Four Devils Hole Pupfish have a new home at the newly restored Point of Rocks Refugium on Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge as part of an all-out state and federal initiative
On December 13, 2006, fishery biologists from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife successfully transferred four adult Devils Hole pupfish (2 females and 2 males) from Devils Hole, Death Valley National Park, to the newly restored Point of Rocks Refugium. The translocation activity was recommended to upper management directors from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife during a multi-agency meeting held in August 2006.
“The successful transfer and establishment of a population of pupfish at a location outside of Devils Hole provides an additional security measure against the possible extinction of the species,” said Bob Williams, Field Supervisor for Fish and Wildlife Service in Nevada.
The Point of Rocks Refugium, located on the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, had been a successful pupfish habitat in the past. The refugium has been renovated prior to the transfer of pupfish in order to remove non-native snails, implement measures to prevent the snails from re-invading the refugium in the future, and to re-establish organisms for the pupfish to feed upon before they could be transferred to the facility. These restoration activities were completed in September 2006.
“I support the team’s recommendation and the action being taken to improve the pupfish’s chances for survival,” said Death Valley National Park Superintendent JT Reynolds.
Based on the success of the first stocking of 4 pupfish, a second transfer will move an additional 8 pupfish (4 males and 4 females) from Devils Hole in approximately two weeks for a total of 12 individuals. The transfer of these individuals is an effort to try and reestablish a population of pupfish outside of their native habitat of Devils Hole in order to increase the population of pupfish.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
