The Fish Population Monitoring Work Group (w/150 authors)

The Tagging, Telemetry & Marking Techniques Compilation Project

CRITICAL PATH WORK PLAN

FPM and SC REVIEW DOCUMENT

Draft 02/18/03

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CRITICAL PATH WORK

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

Rationale

Taking Action

Beginnings

Specific Needs and Product Value

Typical Uses of Tagging, Telemetry and Marking Technology and Designs

Examples of science and management’s use of TTM data (see Management Questions as a Foundation section for more detail) :

Critical Path Elements

Goal

Objectives

TTM First Principles:

Impetus for a Simple Networked Information System (NIS)

The Tragedy of Bypassing Elegant Solutions

Practitioner Guidance Section:

Management Questions as a Foundation

Additional Questions:

Questions By “H” and other Fish and Habitat Attributes:

Habitat

Hatchery

Harvest

Hydro

Natural Factors

Predation

Population Status, Trend and Distribution

Estuary & Ocean

Toxics, Invasive Species & Human Development

Regional topics defined:

Technical topics defined:

Endorsement of the Techniques Compilation and PNAMP’s Plan

ISRP 2006-4a: FY07-09 Preliminary Review: Part 1 Programmatic Comments (June 2006)

ISRP 2005-14: Retrospective Report 1997-2005 (August 31, 2005)

ISRP 2002-14: Final Mainstem and Systemwide Review (November 6, 2002)

Programmatic Issue: Measure Smolt Survival Directly

FY07 work to define FY 08-09 Work

FY 07 Funding and Work Completed

Summary of Work to Date and the final product

Completed Tasks and Deliverables to date

Summary:

Detailed FY 07 work plan

Conclusions:

Appendices:

Literature Links to Supporting TTM and NIS:

TTM manuscript Table from the First Call for Authors

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Introduction

The Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) is a compact of twenty (20) state, federal, tribal agencies and private organizations and their Executives. The PNAMP steering committee has tasked the Fish Population Monitoring (FPM) committee of 156 regional scientists and agency representatives to produce a wide-ranging Tagging, Telemetry and Marking (TTM) compendium that unites distinct and individual programs, projects and research uses.The purposeof this project is to produce technical information, a guidance manual and a Networked Information Systemfor use by to the Pacific Northwest region.

The main technical product, it appendices and the information system will support a large number of current and pending actions that rely upon tagging, telemetry and marking techniques for acquisition of reliable and timely baseline data. This includes, but is not limited to, pending Biological Opinions that will use data to assess recent and future “jeopardy” determinations. The contents will also provide techniques to collect conventionally accepted and consistent data on productivity, mortality, exploitation and genetic information.

The tasks, work elements and milestones documented in this Critical Path and its appendices will allow PNAMP to incorporate information from the broadest base of practitioners and researchers possible. We believe it is necessary to deliberately match new and developing technology with allied designs and implementation support. We have already begun to seek reasonable assurance that the work being conducted is sufficiently addressing the regions most pressing data needs. This plan outlines a path to do this by linking options for consideration to existing and proposed ecosystem and population research, monitoring and evaluation (RME) projects and key management questions (PNAMP, 2008).

The Critical Path also documents the work plan and has outlined goals and objectives consistent with the results of a recent PNAMP poll (PNAMP 2007). This project asked state, federal, and tribalmanagers to identify top and sub-level management questions. We used the results to formulate the framework to ensure that the TTM information is compiled and published as guidance comports with the questions. We then will use the techniques as the data gathering foundation to answer these questions with increased confidence (FPM, 2008).

Next the FPM outlined an information and support system that will provide a simple and deployed communication pathway. This system will be used to recommend and compilation improvement of designs, protocols and techniques as it is developed rather than allowing decade’s old guidance to compilation or meet contemporary needs. The Critical Path includes a conceptual plan for making this guidance widely accessible via a Networked Information System (NIS) to publish and update information recurrently. We have researched hundreds of articles, journals and publications to establish the acceptance of scholarly electronic publication and the vast coalitions that support NIS systems. Our investigations have established the legitimacy of e-publication (Johnson et al 1995), the peer-review standards(Crow, 2002) and the form and functions NIS systems provide (CNI, 2008) (see-appendices).

The PNAMP Fish Population Monitoring Work Group (FPM) is well suited to help the fisheries community improve techniques, protocols and methods through its educational efforts, peer review processes, and collaborative partnerships. The Partnership will play an important roll in supporting the continued development and evaluation of supporting this publication, in addition to introducing the new and improved methods and tools to the scientific community in a timely and cost effective manner.Thus, the techniques and compilationlines recommend in the will be shaped to provide comparable, accurate, and repeatable data derived from consistent methods.

This Critical Path Plan and its approach are projected to extend regional collaboration to its long-sought target levels. We have joined with many organizations to document the actual scale of work and examine the range of conceived objectives. These products are included in the Techniques Compilation as explicit opening chapters. Further, we have been granted permission to update several past works to provide new information within the context of past, present and future management context. Many of these reports remain germane and this 2nd Edition approach will update the conclusions with contemporary context.

We have focused the elements within this plan and its final product to improve the confidence in the science and policy. To accomplish our goals, continued program support for meeting regional goals can be met by overall technique improvement and through the use of basic information tools to upgrade program coordination and the dissemination of contemporary information.

We are simply and responsibly responding to the strong and persistent options for consideration of science reviewers and state, federal, tribal and private organizations in this regard.

Furthermore, and given the extent of public investment, and the consequences of science and management limitations, many in the government and the public are rightfully insisting that organizations that manage these programs examine their extent and validate the objectives. If individual projects are unnecessary, duplicative or deficient, then they are not beneficial and resources should be allocated differently. Recently, several organizations have begun to work on these issues in far closer collaboration, and are increasing the promise that collecting and applying comparable and improved data to management alternatives will have the desired effects. The Tagging, Telemetry and Marking Techniques Compilation will provide the sought after level of accountability by increasing data quality and regional convergence to more accurately and completely report population and habitat status and trends. This will be accomplished through the compilation of advanced techniques and networked information processes.

It has been over twenty years since an effort to optimize the use of tagging, telemetry and marking techniques has occurred. To change the status quo and adapt programs to collect accurate data with comparable procedures a compilation of up-to-date information is necessary. Thus, the need is immediate and under this program the value will manifest itself in supporting integrated decisions at the population, ecosystem and programmatic levels.

If the necessary resources and support is provided, the Tagging, Telemetry and Marking Techniques Compilation is scheduled to be published in August 2009.

Rationale

Taking Action

PNAMP is responding to the strong and persistent options for consideration of state, federal, tribal and private organizations representing the Executive Network and its Steering Committee. This project was deemed a high priority by PNAMP’s Fish Population Monitoring work group and approved by the Steering Committee because of clearly articulated needs identified by numerous sources. Several examples exist and include the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) call for action and reports in their first report in 1997.

Thus, PNAMP and KWA Ecological Sciences, Inc. through a three-year funding Bonneville Power Administration funding commitment and FY07-09 contracts are responding to the strong and persistent options for consideration of the Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) as outlined in their first report in 1997 and specifically in the following reports:

  1. The ISRP Preliminary Review of 2007-09 Proposals Report No. 2006-4
  2. The ISRP Retrospective Report. Report No. 2005-14
  3. The ISRP 2006 Fiscal Year Proposals for Acoustic Tracking. Report No. 2005-19
  4. The ISRP Database Review. Report No. 2000-3
  5. The ISRP2006 Retrospective Report

Additionally, FPM representatives are attending and/or conferring with the following technical meetings and symposia:

  1. Anadromous Salmonid Tagging and identification Techniques in the Greater Pacific Region (PCMFC)—
  2. The Sept. Annual AFS Conference—San Francisco—
  3. Summary of Fish Tagging and Evaluation Techniques Currently Used in the ColumbiaRiver Basin (NPCC and ACOE)—
  4. Recent Advances in PIT-tag technology for fisheries (
  5. The Tagging and Telemetry Focus Group White Paper (various agencies)--
  6. The Imaging and Geospatial Information Society (asprs.org annual meeting in Portland, OR., April 2008).
  7. The Annual General Meeting of the North Pacific International Chapter of the American Fisheries Society—
  8. Advances in Fish Tagging and Marking Technology—Auckland, New Zealand., February 2008)— (AFS/ASOB).

Beginnings

At the 2004 meeting of the North Pacific International Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, that was held in Skamania Washington, and, at a series of workshops in the US and Canada, over 1250 participants assisted the Pacific Rim region by advocating and facilitating increases in the number of functional research, monitoring and evaluation partnerships. This resulted in the formation of several collaborative organizations that emphasize strong academic and professional oversight, while providing access to data, expanded public consultation and has provided increasingly knowledge-based policy. This project

This has optimized monitoring protocols and methods and has reduced the number of individual works and programs of lesser value. In general, this has resulted in five tangible outcomes: First, considerable scientific deliberations and basic policy commitments to RME have increased. Functionally this has been achieved through formally created associations resulting in broader implementation of common technical approaches and a conduit for reporting technical advancements and improved methods that are now serving the region widely. The organizations are staffed by experienced professionals and are reasonably well supported by state, provincial, tribal, federal, non-governmental organizations and private corporations.

Specific Needs and Product Value

The June Issue of the American Fisheries issue of “Fisheries” (Vol. 32 No 6) provides ample and concrete rational for PNAMP to continue and expand its organized efforts and ask for your contributions.

Measurement is the key component in most investigations of fish and shellfish. The ability to identify individual and groups of fishes, as well as their habits, movements, and mortality, is crucial to effective fisheries science. The methods used must be appropriate, accurate, and repeatable.

While uncertainty is an integral part of dealing with biological systems, as scientists it is crucial that we use methods that minimize uncertainty in order to improve the conservation and sustainability of fisheries and aquatic resources. In June 1988, over 400 fisheries and aquatic scientists gathered in Seattle, Washington, for the "International Symposium and Educational Workshop on Fish-Marking Techniques." This landmark event included presentations on virtually every fish tagging method in use at that time. The ultimate product was the 1990 publication Fish Marking Techniques, American Fisheries Society Symposium 7, arguably one of the most influential fisheries publications in decades. In the nearly 20 years since that symposium, the world of fisheries science has changed dramatically; the technologies and analytical procedures available for marking and monitoring fisheries Have evolved as well. Fish marking technologies on the cutting edge two decades ago are now commonplace, and new technologies are developed yearly. Clearly, the time has come to bring together again global expertise on fish tagging techniques and data analysis [emphasis added].

This Fisheries column states categorically what PNAMP is doing and why the FPM and authors are coordinating and collaborating locally, regionally and internationally.

Typical Uses of Tagging, Telemetry and Marking Technology and Designs

Unbiased data within the study design are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of actions, plans and performance measures. They provide the baseline for developing testable initial hypotheses and intermittent confirmation of assumptions under several standard designs.

Other examples of benefits include: improved harvest forecasting and regime agreements, rate case development relicensing and permitting reviews. Similarly, mitigation, conservation and enhancement effectiveness monitoring comprise and support the priority need and value of this effort.

Finally, this project is essential since tagging, telemetry and marking provides the data to shape adaptive management. Adaptive management is the basis for using empirical data and biological confirmation that planned actions have had the expected effect, and what, if any, program changes are necessary. Currently, genuine and effective adaptive management programs are under scoped and/or underutilized due to poorly-designed RME programs and failure to use contemporary TTM technology and techniques.

Examples of science and management’s use of TTM data(see Management Questions as a Foundation section for more detail) :

  1. Status and Trend Fish Population Monitoring;
  2. Run-Size Forecasting;
  3. In-Season Harvest Monitoring;
  4. Harvest Allocation;
  5. Harvest Rates by population;
  6. International Harvest Allocation and Rates;
  7. Delayed Mortality;
  8. Hooking Mortality;
  9. Predator Indexing, Standing Stock and Juvenile Consumption Rates;
  10. Post Season Evaluation; Escapement;
  11. SAR calculations;
  12. Adult and Juvenile Survival Studies for Viability and Sustainability;
  13. Spatial Distribution;
  14. Habitat Productivity;
  15. Estuary Use and Survival;
  16. In River Habitat and Microhabitat Use:
  17. Ocean Use, Survival and Productivity;
  18. Migration Routes;
  19. Run Timing;
  20. Passage routes, mortality and survival;
  21. Total Gas Saturation Monitoring;
  22. Benchmarks and Performance for mitigation and recovery actions;
  23. Habitat Action Effectiveness Monitoring;
  24. Watershed Condition Monitoring;
  25. Genetic Stock Identification;
  26. Otolith Microstructure and Microchemistry Techniques;
  27. Hatchery Evaluation;
  28. Supplementation Studies;
  29. Stray Rates and Locations;
  30. Research, Monitoring and Evaluation design evaluation, and
  31. Validation Studies for Legally-Mandated, International Adjudicated and/or Interlocal Agreement Monitoring.

Critical Path Elements

Goal

Use global expertise to combine the disparate tactical and individual efforts regarding the science of tagging, telemetry and marking into a single technical manual and long-term program strategy for recommendation to the Executive Network by thePacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership.

Currently, over 100 authors, from six Countries, seven Universities and seven of the United States have submitted manuscript proposals. This response was from the Fish Population Monitoring Work Group’s (FPM) First Call for Authors in November 2007. Second and Final Calls are scheduled for January and April 2008. This compilation of resultant knowledge will enable The Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) to expertly serve the Pacific Northwest’s predictable and future monitoring requirements using a foundation of specific management questions derived from polling information and collaborative dialogue. Thus, PNAMP will be making specific options for consideration to the funding entities regarding need, value, designs etc. based on the contributions from a network that is approaching 400 researchers, practitioners and managers.

This technical product’s impetus is derived from the requirements and needs of regional programs and their amendments, and from a host of national and international agreements and adjudications. The program also anticipates future rulings that may be required of obligated parties and the complexities that accompany interrelated and/or sometimes conflicting mandates.

Objectives

  1. Integrate & compile information from the large & disparate discipline of TTM designs & practices;
  2. Increase compatibility between the results of different TTM projects and studies.
  3. Provide a consistent set of design steps and methods for interpretation of the science and future amendments to the science.
  4. Integrate information from the large and disparate community of TTM designs and practices
  5. Make options for consideration for consistency between projects, programs and technology.
  6. MakeTTM programs increasinglycost-effective through resource sharing and elimination of duplicative efforts.
  7. Establish a Networked Information System for e-publication and recurrent updates.

TTM First Principles:

  1. Information sharing is essential for coordinating many regional and local programs and projects.
  2. Consistent standards and protocols are necessary for efficient project, program and resource allocation.
  3. A technical manual/framework complete with methods, protocols, design standards and training and implementation elements is needed to ‘connect the dots’ and,
  4. PNAMP will use existing information and the expertise represented by the authors, editors and peer-review of individual chapters of the Techniques Manual.

Impetus for a Simple Networked Information System (NIS)

A simple Networked Information System (NIS) is necessary to support publication of the TTM Techniques Compilation. The benefits are many; the cons are few for this regional tool, and they are inherently extensible. Most importantly, e-publication has become accepted as a scholarly form (see several pertinent links in the appendices) and the costs are significantly less than traditional forms of publication forms.