Arguably, the entire field of diadromous fish passage could be considered an example of assisted migration. Fishways are structures designed to assist migration; sometimes this amounts to mechanical transport, including trapping animals and transporting them above or below dams. This is a controversial method, but it can also be considered part of a continuum that includes technical fishways, even the new 'nature-like' designs (which are supposed to simulate natural rivers).
In truth, none of these fish passage structures can be considered natural...Jim's point about the evolutionary context is a good one which is generally ignored in fishway design. Still, the need for assisted migration is clear and work continues on improving their functionality. To be clear: most fishways work poorly except for a limited number of species, and there is ample room for skepticism along the lines of Jim's remarks. Anyone advocating assisted migration as a mitigation measure would do well to consider the history of fish passage to gain some perspective. Ted --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Theodore Castro-Santos, Ph.D. Ecologist S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center, USGS-BRD P.O. Box 796, One Migratory Way Turners Falls, MA 01376 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ph: (413)863-3838 FAX: (413)863-9810 ----- Original Message ----- From: "James J. Roper" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 9:06 PM Subject: Re: assisted migration > Interesting concept - if you take my sarcasm. Let's imagine that > migration > took eons to evolve - do we have such hubris that we think we can predict > evolution? With global warming, will animals need to migrate anymore, or > will migration be even more important? And, if we translocated some > animals, are they going to know that the idea was for them to migrate? > Are > we going to net populations of birds, turtles and wildebeest and move them > to another place, hoping that they will figure it out? > > But, that is just my humble opinion.... > > Cheers, > > Jim > > On 7/18/07, David Inouye <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> John Nielsen, a Correspondent on the Science Desk at NPR News in >> Washington DC is working on a story about "assisted migration" as it >> relates to global climate change. "I have heard that while there are no >> "official" translocations taking place at the moment, there's a lively >> scientific debate going on about whether there will or should be." >> >> "I'd like to hear what the folks who subscribe to the ECOLOG listserve >> think of "assisted migration."" >> > > > > --=20 > -- > James J. Roper, Ph.D. > Ecologia e Din=E2micas Populacionais > de Vertebrados Terrestres > ------------------------------ > > Caixa Postal 19034 > 81531-990 Curitiba, Paran=E1, Brasil > ------------------------------ > > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Telefone: 55 41 33857249 > Mobile: 55 41 99870543 > ------------------------------ > > Ecologia e Conserva=E7=E3o na UFPR <http://www.bio.ufpr.br/ecologia/> > Econci=EAncia - Consultoria e Tradu=E7=F5es > <http://jjroper.googlespages.co= > m> >
