For this episode we take a slightly different path and speak to someone in the commercial fishing industry. Kinsey Justa is the global markets manager for 60 Degrees North Seafoods in Cordova, Alaska. We talk about her role there and a little about how the commercial fishermen operate on the Copper River up in Alaska. Before discussing that, we go over the interesting path that Kinsey took to get from her hometown to where she is now, including studying in Hawaii, backpacking throughout southeast Asia, and working as skiing/snowshoe guide among other activities. Enjoy!

Main Point: Everyone's unique perspectives are important in solving our current problems!

In this episode I chat with Nate Wiese, the current hatchery manager at the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Mora National Fish Hatchery. He works closely with Gila Trout which we cover in this episode after discussing a little of Nate's background studying hedonic price analysis of commercial fish farms and his background with the USFWS. Enjoy!

Main Point: Some people fish their entire lives not knowing it's not the fish that they're after!

This week I again go back to an old friend in Iowa and interview Ryan Hupfeld. He is a large river research biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Prior to his current position he studied Paddlefish in Missouri and on the Missouri River in Iowa. While working on the Missouri River he was also able to work on Pallid Sturgeon. Since moving across the state to work on the Mississippi River he has switched focus to the more common cousin, the Shovelnose Sturgeon. Ryan will soon be breaking out of his comfort zone and working with Yellow Perch on a project he describes towards the end of the episode. I also ask Ryan about a recent trip he was able to take to the U.K. through AFS. Enjoy!

Main Point: Working on a large scale and taking an ecosystem approach is important! 

This week I chat with an old friend of mine, Jeff Kopaska. Jeff is a biometrician with the Iowa DNR Fisheries Division and has had his hand in a number of interesting projects that are helping biologists and anglers alike in Iowa. He is also very involved with the American Fisheries Society and is currently the president-elect of the North Central Division and a member of the membership committee, among other assignments. We discuss some of his view about the current state of the society and where he thinks we are headed in the future. We also discuss a neat story about how Jeff had worked with others in Iowa to restore and preserve a handful of original Maynard Reece paintings that were used to make various prints, like the one used as this episodes image. Enjoy!

Main Point: When you see an opportunity, take it!

In this episode of The Fisheries Podcast I chat with Dr. Hannah Harrison, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Guelph. We discuss the correct pronunciation of routes and data, cover what is social science and human dimensions research and how it relates to fisheries, which was a big part of her dissertation. She has just started her position in Ontario and we go over what she is hoping to accomplish as far as research projects go including a plug for her project Coastal Routes, more information can be found at www.coastalroutes.org. 

Main Point: Fisheries managers and researchers need to be better about communicating the value of their work to those who utilize and care about the fish!

In this episode of The Fisheries Podcast I chat with Jeff Conway, a hatchery manager at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery. We begin talking about his side hobby of restoring Toyota Landcruisers before moving one to his diverse hatchery career where he has raised a variety of fish. Now in Texas he and his crew is attempting to raise freshwater mussels in the hatchery setting. Enjoy!

Main Point: Don't Be Afraid to Take a Risk!

In this episode we hear from Alec Lackmann who will very soon wrap up his Ph.D. work at North Dakota State University. While there Alec studied tundra pond ecology in the high arctic region of Alaska, specifically a variety of projects studying chironomids. We discuss those topics and his research before moving on to one of his side projects back in the Midwest. Alec, out of curiousity, began aging some more overlooked "rough" fish, one of which being the Bigmouth Buffalo. The first fish he aged was much older than he first thought which led him down a path of collaboration and validation. How old were these fish? You'll have to listen to find out!

Main Point: Bigmouth Buffalo are not carp! They are native to North America and are now the oldest freshwater teleost species!

In this episode of The Fisheries Podcast I chat with Tim Birdsong of the Texas Wildlife and Parks Department. We begin by talking about Tim's baseball career. We then start talking about Guadalupe Bass, that state fish of Texas, and all the work that Tim and his cooperators have completed in the past two decades. Towards the end we briefly go over some of the leasing programs that Texas has implemented to increase angler access to some of these newly restored bass populations. Enjoy!

Main Point: Think Big Picture about Watershed Connections and Interactions!

In this episode I chat with Henry Foster about his 15 month long quest to get the Alligator Gar named the state fish of Arkansas. He ultimately succeeded, with the caveat that it be the state primitive fish, a fact that he is not upset about. We discuss his passion for gar and all things fishy. Enjoy!

One Point: Alligator Gar are not trash fish but important pieces of their ecosystem!

A few weeks ago I received an email from a listener wanting to know more about the issues the Minnesota DNR is seeing on Mille Lacs, so I reached out to Tom Heinrich. Tom and I cover some of the invasive species issues they are facing at one of Minnesota's most popular lakes and how those are affecting Walleye resulting in some closures of the Walleye season a few years ago. Things are looking up for Mille Lacs and Tom explains why and more in this episode. Enjoy!

Main Point: Management decisions not only consider science but also social input!