I like it too, Phil et al. Re your second paragraph, I fully understand the applause. You don't want to get me or Jim Williams and some others I can think of started on this topic at all, but a very good observation on your part. Not necessarily due to the failure of of individuals knowing why certain actions should be taken but the fast-gathering clouds above their heads. ----Walt
Phil Pister <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Walt and all: Minckley remains with us, whether we like it or not (I like it). Such is the legacy of an incredible professor. I'm certain that lack of use of the "t", "h" and "e" keys on our word processors attests to this!! Warning: Remain aware that it is not just State F&W agency administrators who are slow to respond to critical issues. I once commented in a talk at a big FWS meeting that innovation and dedication are often inversely proportional to the square of an administrator's GS level. Everyone below the level of GS-12 applauded loudly. The remainder of attendees just sat there and glowered! This observation is not without its exceptions. Just a likely justifiable generality. Phil Edwin P. (Phil) Pister Executive Secretary, Desert Fishes Council P.O. Box 337, Bishop, CA 93515 (for regular mail) For FedEx or UPS: 437 East South Street, Bishop, CA 93514 (760) 872-8751 [FAX and voice phone] e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] "To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant." ...Amos Bronson Alcold. On Jun 8, 2007, at 2:10 PM, Walter Courtenay wrote: > Well said, Phil. All to many introductions are made illegally. My > message last evening was a "baited hook" in part to find out how > many states prohibit introductions of crayfishes. Catching someone > "in the act" is almost impossible. But I (perhaps like you with > your long experience with one agency) have noted that those who > administrate some state game and fish agencies are all to often too > slow in following recommendations of their biologists regarding > prohibitions. Those were just my thoughts as W.L. Minckley might > have expressed, were he still here among us. > > ----Walt > > Phil Pister wrote: All: > > In defense of the state game and fish agencies (having worked for one > for the better part of a half-century), most of these introductions > are done illegally, without agency concurrence, and against the > advice of state biologists, who are 99 percent highly competent and > dedicated people. The people who make these introductions either do > so out of ignorance, for the money, and most often both. They just > don't give a damn about following the law, and state agencies and > biologists end up getting stuck with the results and try to make the > best of it. > > Phil > > Edwin P. (Phil) Pister > Executive Secretary, Desert Fishes Council > P.O. Box 337, Bishop, CA 93515 (for regular mail) > For FedEx or UPS: 437 East South Street, Bishop, CA 93514 > (760) 872-8751 [FAX and voice phone] > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > "To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the > ignorant." ...Amos Bronson Alcold. > > > On Jun 7, 2007, at 9:01 PM, Walter Courtenay wrote: > > > If the folks in charge of state game & fish agencies don't give a > > damn about this, Phil et al., nothing can stop this kind of > > introduction. The "feds" are powerless in such situations, as you > > know. In our combined experience, we both know that despite how > > long or how loud biologists want and need something done NOW, those > > in charge of agencies typically take such action when it is far too > > late, after the fact. > > > > ----Walt > > > > Phil Pister wrote: > > All: > > > > I just received this email from Paul Loiselle, a long-time DFC > member > > now affiliated with the New York Zoological Society. Paul conducts > > extensive research in Madagascar. > > > > The purpose of this is simply to alert you to another threat to > North > > America's desert fishes which, to repeat Paul's subject, is VERY bad > > news. > > > > Phil > > > > Edwin P. (Phil) Pister > > Executive Secretary, Desert Fishes Council > > P.O. Box 337, Bishop, CA 93515 (for regular mail) > > For FedEx or UPS: 437 East South Street, Bishop, CA 93514 > > (760) 872-8751 [FAX and voice phone] > > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > "To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the > > ignorant." ...Amos Bronson Alcold. > > > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > > > From: "Loiselle, Paul" > > > Date: June 5, 2007 12:14:54 PM PDT > > > To: > > > Subject: FW: Very bad news > > > > > > Dear Phil, > > > > > > > > > > > > I hope this note finds you well. I am forwarding a rather alarming > > > piece of information about a highly predatory, parthenogenetic N. > > > American catfish that has become established in Madagascar. As > > > this beast appears to be in the aquarium trade, there exists the > > > possibility of it finding its way into aquatic habitats in the > > > desert southwest. Given that crayfish translocations within N. > > > America have caused serious problems, I dont think we really want > > > this animal in places like Ash Meadows, Quitobaquito Springs or > > > Cuatro Cienegas! Could you circulate this to the DFC membership as > > > sort of a general warning that this animal could cause major > > > problems and it might be prudent for managers to think proactively > > > about it? > > > > > > > > > > > > Ho ela velona! > > > > > > > > > > > > Paul > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Herilala, > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 12:35 AM > > > To: Loiselle, Paul > > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Claudine RAMIARISON > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: FW: Very bad news > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello > > > > > > > > > > > > This news is about American crayfish introduced to Madagascar > > > according to the following message. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Herilala RANDRIAMAHAZO > > > > > > WCS, Marine Program > > > > > > Madagascar > > > > > > Tel : +261 33 11 879 93 > > > > > > Fax : +261 20 22 529 76 > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Julia Jones [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: Tue 5/29/2007 12:00 PM > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; "Rasamy > > > ramsyal"@freenet.mg; Herizo Andrianandrasana; > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Crowley, Helen; > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: Very bad news > > > > > > Dear All > > > > > > Many of you will have already heard the bad news that Procambarus, > > > a north > > > American crayfish genus, has invaded Madagascar. This is very bad > > > news for > > > native crayfish (Astacoides) and potentially for other aquatic > > > biodiversity and > > > even for rice farmers. The invader has been preliminarily > > > identified as > > > Marmorkrebs, a new species of Procambarus related to P. > fallax by > > > German > > > taxonomist Chris Lukaup. I attach a paper in Nature and a Nature > > > news article > > > which describes a frightening feature of Marmorkrebs: it can > > > reproduce by > > > parthenogenesis (reproduces without the need of males). This > > makes it > > > potentially extremely invasive. Mme Rasamy of the University of > > > Tana has > > > collected about 50 individuals, all of them females. She first > > > found them 2 > > > years ago in a swamp near Tana but says they are spreading fast > and > > > are now > > > sold in markets all over town. > > > > > > There are a number of reasons to be seriously concerned about the > > > spread of > > > Procambarus in Madagascar: > > > 1) They may carry a fungal disease (Aphanomyces astaci) known > > > as crayfish > > > plague. N. American species are immune but Astacoides are > likely to > > > suffer > > > extremely high mortality. Where plague has been introduced to non- > > > immune > > > populations, local extinctions have followed. > > > 2) Procambarus are voracious predators of tadpoles and aquatic > > > invertebrates > > > and > > > may cause serious changes to aquatic ecosystems in general. > > > 3) Where Procambarus has been introduced in rice growing areas > > > (e.g. Spain and > > > Portugal) they have become an important pest of rice fields, > > > damaging banks and > > > disrupting irrigation through burrowing and eating seedlings. > > > > > > I think we need to carry out urgent surveys to establish how fast > > > Procambarus > > > is > > > spreading. We need to look at how Procambarus is acting in the > > > Madagascar rice > > > farming context (is it causing problems to rice farmers? how great > > > are these > > > problems?). We also need to look and see if Madagascar > > populations of > > > Procambarus are carriers of the plague. > > > > > > Please forward this message to anyone you feel might be interested > > > in this > > > issue. > > > > > > Julia > > > > > > -- > > > Dr Julia Jones > > > Lecturer in Conservation > > > School of the Environment and Natural Resources > > > University of Wales, Bangor > > > 01248 382650 > > > > > > -- > > > This mail sent through http://webmail.bangor.ac.uk > > > > > > -- > > > Gall y neges e-bost hon, ac unrhyw atodiadau a anfonwyd gyda hi, > > > gynnwys deunydd cyfrinachol ac wedi eu bwriadu i'w defnyddio'n > unig > > > gan y sawl y cawsant eu cyfeirio ato (atynt). Os ydych wedi > derbyn y > > > neges e-bost hon trwy gamgymeriad, rhowch wybod i'r anfonwr ar > > > unwaith a dilëwch y neges. Os na fwriadwyd anfon y neges atoch > chi, > > > rhaid i chi beidio â defnyddio, cadw neu ddatgelu unrhyw > wybodaeth a > > > gynhwysir ynddi. Mae unrhyw farn neu safbwynt yn eiddo i'r sawl > a'i > > > hanfonodd yn unig ac nid yw o anghenraid yn cynrychioli barn > > > Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor. Nid yw Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor yn > gwarantu > > > bod y neges e-bost hon neu unrhyw atodiadau yn rhydd rhag firysau > > neu > > > 100% yn ddiogel. Oni bai fod hyn wedi ei ddatgan yn > uniongyrchol yn > > > nhestun yr e-bost, nid bwriad y neges e-bost hon yw ffurfio > contract > > > rhwymol - mae rhestr o lofnodwyr awdurdodedig ar gael o Swyddfa > > > Cyllid Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor. www.bangor.ac.uk > > > > > > This email and any attachments may contain confidential > material and > > > is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). If you have > > > received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately > > > and delete this email. If you are not the intended recipient > (s), you > > > must not use, retain or disclose any information contained in this > > > email. Any views or opinions are solely those of the sender and do > > > not necessarily represent those of the University of Wales, > Bangor. > > > The University of Wales, Bangor does not guarantee that this > > email or > > > any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless > > > expressly stated in the body of the text of the email, this > email is > > > not intended to form a binding contract - a list of authorised > > > signatories is available from the University of Wales, Bangor > > Finance > > > Office. www.bangor.ac.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________ > > Walter R. Courtenay, Jr., Ph.D. > > Professor Emeritus of Zoology > > 5005 NW 59th Terrace > > Gainesville, FL 32653-4065 > > Phone: (352)371-8302; cellphone (352)359-4434 > > Fax: (352)378-4956 > > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * <*)}}}}>< > > Office: U.S. Geological Survey > > 7920 NW 71st Street > > Gainesville, FL 32653-3071 > > Phone: (352)264-3519 > > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > ______________________________________________ > Walter R. Courtenay, Jr., Ph.D. > Professor Emeritus of Zoology > 5005 NW 59th Terrace > Gainesville, FL 32653-4065 > Phone: (352)371-8302; cellphone (352)359-4434 > Fax: (352)378-4956 > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * <*)}}}}>< > Office: U.S. Geological Survey > 7920 NW 71st Street > Gainesville, FL 32653-3071 > Phone: (352)264-3519 > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________ Walter R. Courtenay, Jr., Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Zoology 5005 NW 59th Terrace Gainesville, FL 32653-4065 Phone: (352)371-8302; cellphone (352)359-4434 Fax: (352)378-4956 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * <*)}}}}>< Office: U.S. Geological Survey 7920 NW 71st Street Gainesville, FL 32653-3071 Phone: (352)264-3519 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
