanding of a Fish Hatchery and the benefits it has on our fresh water species. Lets talk about how Fish Hatcheries create economic growth where ever they are found. Studies recently completed by the Colorado state university show "the Aquacultural Suppliers of Recreation Fish (ASRF) in the Western region of the United States contribute about one point nine billion in output and more than twenty six thousand jobs to the economy of the states in the region.". The study includes 11 states Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California Washington, Oregon Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. These studies show that for every dollar spent on recreational fish sales results in thirty six dollars of economic activity. It is estimated that one million dollars spent on Aquacultural Suppliers of Recreational Fish products results in five hundred jobs in the Western regions. This study by the Colorado state university implies"....production from Colorado recreational fish producers results in an estimated total economic contribution of more than a quarter-billion dollars and about three thousand five hundred jobs. The research collected from this is from one hundred seventy three businesses that raise fish for recreational stocking in the western region of the united states where they account for fifty three million in direct sales.
With the added expenditures of travel " the downstream effects of angler expenditures on other industries such as hotels, gasoline stations and grocery stores as well as those industries' suppliers, the total effect is just under two billion in total economic activity" states this study from The Colorado state University. All of this growth originating from Private Fish Hatcheries growing fish for recreational fishing such as fish clubs, dude ranches and anglers. It is Showed that "the biggest impacts [on profits] come from supporting recreational angling in freshwater streams, rivers and lakes across the west.' from the evidence collected by this study.
With all of these profits in mind the lengths Fish Hatcheries have taken in Africa to ensure their supply. Journalist Adebaya writes of the African giant catfish "the African giant catfish, is the second most important clariid catfish used for aquaculture in Nigeria." he says. It attains sexual maturity in 2-3 years in the wild but on ly 10-12 months in captivity but it does not breed in ponds. Its fingerlings are collected from shallow waters along river banks, fish seeds collected like this from natural waters is limited, unreliable and time consuming. Artificial spawning was implemented and successfully induced female African giant catfish with injections of carp pituitary suspensions. The percentage of larvae hatched ranged from eighty one percent to eighty six percent. This technique involving induction, maturation, ovulation and spawning in fish has allowed breeding of fish species that normally do not spawn under confinement or that do so under specific environment conditions.
The implementation of Fish Hatcheries are a vital role in our society. They have been used for hundreds of years to supply food for workers. The Economic growth they provide is remarkable resulting in job growth and trickle down economics of cash flow. Fish Hatcheries have and will continue to play a vital role in saving endangered species like the Lahontan cutthroat trout and the Mekong Giant Catfish. Creating more Fish Hatcheries across America will result in more economic growth and preservation of Freshwater species that could otherwise be lost to time.
