Interesting Belizean Freshwater Fish

I once had a biology professor who said you can't measure a 50 foot well with a 40 foot rope. At the time he was answering complaints about the extreme difficulty of his examinations. That folksy old proverb applies in other contexts as well.

For instance, every time Placencia Lagoon is sampled, more species show up.



This is the Mayan cichlid (locally known as "tuba" in Belize). They are as common as dirt but we had never collected them in heavily brackish water areas until recently. A favored food fish, tuba have been put on the short list for indigenous aquaculture in Belize.




This is the pike killifish, also common, but a first find in brackish water in the lagoon. This little fellow is only three inches long and is related to the common platys you can buy in a pet shop. This species of killifish, however, has evolved a pike-like mouth designed for capturing large prey. Awesome.

I have no idea what this is. I'm pretty sure it is a pupfish, but the closest I can get to it in the keys says the spots should have a black ring around them. They don't. So I'm not sure about the status of this one.

What I am sure about is that the lagoon needs more sampling and a better understanding of what is actually there. Every time the lagoon is sampled, more species show up in the collections. At this rate, the lagoon will eventually pass the entire state of Illinois for total fish diversity.

LeapFrog Enterprises. Meet the Better Business Bureau

So The Aunt buys The Daughter a Christmas gift...

Clearly from the the label on the box, we can see this product is the "Tag Reading System" made by LeapFrog Enterprises of Emeryville California. Apparently it audibly "reads" words when you apply a special electronic pen to specific spots in a specially prepared book.

Unfortunately, no one in our family knows that for sure because the "Tag Reading System" made by LeapFrog Enterprises of Emeryville California is apparently not included in the box of this product labeled "Tag Reading System". Of course, The Aunt should have known that when she bought the product, because the warning is right at the bottom of the box in giant print approaching (or perhaps even exceeding!) a full millimeter in height.

Silly Aunt! Anyone with a functional microscope can clearly see that you're not getting the "Tag Reader System" when you buy this box labeled "Tag Reader System".

So despite the picture of the electronic reader pen featured prominently all over the box,

despite the heavy, opaque, oversized packaging (for 6 thin, cheap books)...

despite the label that says "Tag Reader System"...

...when you pay for this product, you're not getting a "Tag Reader System"!

If you want a functional "Tag Reader System", you have to go back to the store and buy a "Tag Reader System" in another box....apparently for an additional 50 bucks and presumably also labeled "Tag Reader System".

Frankly, our family has other plans. We will be spending that money on New Year's fireworks (to which we will strap our "Tag Reader System" of LeapFrog Enterprises, Emeryville California, in hopes of never seeing it again).

I wonder if Dreamworks and Dr. Seuss know you are marketing their products this way. Maybe they should.

Merry Christmas.

More notes on Laughing Bird Caye (yes, Caye)

Twenty-one years ago, some of my first experiences diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean were on Laughing Bird Caye (the Belizean spelling of "key" is "caye"). In the intervening years, the island has evolved into a national park, staffed and monitored by rangers and biologists of the Southern Environmental Association (SEA).

As my career developed, my training has focused more on inland ecology and fisheries issues. As a result, my excuses to travel out to the cayes have been limited. I usually work somewhere close to shore and usually in the mud and slop. The Mesoamerican reef is still a bit of a mythological place to me.

So this trip to caye was a bit of an event. It was my first time back to a memorable place in over 21 years...

...and the changes were astonishing to say the least.

In the picture above, schoolmaster snapper and ceaser's grunt are packed in huge numbers under the rotted stalk of elkhorn coral. Both the numbers of fish and the condition of the coral are noteworthy.

To an untrained observer, the picture above may seem idyllic. Mountains of coral rising up in clear water as far as the eye can see. But look closer. The coral is dead. Instead of vibrant colors of living animals, a dull green coat of algae predominates. The average amount of live coral cover on the Mesoamerican reef is about 11% these days (and often lower). In the 80s, when I first came here, live coral cover was 60%.

This trend is echoed all over the planet. Coral is in rapid decline almost everywhere on Earth. Experts estimate that within 50 years, all of it could be extinct. I could not have gotten a more dramatic personal demonstration of what that means than I did on this dive.

The devastation can be gut wrenching at times.

When I was here in the 80s, this was a brilliant forest of coral. These crumbling piles of calcium carbonate...forbearance prohibits further comment.

For now, however, the fish are still spectacular. Laughing Bird Caye is a completely protected marine reserve, staffed 24 hours with rangers who prevent any illegal activities. Fishing is prohibited.

The hope is that by protecting an area along the reef, fish populations can rebuild by having a safe haven to grow and perhaps reproduce. Coupled with protection for spawning aggregations, the marine reserve system on the Mesoamerican reef is the best hope for conserving fish and fisheries all along the reef.

The evidence that is working is clear. There are far more fish here now than there were in the 80s.

This is a terminal phase stoplight parrotfish fish with an attached remora. I saw him in the first 5 minutes in the water. The subsequent spectacle of piscine diversity was unrelenting thereafter.

Nassau grouper, here fled to a niche in the coral, are in serious decline on the Mesoamerican Reef due to overfishing. These were a mainstay of they artisanal fishery in the 80s but are rarely seen now outside the park.

Princess parrotfish doing what they do best. Eating turf algae. The noise of grinding and chewing by parrotfish was a constant background rhythm as it is on coral reefs over the world.

By grazing on algae, these and other herbivores on the reef remove competitors with live coral and improve the condition of the reef. The pulverized calcium carbonate that comes out in their feces is the primary source for the soft beach sands for which the cayes and Mayan Riviera are famous (That's right. Those beaches are a tourist attraction created by fish poop.). In recent years even this fish had crept into the fishery harvest, bad news for the health of coral reefs. New legislation in Belize prevents all harvest of these species for fisheries purposes.

Trumpetfish. I saw my first one at Laughing Bird Caye. They're still there.

Here's a beautiful school of yellowtail snapper and goatfish, another mainstay of the artisanal fishery.

Juvenile grunts in schools of tens of thousands. Astonishing.

Juvenile stoplight parrotfish (showing off their colors and the reason for their name) plus blue tang and doctor fish. For some reason, these herbivores were quite excited about this little clump of dead coral. The chewing was deafening.

The last picture here is of a mixed school, composed primarily of french grunts. The coral in the background is still alive...for now.

So now the preachy part begins. This is where the forbearance ends. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to click on something else. Frankly, some people are due for a beating here.

It is still fashionable in some quarters in the United States to quibble about global warming and our effect on the climate of the planet. "Who cares if the temperature rises a few degrees?" "What's the harm of a little extra CO2?"

Here. Here is the harm. The entire foundation of one of the most diverse and spectacular ecosystem types on the planet is being destroyed right now. Right. Now.

Sure. You can try to point to other causes. Sun screen. Tourists wear sunscreen and that harms coral. Of course, places that barely have tourists also have coral decline. Maybe its' coastal pollution? Right. Look at the water clarity here and explain to me how that's polluted water.

Explain how an 82% decline in coral was caused by that. All over the planet. All over the last 30 years.

And if you're one of the people who are still insisting the climate data is all fabricated and the whole global warming scenario is a ruse, the time has long since past for you to wake up. Virtually every major scientific organization in the WORLD is lying to you about global climate change? Really? Please. Seek help. Yesterday.

These fish represent the economy of nations. This is our planet's natural heritage.

The ecosystem they depend upon is being destroyed despite the best efforts of the people who depend upon them. By creating safe harbors like Laughing Bird Caye National Park, the country of Belize has helped the numbers of fish hang in there for now. But once the bones of the coral are washed away entirely, what will happen then? What comes next?

The outcome seems inevitable unless something changes. Now.

Merry Christmas.

Fish of the Year, 2009

This year presents some unusual challenges for the annual "Fish of the Year" (FOTY) selection. There was a bit of a transition from my usual Illinois smallmouth fishing to Belizean artisanal scene. Some true monsters were in the crowd this year along with some fun trips with the Barbie Pole and the daughter. Selecting from that group will be quite the challenge.

The list of nominees includes:

1. The monster snook from hell: Had this fish been caught by normal methods, I am quite sure it would have been the winner for the 2009 fish of the year contest. Unfortunately, this was a fish of low virtue, gotten by ignoble means. Chasing it through shallow water and diving on its' back would clearly disqualify it for any type of angling record. It was also caught in a pollution reduction impoundment. The Anachronism can just hear the Fly Fishing Federation issuing a collective snort of derision. Rather than bragging about this fish, I will need a bit of work to repair my reputation from this episode. Sorry, monster snook from hell, you are morally dis-qualified from contention for the 2009 fish of the year.

2. Hundreds of pan fish caught on the Barbie pole: These fish are serious contenders. The daughter had a good time. The Barbie Pole taught me a lesson in humility and fashion awareness. It was a nice memory that will be cherished forever. Yet no specific fish stands out here. Barbie pole fish are gladly added to the list of nominees, but these do not quite rise to the level of a single "fish of the year".

3. Gulf Toadfish uglies up the boat: Gross. No way.

4. Nice smallmouth from River X caught with Jeff Douglas: These. Were some seriously fun trips with a gem of a human being on one of my favorite rivers. A few of those smallmouth were substantial fish as well. But none of them reached the mythical 20" mark and Jeff pretty much schooled me all year long (despite his modest protestations to the contrary). I'll leave those fish of the year for Jeff. He deserves them.

5. Trunkfish juvenile from Placencia Lagoon: Given the course of events this year, it was more or less inevitable that the fish of the year would come from Placencia Lagoon. This one was caught with a purse seine with Eli Romero and Jocelyn Finch in a turtle grass patch near Maggie's Caye. In a way it represents the Placencia Lagoon fish nursery story. Many of the charismatic and commercially important species on the Mesoamerian Reef come from modest origins like Placencia Lagoon. You never know what will pop up there. Maybe it will be a monster goliath grouper...

...or maybe it will be something that looks much more like a pea than a fish.

Congratulations, juvenile trunkfish from Maggie's Caye. You are the Happy Anachronism's fish of the year for 2009.

The Anachronism Turns 10,000

Ten thousand years ago, modern agriculture began and the course of human history was changed forever. Some time today or tomorrow, the Happy Anachronism will record its' 10,000th hit....

...clearly, there is no connection between those 2 events.

You also won't win anything for being the 10,000th visitor here. Sorry.

It does seem, however, to be a good excuse for more geeky bloggy introspection.

Navel gazing...begin.

When I started posting on here about a year and a half ago, I had no idea what form this blog would take. I still don't. It's pretty much the same disorganized mass of chaos you would expect from a disorganized mass of chaos that is my life.

Yet there is some structure behind this all...albeit an easily distracted and organic one. Things in my head or camera fall out onto the ethersphere. Apparently some people...god help you...seem to find that kind of thing interesting. I could trundle along in this vein for some time I suppose, but it seems I have to make some decisions.

Other blogs I've been watching are dropping out and changing. I have too.

My professional interests are seeping into the text almost every week. Am I getting off topic? Do people really want to hear about fisheries in Belize? Do they care about how many mangroves I planted and how many scorpions bit me this week? Hmmm. The web traffic is up considerably of late, so I assume you do. The work-related stuff stays.

Should I be trying to make money off the blog?

Somehow that seems wrong. I don't like ads cluttering up the edges of the page. I also don't want to shill for companies on here. I really don't have much interest in promoting this lure over that lure or this lodge over that lodge. The advertising is still out.

Or maybe I should explain what exactly a "Happy Anachronism" is?

It's a terrible thing to explain a joke, but there is a specific reason this blog has that name. If you've been paying attention you should be able to figure it out. I think I'll pass on that one too.

Other blogs. I'm losing some of my best bloggers to privacy issues and disinterest. Where are the other geeky conservation-oriented blogs? Who out there is thinking and fishing at the same time?

Maybe that's an area where I need to make an effort.

I'd like to hear your opinion. Who's got a tasteful, worth-while blog that I should list here? Be prepared to argue your case, but I'd really like to know what you think is interesting.

In the meantime, I think there is some kayaking to be done in this lagoon out here....

Anachronism out.

Laughing Bird Caye

Scenes from a snorkle at Laughing Bird Caye National Park, Belize, Central America.

French angelfish, stoplight parrotfish, princess parrotfish, doctorfish, blue tang and others...
Spiny lobster.
Houndfish at the surface.
School of barjack.
Hogfish in hunting colors.
French grunt.

Nationalism and Fisheries

There are rare moments when one is granted access to the inner logic of a place. This last week was just such a time for me.

Fishing is rooted in the psyche of Belize. The ability to make a living by paddling out to sea and dropping a line has been a background expectation of life in Belize long before it was a nation. For years now, the consensus among fishers and fisheries professionals has been that the resource is declining, in large part due to overfishing and encroachments from neighboring nations. So when boat loads of Jamaicans (or anyone else) with fish traps piled to the sky and a contract to buy 40,000 pounds of fish a year for the next 15 years appears in a Belizean harbor, they can expect to get a reaction. And they did.

A meeting in Punta Gorda Town organized by the Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment was attended by over 150 people on Wednesday this week. Fishers, village folk, Non-governmental organizations, town officials, tour guides and just about every other segment of Belizean society showed up to voice their displeasure at the contract.

The Jamaicans (the man in blue behind the man at the mic) tried to sell their case. Several people said they would sabotage the Jamaican fishers in the field. Economic experts hammered the proposal. Tour guides hammered the proposal. Environmental groups hammered the proposal. A line of ladies of a certain age sitting by the witness’ microphone offered a steady stream of heckling ridicule toward the proposal. The Belizean Fisheries Department tried to distance themselves from the proposal and by the end of the meeting for all intents and purposes the full content of that proposal was effectively dead (although a fish processing facility is still on the table and may well be approved).

There's an interesting audio of that meeting somewhere on the internet. I'll try to post it.

However.

Belize is still a signatory to Caricom agreements and other trade agreements that allow for this kind of export. Venezuela and Taiwan (both huge benefactors of the Belizean Government) are both waiting in the wings to try for similar contracts.

For the foreseeable future places like Belize will be caught in the tightening scramble to extract resources from depleted oceanic fisheries.

Such are our times.