Fish Conservation and Management (CONS 486) - 2015

Instructor: Dr. Scott Hinch(Rm 3022 FSC; )

TA: Vanessa Minke-Martin (Rm 3627 FSC; )

Required Readings for lectures (on reserve in library, or see your TA for a copy)

Ross, M.R. 1997. Fisheries Conservation and Management. Prentice

Diana, J. 1995. Biology and Ecology of Fish. Cooper Publishing

Others will be assigned during the term (additional optional readings on reserve)

Lectures and Seminars: Monday13:00-15:00, Friday 13:00-16:00; FSC 1001

Course Rationale

Living aquatic resources are intensively harvested around the world for food, commercial gain and recreation. Many fisheries are not being managed in a sustainable fashion. Living aquatic resources also provide the focus for many non-consumptive recreational and cultural experiences. People place enormous value on aquatic ecosystems, yet human activities often threaten, degrade or destroy them. The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to fish conservation and management by: examining relevant principles of physiology, behaviour, and ecology of fish; over-viewing current issues, common tactics and institutions involved in fish conservation; and reviewing case studies that demonstrate conservation and management successes and failures. Current research will be evaluated and critiqued.

Course Components

Lectures

The lectures in this course are divided into three fundamental parts:

  • Natural science - fish biology and population ecology
  • Fisheries conservation and management – issues, approaches, institutions
  • Conservation successes and failures – case studies, principles, paradigms

Seminars

Students will work in groups of threeinresearching a topic, focused around one key scientific paper (which can be found at but using other references (minimum 10) as well which may support or contradict the key paper, and present to the class a summary/review of the general topic, a review of the key papers’ objectives and findings, along with a critique of the paper, and will lead a class discussion on this material including generating a short list of relevant questions for the class discussion (30 minute presentation; 15-20 minute questions – total 50 minutes). Emphasis will be on topics not extensively discussed in lecture. It is expected that all students will actively participate in the discussions and read all key topic papers whose general material is also testable on the final exam.Two presentations will take place each session (Seminars start Feb 23).

Written Review (review to be handed in same day as relevant seminar presentation)

For each seminar, three students will beindividually responsible for written reviews of an orally presentedtopic (a topic that is being orally presented by others). Required will be an essay that will include:a discussion/review of the general topic area,and a summary of the keypapers’ objectives and findings. The essay will be double spaced and will include at minimum 10 relevant references from the scientific literature (the more, the better), and tables/figures as needed (~15-20 pgs total length, single spaced total length). Use ‘personal communications’, ‘personal observations’ and information from web pages very sparingly (these are not as reliable as peer-reviewed literature and will be viewed cautiously by a reader). All statements of fact must have a reference as well as any one’s interpretation of fact – your interpretation of fact obviously needs no references. Each written review is to be handed in on the day of the oral seminar presentation on that topic. For a given key topic paper, seminar presentations and written reviews should be developed independently!

Note: without a legitimate excuse, all late submissions are docked up to 10% per day.

Evaluation

- seminar presentation 20%

- written review20%

-seminar participation 20%

-final exam 40%

Lecture Schedule and Topics

Fish Biology and Population Ecology (required readings: Ross Chpts. 1-3; Diana Chpts2-5)

Jan 5 Introduction to course, assigning seminar topics [Seminar details and assignments]

Jan 9Metabolism

Jan 9Bioenergetics

Jan 9Fecundity, reproductive strategies, and individual growth

Jan 12Population growth; competition; predation risk

Jan 12Trophic pyramids, food webs, and trophic cascades

Jan 16Reservoir ecosystems

Jan 16Ocean ecosystems

Fisheries Conservation Issues & Management Approaches (required readings: Ross Chpts 4,5,7-11)

Jan 16Traditional management use of life history and production information

Jan 19Fisheries exploitation

Jan 19Fisheries overexploitation

Jan 23Harvest regulations

Jan 23-continued

Jan 23Manipulating and managing habitats

Jan 26Manipulating biotic communities

Jan 26Hatcheries and Conservation

Jan 30-continued

Jan 30 Imperiled and extinct fishes

Jan 30 -continued

Case Studies: conservation & management successes and failures (required reading: Ross Chapter 12)

Feb 2Northern Atlantic cod

Feb 2Atlantic striped bass

Feb 6Aquaculture and the Cohen Commission (Guest Lecturer: Kristi Miller)

Feb 13Small lake rainbow trout management in BC (Guest Lecturer: Eric Parkinson)

STUDENT SEMINARS - Feb 23, 27, Mar 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 23, 27, 30, Apr 10

No lectures or seminars - Feb9, 16, 20; Mar 20, Apr 3, 6