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Forensic genetic techniques for enforcement of salmon ESA listings on the West Coast
Forensic genetic techniques for enforcement of salmon ESA listings on the West Coast
Problem Statement
In the field, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Enforcement officers are sometimes
unable to distinguish between salmon populations listed under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA) and those that are unlisted. In those instances, forensic assistance is
required to determine if the ESA has been violated.
Critical Factors
DNA sequence of six salmon
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- Individuals from a listed population can frequently be found co-mingling
with individuals of a population from the same species that is not protected
under the ESA (e.g., wild fish found in the same stream as hatchery fish).
- In cases where no external, physical characters (e.g., a fin clip) distinguish
listed fish from unlisted fish, DNA markers may identify an individual's population
of origin.
- Current fish identification databases are not specific enough for many forensic
cases and must be augmented by this kind of genetic data.
Status of Research
Scientists at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) have developed
molecular techniques for rapidly identifying salmon species using
DNA markers and are now working to identify individual populations
within those species. Genetic databases for individual species make it possible
to estimate the level of resolution that these markers can provide in
determining the population of origin for a given fish. Researchers are also
in the process of compiling genetic data from multiple agencies (e.g., U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Alaska Department of Fish and Game) in order to expand these species databases
for use in pending legal cases and are prepared to collect additional genetic
data for those specific cases where necessary.
Future Considerations
Recent ESA listings in the Puget Sound region, where the impact of human
activities on salmon habitat is high, will lead to increased legal action
on the part of the NMFS's Enforcement Division. As a result, the technical
support provided by researchers at the NWFSC will become increasingly important
because genetic markers are a major tool for determining the population to
which a given fish belongs. Re-searchers at the NWFSC also assist the NMFS
Enforcement Division in documenting evidence of harm to protected salmon populations.
Key Players
Conservation Biology (CB) Division, NWFSC
Enforcement Division, NMFS
National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
U.S. Geological Survey
University of Idaho
Contact: Dr. Michael Ford, Director, CB Division (206/860-5612)
NWFSC Issue Paper CB 6105 (HQ ID 303)
Issue Papers Home
last modified 2002-07-29
Web site owner: Northwest Fisheries Science Center
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