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. . . . .. ' RECOVERY PRffiRAM FOR THE ENDANGERED FISHES ~ OF THE UPPER COIORAID Clo Colorado Division of Wildlne . 6060 Broadway' Denver. CO 80216 . (303) 291.7468 Questions commonly asked about the endangered fish of the upper Colorado River 1. Why should anyone care about savIng endangered fIsh? 'The reasons for saving these fish range from enviromnental and recreational to legal. Environmental reasons 'The decline of the Colorado squawfish. humpback chub. bonytail chub and I1l7.Orback sucker indicates the nan.uaJ. river environment has been dIaslically changed. 'The decline of these fish in the Colorado River system mirrors an increasing trend in the extinction rates of native fISh in NOM America. According to an American FISheries Society bulletin. human impact has caused 40 species and subspecies of fish in NOM America to become extinct this centUry; 19 of these have disappeared since 1964. Conselvation organizations estima/e that every day. at least one species in the world becomes extinct. And the U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service lists more than 350 animals and more than 230 plants as endangered or threatened in the United States; there are another 3.700 plant and animal species being SlUdied for possible listing. .. . Like the coal miner's canary, whose death forewarns wolkers of toxic gases lIIldergroUIld. the decline of the native fish is . an early Warning system for the river habitat. If the "wealcest link" in this ecosystem can be saved, the environment may be preserved as well Sport-fishing . Saving the fish may also provide recreational benefits through trophy sport-fishing. Colorado squawfish, North America's laigest minnow. once grew to more than 6 feet long and reached weigblS of up to 80 pounds. The Colorado River's top predator until the early 19OOs, Colorado squawfish have been known to eat mice. birds. even prairie dogs. Also, this fish was cal1ed "white salmon" and "Colorado salmon" by early settlers. who valued it as a food and spon fish. If the fish can be recovered, tomorrow's anglers may gain the oppoltU!lity to reel in squawfish weighing 15 to 20 pounds. Ecosystem balance, scientific benefits Scientific research has shown that each species in an ecosystem has a unique purpose. Losing one species can cause a chain reaction affecting a series of other species. 'The loss of a species also means the loss of its unique genetic ma/erial and any medical, industrial and agricultuI3l. benefits that might bavebeen discovered. . Heritage These four fish are pan of the heritage of the West and are found nowhere else in the wodd. In fact, the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker evolved more than 3 million years ago. Modem man has existed only about 100.000 to 250,000 years. Legal basis The endangered fish are also protected by state and federal laws. The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 states that endangered and threatened species of fish, wildlife and plants "are of esthetic. ecological, educationa1. historical, recreational and scientific value to the nation and its people." In passing this act, Congress was reflecting the belief that endangered species should be saved wherever possible. Philosophical reasons As Aldo Leopold, one of the founders of the conservalion movement, said,......Quit thinking about decent land-use as solely an economic problem...The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant 'What good is it?' If thC land mechanism as a whole is good. then every pan is good, whether we undeIStand it or not...1b keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering..." (From" A Sand County Almanac" and "Round River.'') 000962