The Role of the AFS Piscicide Course and Rotenone SOP Manual in the Recovery of Endemic Species

At the recommendation of fish and wildlife agencies, the American Fisheries Society in 2007 began instructing biologists on planning & executing successful piscicide projects.  This 4 ½ day course meets the U.S. EPA’s requirements that rely on standard operating procedures for the use of rotenone and antimycin and is based on the recent AFS Rotenone SOP Manual.   The AFS Rotenone SOP Manual implements new label restrictions resulting from the latest reregistration process, and the Manual is required labeling by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Biologists throughout North America, Europe, New Zealand, and South Africa have received this training and consider the Manual the standard for piscicide applications as evidenced by the diverse talks given today.   Piscicides, primarily rotenone, have been used around the world to recover indigenous populations of Atlantic Salmon plagued by a devastating ecoparasite, native trout species of western North America impacted by introgression and competition from nonnative trout, and highly endemic South African minnows predated upon by nonnative sunfish and trout.  These efforts have involved the eradication of nonnative fish from a small isolated terminal lake to entire drainages--all made possible by the AFS training and SOP Manual, both of which were developed by practitioners for practioners.