Science, Policy

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Science, Policy the 30,000 Fish Phaedra
Doukakis, Ph.D. Institute for Ocean Conservation
Science, SoMAS, SUNY SB October 9, 2009
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SPECIES MANAGEMENT
SCIENCE
GLOBAL TRADE
CONSUMER CHOICE
Where can science make the difference for
conservation?
Science-Policy Interface
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Presentation Outline

• Molecular genetic approaches
• Caviar trade regulation, species boundaries,
  species relationships
• Caspian Sea sturgeon fieldwork
• Species biology and status
• Stock assessment, fisheries management
• Policy influence

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Living fossils lineage extending into the
Jurassic.
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Anadromous, Northern hemisphere
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Fish and Fisheries 6 233-265
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The most valuable fish on Earth
Guinness World Record Most Valuable Fish A
Russian sturgeon weighing 2,706 lb caught in 1924
yielded 540 lb of caviar, today worth nearly
1.35-2.7 million.
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When market fluctuations cause you to change the
title of your talk!
8,000 per kilo 50,000.00 per fish given size
of fish now
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Caviar the eggs of a mature female
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THE BEGINNING-ALBANY BEEF FROM THE HUDSON RIVER
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Caspian Black Sea
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Hatcheries main management tool
More than 10 around the Caspian Sea millions
released annually
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Sturgeon Paddlefish Capture
FAOSTAT data
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Sturgeon Paddlefish Total
FAOSTAT data
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Effort calibrated data shows population decline
H.huso
A.gueldenstadtii
A.stellatus
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Catch and Spawners over Time
From Khodorevskaya et al. 1997, 2000
Khodorevskaya 1999
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GLOBAL OVERVIEW 2005 Fish and Fisheries 6
233-265

• Most major sturgeon fisheries now catch 85 fewer
  fish than at their peak.
• Boom and bust gt1/3 of fisheries examined crashed
  within 7-20 years.
• Local extinctions in 19 of 27 species.

.
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• In 1997 CITES was considering listing all
  sturgeons and paddlefishes.
• CITES works through trade regulation with trade
  quotas set based on sustainable take.
• Illegal harvest and trade problematic.
• Morphological inspection inaccurate for species
  id need enforcement method.

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Develop a molecular method to assist in CITES
enforcement and trade regulation
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Yes! Cytb-based, species specific nucleotides,
PCR and tree building approaches for species ID
Position number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Species 1 T G C A T G C A T G C A T G C A T G C A
Species 24 . C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Species 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . A . . . . . .
Species specific primer A C G T A C G T A C G T A T
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• No! Basin of origin of commercial caviar
• Commercial species of sturgeon cannot be
  distinguished by basin of origin based on mtDNA
  (Molecular Ecology 8 S117-S127. Journal of
  Applied Ichthyology 21(6) 457-460 )
• Restocking, geology, marker evolution
  explanations.

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• Using the species identification system
• Test on 95 lots of commercial caviar (1998).
• 23 mislabeling.
• Endangered species cheap caviar substitutes.
• (Conservation Biology 12(4) 766-775).

• System can be developed monitoring trade is
  necessary.
• Importing countries need to adopt method.

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Pesky speciesSystematics work Copeia 2002(2)
287-301
A. persicus
A. persicus
75
A. naccarii
A. naccarii
98
2
6
A. gueldenstaedtii
A. gueldenstaedtii
85(80)
2
A. baerii
A. baerii
93
6
A. brevirostrum
A. brevirostrum
A. fulvescens
A. stellatus
100
A. stellatus
P. hermanni
27
100
P. hermanni
P. kaufmanni
14
79(74)
P. kaufmanni
A. ruthenus
3
100
A. nudiventris
H. huso
17
97
12
A. ruthenus
H. dauricus
67
H. huso
A. fulvescens
4
H. dauricus
A. nudiventris
S. suttkusi
A. mikadoi
61(59)
S. platorynchus
A. medirostris
5
S. albus
A. transmontanus
1
58(63)
A. mikadoi
A. schrenckii
2
A. medirostris
A. sinensis
100
A. schrenckii
A. sturio
41
100
A. transmontanus
A. oxyrinchus
38
A. sinensis
S. suttkusi
100
A. sturio
S. platorynchus
77
A. oxyrinchus
S. albus
Polyodon
Polyodon
Psephurus
Psephurus
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Morphologically similar
Siberian Rivers
Sea of Azov
Adriatic Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
28
100
Persian(3)
RussianNC2
Increased sampling and loci too few samples to
consider Italian sturgeon
100
86
74
Persian2
66
RussianI3
62
RussianI7
Persian3
61
Persian5
76
Persian11
Persian6
96
RussianNC3
87
RussianNC4
100
RussianNC7
Persian7
RussianK4
70
89
RussianD(7)
96
RussianD9
74
97
100
Persian10
Italian(2)
64
RussianNC8
RussianNC9
RussianI5
74
69
RussianD7
91
85
74
RussianBl
98
RussianDn
85
RussianK3
RussianI4
91
RussianK(2)
100
RussianC(2)
95
RussianI8
100
72
SiberianB(6)
SiberianO2
95
SiberianL(12)
SiberianO1
SiberianO3
89
SiberianO6
95
SiberianO5
SiberianY(2)
SiberianO4
SiberianO(5)
SiberianO10
99
SiberianY(2))
87
100
RussianNC1
RussianI6
89
RussianNC5
RussianNC6
RussianI9
SiberianO8
Astellatus
Hhuso
29
100
Persian(3)
RussianNC2
Two clades Russian sturgeon in Caspian have
Siberian-like genotype
100
86
74
Persian2
66
RussianI3
62
RussianI7
Persian3
61
Persian5
76
Persian11
Persian6
96
RussianNC3
87
RussianNC4
100
RussianNC7
Persian7
RussianK4
70
89
RussianD(7)
96
RussianD9
74
97
100
Persian10
Italian(2)
64
RussianNC8
RussianNC9
RussianI5
74
69
RussianD7
91
85
74
RussianBl
98
RussianDn
85
RussianK3
30bp fixed differences
RussianI4
91
RussianK(2)
100
RussianC(2)
95
RussianI8
100
72
SiberianB(6)
SiberianO2
95
SiberianL(12)
SiberianO1
SiberianO3
89
SiberianO6
95
SiberianO5
SiberianY(2)
SiberianO4
SiberianO(5)
SiberianO10
99
1 bp difference
SiberianY(2))
87
100
RussianNC1
RussianI6
89
RussianNC5
RussianNC6
RussianI9
SiberianO8
Astellatus
Hhuso
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Siberian sturgeon arent supposed to be in the
Caspian Sea??
Siberian Rivers
?
Sea of Azov
Adriatic Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
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• Caspian Sea Russian-Siberian sturgeon and true
  Russian sturgeon present.
• Decreases mislabeling to 19.

Law enforcement relevance
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Morphology and MoleculesSystematics
Biodiversity 3(2) 203-218
Hybrid from aquaculture?
Compare pure Siberian to Caspian Sea Siberian.
Pure Siberian sturgeon distinct from Russian and
Russian-Siberian sturgeon in the Caspian Sea.
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100
Persian(3)
RussianNC2
Persian and Russian sturgeon dont form
monopyletic clades. Once subspecies
100
86
74
Persian2
66
RussianI3
62
RussianI7
Persian3
61
Persian5
76
Persian11
Persian6
96
RussianNC3
87
RussianNC4
100
RussianNC7
Persian7
RussianK4
70
89
RussianD(7)
96
RussianD9
74
97
100
Persian10
Italian(2)
64
RussianNC8
RussianNC9
RussianI5
74
69
RussianD7
91
85
74
RussianBl
98
RussianDn
85
RussianK3
RussianI4
91
RussianK(2)
100
RussianC(2)
95
RussianI8
100
72
SiberianB(6)
SiberianO2
95
SiberianL(12)
SiberianO1
SiberianO3
89
SiberianO6
95
SiberianO5
SiberianY(2)
SiberianO4
SiberianO(5)
SiberianO10
99
SiberianY(2))
87
100
RussianNC1
RussianI6
89
RussianNC5
RussianNC6
RussianI9
SiberianO8
Astellatus
Hhuso
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• No fixed morphological differences valid
  species?
• Persian sturgeon are considered separate from
  Russian sturgeon in management and at CITES.
• Need better understanding of species structure
  and biology.

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• Better markers for species and populations.
• Polyploidy makes this challenging.
• Next generation sequencing for SNPS and microsats

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10 years later

• 91 tins
• Single digits.
• Fewer species.
• Pike!
• in preparation

1998
2008
Pre CITES Post CITES
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Trade is regulated but populations still declining
H.huso
A.gueldenstadtii
A.stellatus
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Ural River, Kazakhstan

• Last significant Caspian Sea river without a dam.
• Last place to study natural migration.
• Active, large fishery.

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Three year program (2005-08)

• Sturgeon biology and status (beluga focus)
• Fisheries management
• Species structure (Persian, Siberian, hybrids)

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Survival of hatchery released fish?
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Outreach component
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Catch, use in hatcheries, tag and release
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Acoustic tags
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Pop-up Archival Transmitting (Mk10-PAT) tags
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Field catch-and release
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Tagging hatchery reared fish
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Partnerships formed
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• Fishing is intense.
• Catch and release impossible.
• Satellite tagging project difficult.
• Extensive government corruption.

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when law-enforcement officials realised that
the study could prove what everyone in
Atyrau already knew that the poaching pressure
was now so intense that no fish ever reached
Uralsk, they refused to allow Doukakis to tag
any fish. So she reoriented what she cheerfully
calls her no-data project and now is trying to
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Get visas for Kazakhstani scientists to come to
the USA stock assessment workshop
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Stock assessment project

• Evaluate the population status of Ural River
  beluga and determine levels of fishing pressure.
• No understanding of current levels of fishing
  compared to sustainable levels.

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Stock assessment project

• Identify the life history stages best targeted
  for conservation
• Control harvest of adults and subadults or
  increase hatchery production?
• Current management focus is on hatchery
  production fishing nations are issued higher
  quotas with increased hatchery output.

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Results

• Precautionary target fishing mortality rates are
  similar to those for other long-lived species
  such as sharks and marine mammals but are smaller
  than those for the productive teleost species
  that sustain large fisheries.

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Mean age of the population declines with
increasing F.
Proportion of older and larger fish in the
spawning stock declines with increasing F.
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Compare with observed
Fmax average age of the spawning stock 24
years Observed 21.8 (1996) 17.4 (2006)
Removal rate over 70 4-5 times Fmax.
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Results

• Yield per recruit is maximized at age of entry at
  31 years raise minimum size limits or reduce
  illegal take of subadults.

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Results

• Elasticity analysis
• Improving the survival of subadult and adult
  females would increase population productivity by
  10 times that achieved by improving fecundity and
  egg to age 1 survival (i.e., hatchery
  supplementation).

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Assessment in Summary (in review Conservation
Biology)

• Strong evidence of overfishing.
• Need to focus on recovery.
• Best option is to reduce adult and subadult
  mortality (limit fishing).
• Ask CITES to stop issuing trade quotas!
• Stop building hatcheries and eliminate incentive
  of hatchery production!

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Policy Implications Actions

• CITES recognition of uncertainty regarding
  species status leveraging World Bank funds for
  additional genetics research.
• Shift burden of proof so that proper assessments
  are in place before permitting trade in Caspian
  Sea sturgeons.
• FAO assistance on assessment and TAC method.
• Appendix I transfer.

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Real Change?

• Government commitment.
• National market control.

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Acknowledgements

• People Ellen Pikitch (SUNY SB) Elizabeth
  Babcock (U Miami) Alexei Sharov (Maryland Dept
  of Natural Resources) Vadim Birstein (Sturgeon
  Conservation International) Rob DeSalle, George
  Amato (American Museum of Natural History) Dan
  Erickson (ODFW) colleagues in the Caspian Sea.
• Funding American Museum of Natural History,
  Hudson River Foundation, National Geographic
  Society Conservation Trust Grant, Packard
  Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, US EPA Science
  to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship, Yale
  University, donations to PIOS and IOCS

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