1. Catfish study offers rewards
2. State fair offers visitors a chance to go wild
3. International Botanical Congress meets in St.
Louis
4. Gorman appointed to second term on commission
5. Commission to meet Aug. 31 at Walter Woods CA
6. Outdoor Calendar
Available via Internet at: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/news/out
"I never harm rattlesnakes, but I certainly recognize their lethal potential. I have always considered in fun that for every rattlesnake encountered in the wild and allowed go relatively undisturbed, I build up 'mystical points'good herpetological karmawhatever, and that somehow these points act on my behalf if and when I am careless enough to tread dangerously close to a snake."Joe Hutto, Illumination in the Flatwoods
Missouri River anglers in the St. Joseph area are cashing in.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo.--The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering rewards from $5 to $100 for the return of tags taken from flathead catfish in the Missouri River. Fisheries biologists in June tagged more than 800 flatheads in a 50-mile stretch of the river. Anglers who return the tags will help the Conservation Department gain a better understanding of the flathead catfish population in the river and, ultimately, improve fishing.
"The biggest thing in our study is learning just what percentage of the flathead catfish population is getting harvested by anglers," says Vince Travnichek, a fisheries biologist with the Conservation Department. "We have good information on catch rates by anglers from our creel surveys at river accesses, but that doesn't give us a good idea if 10 percent of the population is getting caught and harvested or if its 25 or 50 percent.
"We need to know what that percentage, or exploitation rate, is," Travnichek says. "It's an important component in managing any fishery. If it's low, there may not be a need for any more regulations on the fishery, but if its high, we might want to change fishing regulations."
The bright red tags are attached along the back of the fish and are numbered on one side and marked with the word "REWARD" on the other. Anglers who catch the tagged fish must return the tag to the Conservation Department to claim their reward. Anglers must report where and when the fish was caught, its length and weight and whether the angler kept it or returned it to the river. Anglers should also state their name, address, phone number and social security number. The tag and information should be sent to Missouri Department of Conservation, Attention: Fisheries, 701 NE College Drive, St. Joseph, MO 645067.
Flathead catfish are quite common in the river, especially above Kansas City. All catfish in the Missouri River are now protected from commercial fishing, and sport anglers are enjoying good fishing because of the restriction. For the study, biologists captured fish in June through electrofishing and applied tags to them. Some 25 tags had been turned in by late July. The largest reward given by that time was $20.
The smallest fish tagged are 12 inches long. "Our creel surveys showed 12 inches is the size people actually start keeping flathead catfish and take them home," Travnichek says. "The biggest fish we tagged weighed 42 pounds."
Travnichek plans to tag fish for three years and continue to pay the rewards for a couple of years beyond that to encourage anglers to keep returning the tags. He plans to tag about 1,000 fish in each of the next two years.
About half the tagged fish are caught by pole and line, with the remaining half caught on limb lines or trotlines. Flathead anglers traditionally use small fish for bait. Flathead catfish have a reputation as being excellent to eat. Combine that with their potential to grow to trophy size and you have a fish any angler would be eager to catch.
Travnichek is intrigued by a trophy channel cat fishery on the Red River in North Dakota and Canada. He says people come from all over the U.S. to fish there, and he can imagine something similar for flathead catfish, possibly on a section of the Missouri River near St. Joseph.
"We have special trout and smallmouth bass management zones," he says, posing the question, "Why not a flathead fishing zone? The information from our study will tell us if that is feasible. Population dynamic models on a computer can help us figure it out." The Red River area started with a length limit and highly restrictive creel limit, then went to catch and release only. "You have a chance there of catching a 36-inch channel catfish," Travnichek says.
"Their growth rate is slow up there because of a short growing season, and they have to protect the fish with catch and release only. We probably wouldn't have to do that; we could still have some harvest with a trophy flathead fishery. But that's a ways down the road," Travnichek adds.
- Jim Auckley -
Displays, aquariums and programs at the Conservation Department's building offer a natural escape from the heat and noise of the midway.
SEDALIA, Mo.--Go wild at the 1999 Missouri State Fair. Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation pavilion, where you will find activities, displays and gifts that reveal the wonders of the state's wildlife, fish and forests.
Activities in the conservation discovery room Aug. 12 though 22 challenge fair goers on their knowledge of outdoor Missouri. Hands-on exhibits include "Be an Expert Tracker" and "Furry Fun," which quiz participants on their ability to identify animals by the tracks they make and their pelts. Other activities highlight the 25th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. "Test Your Conservation I.Q." offers a quiz on the population status of plants and animals and gives explanations of terms related to endangered and threatened species.
Conservation Department fair offerings also include up-close and personal views of animals. The displays of live mammals, reptiles and amphibians are always popular attractions. Ten 100-gallon fish tanks will let visitors peek into the underwater world of bass, crappie, bluegills, catfish, paddlefish and other native fish. Raptors from the Kansas City Zoo will be featured from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. August 15 and 22.
Other activities at the Conservation Department pavilion will let fair goers enjoy the call of the wild and show off their artistic talents. Conservation Department Public Relations Specialists will perform animal calls August 16 through 18. Supplies will be available for children to create artworks to be displayed on the discovery room walls.
The fair is a great place to pick up items to expand your library and video collection. A wide variety of conservation videos, books and cassettes will be available for purchase, including the new "Conservation Trails" book, which guides hikers to trails on Conservation Department land throughout the state.
The Conservation Department pavilion is located at the south end of the fairgrounds, across from the Highway Gardens.
- Arleasha Mays -
Scientists from around the world gathered in Missouri to discuss the status of plants and the living systems that depend on them.
ST. LOUIS--Most of the time, we take the plants around us for granted. But the more than 4,000 scientists who attended the 26th International Botanical Conference (IBC) Louis last week became even more keenly aware that plants are indispensable to human life. They also learned that all is not well with the planet's plants.
Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, greeted plant scientists from around the globe at America's Center in downtown St. Louis. Raven, who also serves as president of the IBC, spoke about the growing pace of extinction among plant species. He said as many as two-thirds of the Earth's plant species could be lost by the end of the 21st century unless measures are taken to address the causes of plant extinction.
Plant scientists from more than 100 countries had their pick of more than 200 technical sessions that provided information about the latest research and field work in botany. Technical session topics included the effects of human activities on Earth's climate, the role of plants in controlling climate change, how the increasing movement of plants and plant diseases around the globe is affecting ecosystems, risks associated with genetically engineered plants and the value of plants as sources of pharmaceuticals and other useful chemicals.
At a press conference at the meeting Aug. 3, Dr. Maurice Iwu, executive director of the Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme, announced the discovery of an edible plant from Africa that may be effective in treating the dreaded Ebola virus, which also originated in Africa. Medical researchers are exploring the possible use of Garcinia kola, commonly called bitter kola, to treat Ebola and other infectious diseases.
Iwu said Garcinia kola is just one of thousands of little-known or still undiscovered plants with potential benefits to humankind. Many of these potential botanical treasures will be lost if plant extinctions are allowed to continue apace. Another IBC presenter, Dr. Pamela A. Matson of Stanford University, said that while amassing information about plants is useful, it is imperative to begin putting existing knowledge to work to slow the pace of extinctions.
The IBC meets every six years. The last time it met in the United States was in 1969, when members convened in Seattle, Wash.
Further information about the IBC and plant conservation is available on line at http://www.mobot.org/CPC/welcome.html or by calling the Missouri Botanical Gardens at (314) 577-5175.
- Jim Low -
Governor Carnahan and Conservation officials cite her leadership on conservation projects that have benefitted every part of the state.
JEFFERSON CITY--Anita B. Gorman of Kansas City will serve a second six-year term on the Missouri Conservation Commission.
Gov. Mel Carnahan appointed Mrs. Gorman to the Commission in 1993. She is the first woman to serve on the four-member panel. Her second term, subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate, will run until July 1, 2005.
"Anita has done an outstanding job on the Commission," said Carnahan in announcing her reappointment. "Her work on the Discovery Center in Kansas City and the Columbia Bottom project in St. Louis is a testament to her commitment to conservation in the State of Missouri."
Mrs. Gorman earned a bachelor's degree from William Jewell College and a master's degree from Boston University and pursued postgraduate studies at Bryn Mawr College, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. She taught school in Weston, Mass., and Kansas City, worked as an economist with the U.S. Department of Defense and as a computer programmer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She currently is a consultant for Kansas City Power and Light Co. and a member of its citizens' advisory board. She also serves as a director of Commerce Bank of Kansas City.
A prominent civic leader, Mrs. Gorman has served as a commissioner for the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation, as a trustee for the National Parks and Recreation Association, as president of the City of Fountains Foundation in Kansas City, as a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and in numerous other civic and benevolent organizations.
Conservation Department Director Jerry Conley said Mrs. Gorman's energy and diverse experiences have been great assets to the conservation movement in Missouri. "She has worked tirelessly on projects that benefit the state's forest, fish and wildlife resources in every region of the state."said Conley.
- Jim Low -
JOPLIN, Mo.--The Missouri Conservation Commission's next meeting will be Aug. 31 at Walter Woods Conservation Area (CA) in Newton County. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. following a closed executive session. Walter Woods CA is off Highway NN south of Joplin.
Commission meetings are open to the public. Items to be placed on the agenda for presentations or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180; fax 573/751-4467. Requests must be received by Aug. 19. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements at the same address, or by phone at 573/751-4115.
Commissioners are: Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, chairman; Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg, vice-chairman; Randy Herzog, St. Joseph, secretary; and Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, member.
- Jim Low -