The sheepshead fish has human teeth, but it’s okay because it won’t give you a psychedelic crisis

There’s nothing like the thought of a delicious piece of meat with human teeth wrapped in prison stripes to put you to a gentle, dreamless sleep.

LINK (via: Scientific American)

Steelhead Migration Begins!

By truck.

The fact that the fish can quadruple the size of its digestive tract makes for a distinct advantage

Researchers have discovered that Dolly Varden feasts once a year and, in doing so, quadruple the size of its stomach.

Other animals have been discovered to grow and shrink their digestive tracks, but this is the first time researchers have found a wild fish to do so.

LINK (via: iTech Post)

Carp Confusion

We're winning the fight against Asian Carp!

The federal government is winning the battle to keep Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, according to an Obama administration official.

LINK (via: Ecowatch)

We're losing the fight against Asian Carp!

Asian carp are reproducing in more places and under more varied conditions than experts had believed they could, yet another reason to worry about the greedy invader’s potential to infest waterways and crowd out native species, scientists said Tuesday.

LINK (via: CBS 62 Detroit)

Here Comes the Judge

On Feb. 19 the Native Fish Society and The McKenzie Flyfishers filed a request in Oregon’s U.S. District Court asking for a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction that forbids the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from setting hatchery smolts free in the Sandy or its tributaries this spring.

LINK

The state of Oregon NOAA Fisheries, joined by three sport fishing organizations, say that the operation of northwest Oregon’s Sandy Hatchery under newly approved federal guidelines is legal and does not jeopardize wild salmon and steelhead protected under the Endangered Act.

LINK

It all goes in front of the judge on Wednesday.

Who are the three sportfishing groups going to bat for hatchery fish along with the state and the feds?

The Association of Northwest Steelheaders

The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association

The Northwest Guide's and Anglers Association.

Court of Appeals Issues Landmark Ruling Concerning Effects of Three Pesticides on Salmon Species

On February 21, 2013, a three judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous landmark decision in Dow Agrosciences v. National Marine Fisheries Service setting aside a Biological Opinion (BiOp) prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that found that use of the pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion could jeopardize the viability of certain species of salmon and their habitat.

This new decision will have far-reaching consequences because of the large number of pesticides that may be subject to referral to either the NMFS or the Fish and Wildlife Service (the Services) in connection with previous actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during pesticide reregistration or future actions by EPA during registration review.

LINK (via: Environmental Expert)