Quantifying imperfect detection in an invasive pest fish and the implications for conservation management

In managing non-native species, surveillance programmes aim to minimise the opportunity for invasions to develop from initial introductions through early detection. However, this is dependent on surveillance methods being able to detect species at low levels of abundance to avoid false-negative recordings through imperfect detection. We investigated through field experimentation the ability to detect Pseudorasbora parva, a highly invasive pest fish in Europe, in relation to their known density and sampling method. Secure pond mesocosms of area 100 m2 contained P. parva densities from 0.02 to 5.0 m"122; each density was in triplicate. These were searched using point sampling electric fishing and deployment of fish traps (non-baited and baited). No fish were captured at densities 0.5 m"122, whereas for electric fishing it only exceeded 0.95 at 5.0 m"122 using high searching effort. These data reveal that small pest fishes such as P. parva may be prone to imperfect detection when at low densities and this is consistent with a number of other invasive species. This indicates the importance of designing surveillance programmes using methods of known statistical power to optimise conservation resource expenditure and enhance management outcomes

Lies and Legality: Evaluating Legislation\u27s Role in Monitoring Campaign Truthfulness

Given the gravity of a campaign to be elected to the highest office of what could conservatively be called a major international power, one might be tempted think that apparent perfidy would be a serious, and perhaps even criminal, charge. After all, these are men and women going out in front of every camera in the country and asking its people to consign their trust to them with their vote; doing so under false pretenses and misrepresentations seems to transcend the boundaries of the merely unsavory into the unconscionable. However, in reality, the inverse of that assertion actually carries the day in America – political candidates are afforded almost unfettered leeway to publicly lie during the course of elections, and usually with impunity

Dinjik enjit nerrzhrii (we are hunting for moose): an evaluation of tribal co-management in the Yukon flats, interior Alaska

Gwich’in People of Interior Alaska have historically exercised self-governance in the Yukon Flats to protect traditional and customary use practices. A number of factors have challenged Gwich’in self-governance: land ownership in rural Alaska being under multiple jurisdictions, which has created complicated parameters for management of fish and wildlife; and the legal history of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which has created an arbitrary and fragmented management system. Despite these challenges, Alaska Native communities have been working to reassert their self-governance over important lands and resources. One example is the co-management arrangement between the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Yukon Flats. CATG is a consortium of Gwich\u27in and Koyukon Athabascan tribes located throughout the Yukon Flats. CATG and the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge negotiated an Annual Funding Agreement (AFA) since 2004, performing activities related to moose management in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Interior Alaska. The Agreement provides for the CATG to perform certain programs, services, functions and activities for the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. This thesis aims to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the co-management arrangement between CATG and USFWS related to the management of moose in the Yukon Flats. Through my research, I illustrate the importance and need for a better system of communication and understanding of regulation for Alaska Native People and their environment. This research advances knowledge about co-management for natural resource managers and adds to the growing body of regional work to promote Indigenous knowledge practice and sustainable management. Methods utilized include semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and participant observation to understand attributes important to co-management success in the context of moose management in interior Alaska. Success is analyzed through the adaptive co-management (ACM) framework developed by Armitage et al. (2009) to evaluate the CATG co-management arrangement with regards to moose management. My research findings show that of the 10 design principles, 3 have been met, 1 was not met, and 6 have only partially been met. This analysis reveals that the co-management arrangement as it was developed offers significant potential for success. However, the majority of the principles remain partially met rather than fully met, indicating that there is a lot more that the parties – particularly the USFWS – must do to maintain the agreement and develop true co-management. The ability of secure and consistent is critical to continue the implementation of the co-management arrangement in the Yukon Flats