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I ~ O"LI ~'u UrfeA1ckj CU'l{'i /<00//15 /3010 Aquatic Sciences Fish Introductions: Good Management, Mismanagement, or No Management? Walter R. Courtenay, Jr. and C. Richard Robins I. INTRODUCTION Much has been written about the introduction of plants and animals into regions where they did not naturally occur. With regard to exotic fishes, this literature, at least into the early 1980s, is well summarized by Courtenay and Stauffer. I The lilerature on introduced animals grows apace, complete with details of establishment of more species and their effects on that part of the aquatic environment of greatest interest to the writer in question. The problem has grown worse and authors of this new literature are almost always. biologists reporting after the fact on introductions about which they were not con- sulted. The various agencies and groups responsible for man- aging fisheries or other aspects of aquatic environments remain unwilling to support research necessary for sound use of in- troduced fishes as a management tool and to follow a sound procedure. Courtenay and Robins2 put forth an eight-step procedure in 1973, which was thought to be minimal if the importation and establishment of environmentally destructive animals were to be stopped. This procedure, often improperly called a protocol, was rooted in suggestions made by Lachner et al.) These steps may be labeled: (J) rationale, (2) search and selection, (3) preliminary assessment of impact, (4) publicity and review, (5) experimental research, (6) publicity and independent re- view, and (7) implementatiOli. "Rationale" involves much more than stating one's intent or purpose in proposing an introduction. It carries the respon- sihility ofdemonstraling why native species arc not appropriate and calls into play what is known of Ihe native buna. II ne- cessitates assessment of the validity of purpose of the intro- duction. "Search and selection" requires a biologist to make a list of biological specifications and match them against all species which come under consideration. II avoids the past practice of trusting advice of one person who happens to know the "perfect fish" for the job. It involves most of the questions asked by Kohler and StanleY"' in their review and decision boxes I to 4. If the fish proposed for introduction remains a candidate, "preliminary assessment of impact" is required, including studies of that species in its native biotope. "Publicity and review" go together. By puhlici/ing a scleckd I'ist. one :;olicilS expert advice fronl anyone who may have it. In our COl1lplex field, it must not be assumed Ihat everyone with real infor- mation will have published on it, or that all relevant publica- tions will be readily found (much valuable informatioll is in the so-callcd "gray literature"). The review seeks to answer such questions as those posed by Kohler and Stanley" in their review and decision hoxes 4 to l). "Experimcntal rescarch" calls for initiation of a resc;.lrch program on the proposed im- part, to be conducted in confined waters to prevent escape. The agency or organization conducting the research should submit the report of its results, and its recommendation, for review. "Publicity and independent review" is truly the cor- nerstone of the procedure outlined by Courtenay and Robins.2 Without iI, agencies can approve their own studies 'and their own recommendations. Without it, agencies will not go beyond their jurisdictional borders to consult others who may discover introduced animals in their waters, animals for which they bear no responsibility or even had any knowledge, and. in many instances, do not want. "Implementation" of the introduction was to be conducted only if the candidate species receivcJ favorable aPPfoval from the publicity and independent review process. Animals arc no respecters of state ar nation a! bound- aries! I f there were ever an area where a ., sunshine law" should be in effect, it is with proposed introductions and the proponeI~t agencies. It is our purpose to focus on the set of procedures which concern introductions of fishes and to see in what ways these have been modified, augmented, or neglected by those who have introduced or who wish to introduce nonnative fishes. Managers often are una\\.arc of or fail to use the wc:!llh (,r available data, empirical or experimental, which would ar~u:.: against certain introductions and suggest constraints i~ the use of introductions as a management tool. In 1972, the American Fisheries Society,S acting on a pro- posal from its Exotic Fishes Committee, approved ,m cigh\- step position statement which differed only slightly from tl1c procedure of Courtenay and Robins.2 The statement addressed only exotic fishes. Several other matters were also approved as part of this statement, of \vhich the most important were those calling for expanded facilities and research that would assist in the study and control of fish diseases. and certClin legislation which would prevent escape or fishes from "llu,lr- ium-fish farms. The history of various initiCltives with regard to regulating introduction of exotic species was reviewed by Kohler and Courtenay. 6 Of special interest, politically, is that the American Fi~;herics Society approved the position statement cited above whee; i w. R. Courtenay, Jr. received a B.A. from Van(krbilt Uni,'ersity in Nashville, Tennessee and an :\1.S. and a Ph.D. from the Univcr~ity of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. Dr. Courtenay is a Professor or Zool(lt!~' or the Ikl'arl1llCnl of Iliolo~ical Sciences al F1Cl1ida AII;IIllic lJniwrsil)' in Il"c;, I{at,,", 1;lolida. C. R. Rollins "btained b"lh ;,Il.A. '''Ill a Ph.1> from Cornell Universily in Ithaca. New York. Dr. Robias is the :<'1ay'a)' Prnfcssor of khthyolngy in the Departmcnt of lliology and Living Rc- sources at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. 1989 159