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I 1 i . .1 I 400 Recovery of Long-lived Species will be costly and will involve difficult research and management activities, the Colorado squawfish and its environment can be saved. Most of the habitat alterations that deci- mated these fishes were caused, directly or in- directly, by construction of federal reservoirs, which produce large revenues. It is only proper that some of these funds aid in the re- covery of the fauna that is left, and, indeed, most of the funding for upper-basin recovery efforts has been contributed by the USBR (about $6.5 million to date; R. Williams, USBR, pers. comm.); this is only a small per- centage of the money realized (about 0.05%) from hydroelectric operations of mainstream dams in the same period. Biologists have been retained whose functions are to conduct and manage research, cooperate with and foster interest by others in the academic and private sectors, and interpret and apply results to biological conservation. Without continuing cooperation, management toward recovery of Colorado river fishes is impossible. Will the battle be worth it? Ehrlich and Ehrlich (1981) presented convincing argu- ments for saving endangered species. Indirect benefits to humanity were cited as most im- portant but least understood. Rare species must be viewed as part of the fabric upon which humans depend for ,maintenance of the biosphere. The Colorado squawfish is just too valuable to lose. Historically, the fish fur- nished food and livelihood for Native and non-native Americans, and was important in settlement of the West. Its table qualities are evident, since "Colorado River Salmon" was an entree for apparently lavish July Fourth and Christmas dinners served at Lee's Ferry, Arizona, in 1899 (Measeles 1981). The spec- tacular potadromous migrations and unique life cycle of the squawfish are certainly impor- tant from the scientific point of view. Philosophically, do humans wish to lose this large predator along with a reduction of perhaps 20% of the world's biota by the year 2000? Economically, in view of the increasing expense of maintaining cold-water fisheries, is not conservation of one of the largest warm-water species on the continent pru- dent? What of the distant future? Will humans again depend upon subsistence fishing for their livelihood? The final curtain has yet to come down on the Colorado squawfish. Although reduced to perhaps 25% of its former range, the fish sur- vives. A sizable population exists in the Green River, demonstrating its fitness by coping with a plethora of environmental insults. We have shown that research and management can achieve some recovery goals in the Green River, and chances for developing such op- tions exist elsewhere. As we learn more about this species and work to provide for its needs, the concept of "preservation" must be replaced with a long- term conservation ethic (Soule and Wilcox 1980), a process of continuing evolution (Frankel 1983) that includes management on an ecosystem scale. This ethic is the only prac- tical and possible solution for this unique life form. Conservation of the Colorado squawfish will require a new and more ecologically ap- propriate approach to fishery management- management for recovery-which obviously includes recovery not only of the fish but of its environment as well. Success will require sincere efforts on the part of scientists, mana- gers, environmentalists, water-resources de- velopers, governments, and private citizens, all with sometimes conflicting interests. If we are successful for this fish, and for its ecosys- tem, success will follow more quickly for other endangered fishes. Financial support for the CRFP was pro- vided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), USFWS, U.S. National Park Service (USNPS), U.S. Bureau of Land Management (USBLM), and others. The states of Colorado and Utah cooperated and provided logistical support. I thank L. Mills for many years of ,,->i