9395

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9395
• Author: Vaske, J. J., M. P. Donnelly and M. Lyon.
• Title: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes Toward the Endangered Fish of the Upper Colorado River Basin.
• USFW Year: 1995.
• USFW - Doc Type: 20,
• Copyright Material: NO

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Endangered Fish Survey

17

Beliefs-Attitudes about Endangered Fish Recovery

A series of statements addressed the issue of why the endangered fish should be recovered,
Items were categorized according to reasons for and reasons against recovery (Table 8), On
the positive side of the issue, 81 % believed that recovering the endangered fish is as important
as recovering endangered birds and mammals, and nearly three-quarters felt that endangered
fish helped to maintain balance in nature (73%) and should be recovered whenever possible
(72%), The facts that the squawfish used to grow to nearly six feet long and weighed up to 80
pounds (42%), and that the endangered fish could become sportfish (38%) were considered by
fewer respondents to be reasons for recovering the fish, Respondents commented that merely
because the fish used to be sportfish and grow to a certain size are not good reasons for
recovery, They felt it was more important to save the fish because they are endangered
species, On the negative side, about a third believed that recovery would cost too much money
(38%) and keep the state from using water for other purposes (30%).

Table 8. Beliefs about endangered fish recovery

Agree Neutral Disagree
The endangered fish should be recovered because:
recovering endangered fish is as important as
recovering endangered birds and mammals 81 4 15
the endangered fish help to maintain balance in nature 73 7 21
endangered fish should be recovered whenever possible 72 7 21
the endangered fish exist nowhere else in the world 66 14 21
by recovering the endangered fish, the overall quality
of the river habitat is improved 65 12 24
because 40 species and subspecies of fish have gone
extinct this century 61 17 22
some endangered fish of the Colorado River Basin are
believed to have evolved before modem man existed 51 19 30
the recovery effort helps to reduce water pollution 44 16 40
Colorado squawfish once grew to nearly 6 feet long
and weighed up to 80 pounds 42 25 33
endangered fish could become sportfish that
anglers could catch 38 13 49
The endangered fish should not be recovered because
recovering the endangered fish will:
cost too much money 38 II 51
keep the state from using water for other purposes 30 13 57
slow economic development 22 II 67
Cell entries are percentages