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<br />002758 <br /> <br />24. Comparison of Recovery Program activities with the propagation and genetics management <br />elements of recovery plans shows the Recovery Program is seriously deficient in accomplishing <br />actions needed for recovery of all four endangered fish. <br /> <br />Conclusions <br /> <br />I. Significant unquantified deficiencies exist in the Recovery Program's facilities for primary and <br />backup refugia and development of broodstock for all 11 presumptive stocks of the four <br />endangered species. <br /> <br />2. With the exception of a five acre growout pond at Grand Junction, the Recovery Program has <br />not developed facilities that would support long term restoration/recovery stocking needed to <br />achieve recovery. Between six and 22 acres of additional pond space and related facilities may <br />be needed for restoration/recovery stocking in the Upper Basin. <br /> <br />3. Bonytail chub and razorback sucker will need long term restoration/recovery stocking in order <br />to recover, given that the bonytail chub is extirpated in the Upper Basin and the razorback <br />sucker wild population is reduced to a population of approximately 500 adults in the Green <br />River, with virtually no recruitment occurring. <br /> <br />4. Data available to date on recapture of previously stocked fish shows that stocking programs <br />must involve large numbers of fish and must be sustained over a long period of time if they are <br />to be effective. <br /> <br />5. Excessive demands are being placed on the facilities at Ouray. Losses due to disease and stress <br />can be expected. This is a symptom of inadequate planning by the Recovery Program and lack <br />of management oversight of propagation activities. <br /> <br />6. Research and experimentation, rather than restoration/recovery stocking, have become the <br />dominant themes of the propagation element of the Recovery Program. The Program is <br />operating under the assumption that years of research must precede any action. In the <br />meantime, the bonytail chub is extirpated in the Upper Basin, razorback sucker no longer exists <br />in the Colorado River subbasin, and the population of razorback sucker in the Green River <br />Basin is 500 adults and declining. The assumption that years of research are needed before any <br />action is taken is delaying recovery actions. <br /> <br />7. To date the Recovery Program has set extremely limited goals for a stocking program, such as <br />increasing the population of the Green River adults to 1,000 to avoid extinction, and stocking <br />10 fish per mile in the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers. These goals are far short of what would <br />be required for recovery and reflect the orientation of the Recovery Program towards research <br />and experimentation rather than recovery. <br /> <br />8. The Recovery Program appears to have made an implied, but unofficial, assumption that there <br />will be no stocking the Colorado squawfish or humpback chub. This is indicated by a <br /> <br />XlV <br />