Community engagement and collaboration, Fish and wildlife
Long-Term Public Collaboration for Paddlefish Recovery in Oklahoma
Case Study by the Conservation and Adaptation Resources Toolbox
Status
Ongoing

Location

States

Oklahoma

Ecosystem

River/stream

Subject

Aquatic environment
At-risk species
Dams
Economics
Fishes
Outreach
Partnerships
Reservoirs
Restoration
Rivers and streams

Introduction

A man holding a large fish by a lake
Image Details

The American Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), a migratory freshwater fish inhabiting the Mississippi and Missouri river basins, is the last remaining Paddlefish species. Paddlefish are pelagic (midwater) filter-feeding fish inhabiting slow-moving rivers, lakes, and impoundments. They are a long-lived species that can grow to weigh over one hundred fifty pounds and have been documented to migrate over 2,000 miles in the Mississippi River Basin. Their historical range extended from Montana to southwestern New York, and as far south as Louisiana. Throughout their range, Paddlefish populations have faced threats from habitat loss and degradation, commercial harvest for roe and flesh, and a lack of sufficient regulation to conserve populations. The species holds no federally imperiled status or coordination, therefore Paddlefish are managed by the individual states in which they occur. 

In Oklahoma Paddlefish are pursued recreationally, therefore, active management strategies  help maintain healthy Paddlefish populations. Increased interest in Paddlefish conservation stemmed from a 2004 survey conducted by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) to assess the status of Paddlefish populations. Managers collected Paddlefish age data by analyzing dentary bones, and found that Paddlefish recruit episodically, often in response to flood events. This means that Paddlefish reproduce at irregular intervals, only when the conditions are right. Based on this preliminary analysis, biologists and managers have sought to improve understanding of this species by increasing public engagement in research and conservation. 

In 2008, the Paddlefish Research Center (PRC) was established in Miami, Oklahoma, to assess Paddlefish populations in northeastern Oklahoma by utilizing Paddlefish caught by anglers. Anglers bring their fish to the PRC, where staff collect biological data on these fish. ODWC salvages the roe from female Paddlefish to produce caviar and the wholesale revenues benefit conservation programs statewide. In return, the PRC provides anglers with the filets of their catch. In this way, recreational fishing facilitated collaboration between managers and anglers that has provided for increased funding, greater public engagement, and expanded research and conservation efforts in Oklahoma.

Key Issues Addressed

Habitat loss and degradation have contributed to American Paddlefish declines throughout much of their historical range. The effects of damming, commercial harvest, and overharvest have left Paddlefish populations vulnerable. Since Paddlefish do not reproduce at regular intervals, overharvest following a “boom” year for reproduction can limit future Paddlefish population abundance. Paddlefish are currently listed as threatened, endangered, or as a species of special concern in several states. The species is also listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN, and populations are supported by hatchery programs that release captive-bred fish.

Paddlefish are closely related to sturgeons (Acipenseridae) and are valuable to poachers because their eggs, or roe, can be harvested, processed into caviar, and sold. Paddlefish, as a “nongame” species, were not held in high regard by recreational anglers and Oklahoma law once required anglers to keep the fish they caught. Paddlefish’s large, cumbersome size makes them difficult to fillet or transport whole, therefore this hindered the growth of the fishery’s popularity. 

A lack of statewide infrastructure for permitting, reporting, and monitoring harvest left Paddlefish populations at risk of overharvest in Oklahoma. Liberal harvest regulations and a low social value for the species compounded these issues. Because of their episodic recruitment and ongoing threats of illegal harvest and overharvest, Paddlefish require regular monitoring and dynamic management practices to maintain populations. 

Because funding for fisheries management primarily comes from the sale of fishing permits in Oklahoma, and due to the low social value of the Paddlefish for recreational angling, funding for research and conservation of the Paddlefish has been limited. The Paddlefish research previously conducted in Oklahoma was largely in response to public concerns about overfishing of the species and did not include long-term monitoring or investigations into the species’ natural history. The development of the PRC marked a transition from reactive Paddlefish management to a more proactive adaptive management strategy. Adaptive management of Paddlefish populations in Oklahoma involves directly addressing the dynamicity of Paddlefish populations by adjusting angling regulations in accordance.

Project Goals

  • Improve manager’s ability to monitor Paddlefish populations and conduct fundamental biological research regarding the natural history of the species
  • Inform and enact effective management policies statewide in Oklahoma in accordance with ongoing monitoring and research, and feedback from a citizen science network of angler surveys
  • Increase public appreciation for, and engagement with, Paddlefish conservation through direct participation in research facilitated by recreational fishing
  • Fund Paddlefish research and conservation through the sale of harvested Paddlefish roe

Project Highlights

From Angling to Caviar: Roe from female Paddlefish is donated, processed into caviar, and sold to market, with proceeds supporting conservation projects across Oklahoma.

  • Collaboration with Anglers for Data Collection: The relationship built between ODWC and anglers through the PRC allows for bidirectional communication and collaboration between managers and the public. Recreational anglers can provide their harvested Paddlefish to the PRC. The PRC cleans the fish and gives the fillets back to anglers while collecting data on age, genetics, sex, and physical condition. This process allows research to take place without additional impacts to wild fish. These data inform management decisions like yearly and daily take limits.
  • Unique Permit and Reporting System: State regulations were implemented requiring a no-cost permit for anglers to catch Paddlefish. This allowed the PRC to identify those catching Paddlefish and communicate with them directly. It also simplified regulatory enforcement, as only permitted anglers are allowed to target Paddlefish. Harvested Paddlefish must be reported via an online system similar to those used in Oklahoma for big game hunting like deer and elk. 
  • Improved Public Perception: Historically, Paddlefish were held in low regard as a nongame fish in Oklahoma. By 2014, Paddlefish were ranked 14th in popularity among Oklahoma anglers, between Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus). By 2015, anglers from 45 states and Canada had reported targeting Paddlefish in Oklahoma. Non-resident anglers traveled an average of 194 miles, indicating a strong regional Paddlefish fishery. The number of Paddlefish anglers increased by 67% from 2008 to 2015, and recreational Paddlefish angling now has an estimated $18.2 million economic impact in Oklahoma. Managers cite the online reporting system as key to the improved social standing of Paddlefish.
  • Restoring Populations Through Hatchery Programs: At the Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery, Paddlefish are raised to be released into Oklahoma reservoirs. These efforts aim to recover populations of low abundance due to habitat fragmentation or loss, dam construction, or inadequate recruitment.
  • Caviar Production: Roe is collected from female Paddlefish provided to the center. This roe is processed into caviar and sold wholesale. Funds from caviar sales benefit the PRC and other conservation projects across Oklahoma, allowing the PRC to operate without imposing costs to anglers. 

Lessons Learned

The shore of a river
Image Details

The permit addendum system allows the PRC to communicate directly with anglers as well as gather demographic and survey data. ODWC now makes regulatory changes based not only on information from Paddlefish monitoring, but also based on feedback from the public. Early surveys revealed that fewer than 16% of resident anglers contributed around 40% of annual Paddlefish harvests. In response, managers implemented yearly take limits of two Paddlefish to reduce the potential for overharvest while minimizing impacts on 84% of recreational anglers. Managers responded to the growing non-resident angling demand by implementing a mandatory catch-and-release policy on Fridays and Mondays. Direct communication with anglers and data gathered from surveys provided managers the opportunity to integrate angler satisfaction into decision-making processes to ensure a sustainable fishery that aligns recreational angling with species conservation.  

In addition to improving communication between anglers and managers, the use of citizen science at the PRC provided novel insights into Paddlefish life history. Biologists have discovered that Paddlefish in the Oklahoma region tend to be shorter-lived and mature more quickly than Paddlefish elsewhere in their northern range in the upper Missouri River region. For example, biologists have found that female Paddlefish in Oklahoma are at peak reproductive age between 8 and 16, though they have been aged up to 29 years. This finding has important implications for management decisions in Oklahoma when simultaneously considered with their episodic recruitment patterns. A diversity of research on life history, physiology, parasites, movements, genetics, etc. made possible by the PRC has greatly enhanced the knowledge and conservation efforts for Paddlefish in Oklahoma. 

Successful hatchery Paddlefish production required learning to capture fish while minimizing stress. Instead of leaving nets out and catching fish overnight, biologists reduced netting times to less than 3 hours. Further, revisions to traditional fertilization methods improved success rates. Fertilizing ponds for algal growth provided the right food for fish as soon as they hatched. Pond predation was reduced by using nets to deter birds. Revisions to protocols allowed the hatchery to expand production to release over 20,000 fish per year.

Next Steps

  • Reassess management tools that have been employed to protect Paddlefish stocks. Future efforts will be made to ensure that specific management strategies, like catch-and-release days and annual take limits are not redundant, in order to maximize management efficacy without negatively impacting the fishery.
  • Educate the public about the purpose, function, and regulations of management strategies employed. Education campaigns like #hugapaddlefish have been and will continue to be used to educate the public on best practices for managing stress to Paddlefish populations.
  • Use genetic information gathered at the PRC to inform decision making regarding the source population of brood stocks in future efforts to raise Paddlefish.
  • Use side-scan sonar techniques to examine the influences of flow and habitat availability on recruitment of Paddlefish in order to inform management strategies. Further spatial ecology research is seeking to define potential reproductive habitat and the factors that limit Paddlefish utilization of presumably suitable areas.

Funding Partner

Resources

Contacts

  • Jason Schooley, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Paddlefish Research Center, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Jenks/Miami, OK: jason.schooley@odwc.ok.gov
  • Brian Fillmore, Project Leader (Fish Biologist), USFWS Oklahoma Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Tishomingo, OK: brian_fillmore@fws.gov
  • Kerry Graves, USFWS Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery Manager, Tishomingo, OK: kerry_graves@fws.gov
  • Dr. Jim Long, Unit Leader and Adjunct Associate Professor, OK Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK: longjm@okstate.edu
  • Dr. Dennis Scarnecchia, Professor of Fisheries Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID: scar@uidaho.edu

Case Study Lead Author

  • Robin Bradley and Nicolas Katz, CART Student Writers, University of Arizona

Suggested Citation

Bradley, R.G., and Katz., N.A. (2020). “Long-Term Public Collaboration for Paddlefish Recovery in Oklahoma”. CART. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/project/public-collaboration-paddlefish-recovery.

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