AFS Book Preview: Multispecies and Watershed Approaches to Freshwater Fish Conservation Tuesday, January 28, 2020 1:00 pm Eastern Time Presenters: Daniel Dauwalter Trout Unlimited Timothy Birdsong Texas Parks and Recreation Department Gary Garrett University of Texas at Austin Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8364194263774714893
Description:
Freshwater systems in the United States have been altered dramatically, resulting in degradation of fish habitats and declines in native freshwater fishes. Innovative conservation approaches are needed to restore watershed processes for freshwater fish conservation while simultaneously supporting human needs. This need has driven development of innovative multispecies and watershed-based concepts, assessments, prioritizations, planning, and delivery that focus conservation efforts on entire aquatic communities at watershed scales while incorporating species life history needs and acknowledging compatible human uses. These approaches have yielded multi-agency partnerships and large-scale funding programs focused on operationalizing conservation plans and supporting meaningful and transformative conservation delivery for freshwater fishes and their habitats. This book, which was borne out of a symposium titled “Multispecies and Watershed Approaches to Native Fish Conservation: Science, Planning, and Implementation” held at the 2017 American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, highlights these innovative approaches to freshwater fish conservation, profiling case studies from freshwater systems throughout the United States that include diverse partnerships encompassing state, federal and local agencies, watershed councils, non-governmental organizations, and Fish Habitat Partnerships. The book also profiles highly effective and successful conservation programs and initiatives that have spanned entire careers and represent decades of unwavering commitment and passion by agencies, organizations, and individuals to restore and preserve freshwater systems. Some of these individuals have left a lasting conservation legacy through their incredibly productive and impactful careers and have offered figurative road maps to guide and inform the efforts of current and future conservation professionals. The case studies highlighted in this book simply show it is possible to successfully effect change at watersheds scales for multiple species and set a high bar for the next generation of aquatic conservationists and fisheries managers focused on the conservation of freshwater fishes. https://fisheries.org/2020/01/webinar-on-january-28/