NANFA-- Fw: [FreshwaterShrimp] OT: Interesting news items

Tom Watson (onefish2fish-in-comcast.net)
Wed, 12 May 2004 17:42:11 -0700

INVERTEBRATES ARE SPECIES TOO: This week, scientists gathered-in-the
American Museum of Natural History for the "Expanding the Ark" conference to
discuss conservation strategy for invertebrates. Although invertebrates -
insects, crustaceans, worms, shellfish, and spiders - are far more numerous
and diverse than vertebrates, they are "usually well down the list of
species given protection from extinction," says National Public Radio,
3/31.

Invertebrates make up only one-fifth of the species protected under the
Endangered Species Act. Scientists are "racing to find and describe rare
invertebrates before they disappear."

MINNOWS RELEASED IN THE RIO GRANDE: About 60,000 captive-bred endangered
silvery minnows were released into the Rio Grande Thursday, most from U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service hatcheries, says The Albuquerque Tribune, 4/2.
But 10,000 of them came from the City of Albuquerques own refugium-in-the
Albuquerque Aquarium. The fish released were marked with a harmless
fluorescent dye. Scientists will return to the river to check how many
minnows survive and where they like to hang out to better serve future
releases.

NONMARINE MOLLUSKS IN DEEP TROUBLE: A report by 16 international scientists
published in BioScience reveals that nonmarine mollusks may be the worlds
most endangered group of animals says ENS 4/6. With 1,930 nonmarine
mollusks now on the IUCNs Red List of Threatened Species, the experts report
that 42% of the 693 recorded extinctions of all animal species since the
year 1500 are mollusks. With 24,000 terrestrial and 7,000 freshwater
mollusks known to science, their extinctions go largely unnoticed by the
general public, most biologists and many conservation agencies, which focus
their resources and energy on more charismatic vertebrate species.

FISH AND MUSSELS AT RISK FROM DREDGING: The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission is looking to overturn decisions by other state agencies to allow
commercial sand and gravel dredging operations to harm rare and endangered
freshwater mussel and fish breeding areas in the Allegheny River says the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 4/13. The commission is challenging survey results
that claim there are no significant mussel resources in the area to be
dredged. The agency maintains that section of the Allegheny contains the
northern riffleshell, a federal and state endangered species, and the rayed
bean and papershell mussels both considered rare in the state.

The dredging would also degrade habitat of two state threatened fish, -
goldeye and smallmouth buffalo and two candidates for state listing the
longnose gar and river redhorse.

ENDANGERED RIVERS, ENDANGERED FISH: American Rivers has released its annual
report on the nations most endangered rivers, with the Mississippi, facing
ecological collapse,-in-the top of the list says the Idaho Falls Post
Register, AP 4/15. The Snake River (WY,ID,OR,WA) is also on the list
because of the failure of a federal plan to improve river conditions to
recover imperiled salmon and steelhead. Other rivers on the list include
the Colorado (CO,UT,AZ,NV,CA), Big Sunflower (MS), Tennessee (TN,AL,MS,KY),
Allegheny and Monongahela (WV,PA,NY), Spokane (ID,WA), Housatonic (CT,MA),
Peace (FL) and Ohios Big Darby Creek. FYI: [1]http://www.amrivers.org/

CRITICAL HABITAT PROPOSED FOR FAIRY SHRIMP: Some 5,800 acres of vernal pools
have been proposed as critical habitat for the Riverside fairy shrimp says
the North County Times 4/28. The proposed rule is notable for what it
leaves out: lands within a proposed 153,000-acre habitat conservation plan
in western Riverside County and an adopted 171,000-acre habitat plan for
southern San Diego, as well as parts of Camp Pendleton and Miramar Marine
Corps Air Station deemed critical for military training. Regarding the land
excluded in western Riverside County, the Endangered Habitats League said,
This is an indication that the plan is working for the local governments who
labored to put it together. It is delivering the regulatory relief they
anticipated.
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