• About Fisheries

• Contact Us

• Find a Fisheries Facility

Aquatic Nuisance Species

Invasive species, including aquatic nuisance species (ANS), are defined as non-native species that have caused or have the potential to cause significant economic or environmental harm or present a threat to human health. Introductions of invasive species have caused significant economic and ecological problems throughout North America. After habitat loss, invasive species are considered the second most significant threat to native species, contributing to Endangered Species Act listings and even the extinction of certain species.

Because they do not recognize political or ownership boudinated efforts are essential to stopping their impacts. Nearly two-thirds of all endangered fish and clams have been impacted by invasive non-native species. Hydropower generation, municipal water supplies, and agricultural irrigation can also suffer tremendous losses from aquatic invaders. Zebra mussels alone were estimated to cost the United States billions of dollars during the 1990s.  Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) funds are available for partnerships with federal, tribal, state, and local governments and agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and businesses. 

The National Invasive Species Council provides national leadership to prevent the introduction of invasive species, provide for their control, minimize the economic, ecological, and human health impacts that invasive species cause. For aquatic invaders, the Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service co-chairs the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, where we work in coordination with other federal agencies and partners to prevent and control aquatic nuisance species and serve as a significant source of federal expertise and support for action-oriented partnerships. One new product of this partnership is "Protect Your Waters," a new website with the latest tips and news about aquatic invaders.

The Fisheries Program provides funding to individual states (California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii) to help implement statewide aquatic nuisance species plans and also funds research on aquatic invasives prevention (e.g., via ballast water management) and nuisance control. Service-funded control efforts in the West currently focus on brown tree snake, Chinese mitten crab, Caulerpa (the "killer algae"), and Salvinia (giant pond weed). The 100th Meridian Initiative to prevent the western spread of the zebra mussel is one of our most important undertakings.

This year we've been able to meet out aquatic nuisance species goals through the following projects:

• Prevent new ANS introductions
• Minimize ANS range expansion and population
  
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also supports a nationwide network of aquatic invasive species experts to help coordinate with our regional and local partners. In the Pacific Region, the "Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Coordinators" are:
  
  Paul Heimowitz, Regional ANS Coordinator
  911 NE 11th Avenue, 6E
  Portland, OR 97232-4181
  Phone: (503) 872-2763
  Email: paul_heimowitz@fws.gov
  Earl Campbell, Pacific Islands Invasive Species Coordinator
  Phone: (808) 541-3441
  Email: earl_campbell@fws.gov
  Erin Williams, California/Nevada ANS Coordinator
  Phone: (209) 946-6400
  Email: erin_williams@fws.gov
  Kevin Aitkin, Pacific Northwest ANS Coordinator
  Phone: (360) 753-9508
  Email: kevin_aitkin@fws.gov
  
  Three primary categories of partnership funds are:
  
  1) 100th Meridian Initiative, which supports collaborative projects designed to prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other ANS to the West http://www.100thmeridian.org/
  2) National ANS control plan implementation (e.g., New Zealand mudsnails)
  3) State ANS management plan implementation (for states with plans approved by the national Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force).  State ANS management plan funding requires a 25% non-federal match, but cost-sharing is encouraged for all ANS projects

• This year the Pacific Region Fisheries Program was able to accomplish a number of partnership projects to help control the spread of ANS to the West. The following is an example of those accomplishments.

  1). Survey of Non-indigenous Aquatic Species in the mid-Columbia and lower Snake Rivers.

  Project: To evaluate the presence and distribution of nonindigenous aquatic species in the mainstem Columbia River between Bonneville Dam and Priest Rapids Dam, and the lower Snake River from the confluence with the Columbia to the upstream end of the Lower Granite Dam pool.

  Outcome: The final report is in its final stage of review and will be ready early 2007. It will provide new insights about ANS distribution and pathways above Bonneville Dam.  This survey supports national strategic goals to measure status and trends of ANS populations, and relates directly to the lower Columbia River survey called for in the National Invasive Species Act of 1996.

  2). New Zealand mudsnail (NZMS) early detection surveys.

  Project: Given the growing problem of NZMS in the Pacific Region and limited information about their distribution in certain areas, funds were used to support mudsnail surveys by the Columbia River Fisheries Program Office, Mid-Columbia Fisheries Resouce Office, and Idaho Fisheries Resource Office within the Columbia Basin, focused on Service hatcheries and their source/receiving waters. 

  Outcomes:  Surveys are still ongoing, but to date no NZMS have been detected outside of the known distribution.  This information supports the draft National NZMS Management and Control Plan.  Increased staff awareness and expertise in NZMS detection have also resulted from this project. 

  3). 100th Meridian Initiative – Outreach and Education

  Projects: The primary Pacific Region Fisheries Program emphasis for FY06 continued to be preventing and detecting potential introductions in the Columbia River Basin.  Funds supported staff at the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Office (WWFWO) and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to conduct outreach at marinas; mainly to boaters, and other water-user audiences.  FY06 funds are also supporting a contractor to develop an educational guide to ANS in the Columbia Basin that should be completed in 2007.  Funding was also used to initiate an Asian carp risk evaluation project led by staff at the WWFWO and Columbia River Fisheries Program Office.  Finally, a significant portion of ANS coordinator time was devoted to developing a zebra mussel rapid response plan for the Columbia Basin. 

  Outcomes: Thousands of “Zap the Zebra” brochures and other zebra mussel materials were distributed in the Columbia Basin via the FWS Lewis and Clark outreach van and other outreach efforts.  A working draft zebra mussel rapid response plan for the Columbia River Basin has been posted on-line at: http://www.100thmeridian.org/ColumbiaRT.asp

  4). Development and implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans

  Project: During FY06, funds were primarily used to create a new partnership with the Bozeman Fish Technology Center(BFTC).  During the remainder of FY06 and the first half of FY07, the BFTC ANS Coordinator will provide training and technical assistance to ensure completion of ANS HACCP plans at all Pacific Region National Fish Hatcheries and Fish Health Centers, and Abernathy Fish Technology Center. The Pacific Region ANS Coordinator also continued to provide training and technical support on HACCP.

  Outcome:  20 natural resource agency staff (including the service), working in the Columbia Basin, completed a two-day HACCP training.  A new partnership was established with the Bozeman FTC, and initial site visits have been scheduled to begin the process of completing HACCP plans for Pacific Region Fisheries stations in the Columbia Basin

  5). 100th Meridian Initiative – Training and Identification

  Project:  Recent ANS interceptions in the West illustrate how law enforcement professionals can play a critical role in detection and elimination of zebra mussels carried by watercraft. FY06 funds were used to supplement a successful program launched in FY05 to train and engage this law enforcement audience. 

  Outcomes:  In partnership with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and many other organizations, training programs were delivered to law enforcement professionals during FY06 in Oregon and Idaho. This project leveraged additional funding by EPA to produce a related 40 minute training video.

  6). 100th Meridian Initiative – Zebra Mussel Monitoring

  Description:  Despite efforts to prevent the introduction of zebra mussels west of the 100th Meridian, it is also necessary to provide sufficient early detection capacity as a back-up strategy in order to facilitate rapid response.  There are now a number of detection-focused monitoring programs in Western states, ranging from local veliger sampling to the regional zebra mussel substrate program administered by Portland State University.  Several years ago, the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Office (WWFWO) began an effort to track zebra mussel monitoring programs in a comprehensive database, with the aim of identifying gaps in detection efforts. This effort has now transitioned into a web-based system http://100thmeridian.org/monitoring.asp
  managed by the Service’s South West Region, with additional support still provided by the WWFWO. 

  Outcomes: A pilot web-based database populated with records from Portland State University’s program and several other partnership watershed survey efforts.

  7).  New Zealand Mudsnail Control and Management

  New Zealand mudsnails (NZMS) now infest the water supply of the Hagerman National Fish Hatchery (NFH) as well as a number of state hatcheries in Idaho. Although hatcheries have developed and implemented HACCP plans to reduce their spread of mudsnails, they lack sufficient tools to control these small invaders.  Avoiding inadvertent transfer of NZMS during fish stocking operations is particularly challenged by the demonstrated ability of these snails to survive passage through the digestive tract of fish.

  Project:   To address these problems, FY06 funds were used to further studies at the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.  The project is continuing to evaluate depuration techniques for fish that consume NZMS, as well as water disinfection methods using ozone, carbon dioxide, and centrifugal force.  In addition, funds were used to support a new angler outreach program for the recently discovered NZMS population in the Deschutes River.

  Outcomes:  A workshop to evaluate existing control options in Hagerman, Idaho has led to new partnerships with U.S. Geological Survey to test carbon dioxide and centrifugal action, including significant in-kind support.  Information on these projects has been disseminated via a number of meetings and conferences.  The Deschutes River project has received additional funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.  A new publication on reducing the spread of NZMS by natural resource field personnel was developed and disseminated in partnership with Oregon State University.