Goals and plans: The goal is to get these fish into the wild here in Florida, or at least stimulate some kind of aquaculture here in Florida. It is a kind of a "kill three birds with one stone" idea. Providing a sustainable habitat for a vulnerable species (the price we pay for river dams and levies), promoting habitat improvement for established species, and advancing an aquaculture industry at the same time. This idea is similar to the Oklahoma project where the state fish and game department is bringing in over $1 million per year, accept on a different level. The plan is to explore all aspects of this goal and present the final analysis to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission for their approval or recommendations DEF. They can hardly be expected to make any rational or responsible decision based on information that is not complete. It is unlikely that there will ever be an aquiculture of this species in Florida unless the fish is allowed into the wild; because of the space required to grow them in, and the hazard of the law coming down on the farms if one happens to show up in the wild. At this point there is zero reason to believe that this can NOT be accomplished and EVERY reason to promote this effort. Consider this to be a living document that will constantly be changing.

Ecosystem Balance: How do you turn one million dollars of "stimulus" into one billion dollars in revenue? How do you put Florida on the map as the leading food fish producer and put an entire tribe of Indians to work with good paying jobs? At the same time; save the endangered Florida wildlife, solve the alligator problems here in Florida, double their population, keep them in the swamps where they belong, double the wild bird population, game fish population, frog population, or anything else the 1.5 million plus alligators are eating now? One large fish costing $4.00 could be equal to; 20 birds, 100 fish, 20 turtles, 100 frogs, 1 Panther, etceteras within a food web profile. How do you create a new game fish from a vulnerable "transplants" species? Florida tropical fish farmers and paddlefish caviar.

Tourism: Swim with the paddlefish, Disney World attraction? They may be cute and friendly but still it is just a fish. This is not a restoration project. Because of the established laws, and potential competition between states, the paddlefish will be sterilized so they can not reproduce. However the results might be a relief of pressures on wild fish populations up north. Why bother the wild fish when you can take a vacation in Florida, snag your years supply of caviar, have a lot of fun, and stories to tell your friends at the fish fry. Your everglades guide will be a long term friend. The left over carcass from harvesting can be rendered into fuel oil, and animal feed. Every ounce of this fish has a useful purpose, even the excretion as algae pellets will serve as food for the other life forms in the Florida sunshine. Maybe the tourist at one of the attractions in Orlando would like to see an all American, jurassic park, 100 pound fish, with no teeth or destructive fins. You could purchase a belt or hat made from the hide.

Positive results: Paddlefish have zero negative impact in the environment (Environmentally Sound) and are in fact beneficial. Cumulative effects are progressively positive and would only last as long as the fish are alive, 30 years maximum, after the final release. No matter what the results of this experiment are, a one time investment will yield long term benefits. As a filter feeder, (like whales) they filter the water from suspended particles and they serve as a template for pollution control. Filter feeders can play an important role by clarifying water. They thrive on micro foods, suspended in the water, and could never be caught on a fishing pole with bait like other fish. They are also a natural check to the algal bloom. Baby fish seek to eat small crustaceans like baby Grass shrimp, Daphnia and mosquito larva. Larger fish eat even smaller filtered food like mosquito larva and algae from open waters. They would rather starve to death than eat another fish. It is precisely this eating arrangement that makes them likely candidates for a breeding in Florida. Grass shrimp are plentiful in Florida waters and non existent in the traditional habitat of the Mississippi River system. Regular monitoring of meat and roe will provide an early warning for any negative conditions within the Florida environment. Paddlefish (up to 100 pounds each) can be tagged, and tested; thereby provide tracking for environmental feedback. True; there is maybe little if any incentive to halt production in the event that a sampling shows positive for excessive mercury contamination. I don't hear anyone saying don't eat the bass that you caught in Lake Okeechobee. Currently, no human consumption of any everglades sport fish is recommended. Long term release of new fish and jaw bone rings evaluations will allow a living record of the health of the environment or ecosystem.

A lifetime of research tells us that paddlefish are among the strongest fish on the planet. Here on earth, 50 million years before the dinosaurs even showed up, they remain unchanged as the perfect animal. Paddlefish are closely related to sharks and if they stop swimming or if water is not flowing across the gills on a continuous basis they will die. Paddlefish have a highly advanced immune system that is similar to humans and a unique way of finding food with electromagnetic radiation sensors or see (they hear and see with their nose) as a potential means for control or training. They prefer waste water conditions where the micro organisms thrive. Sugar cane and sewage treatment runoff would be perfect for them. Being food energy efficient, these very high tech fish could perform a vital function for the Florida ecosystem. The Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program may find that this can be a valuable asset to their comprehensive approach. Considering that the paddlefish will eat mosquito larva and algae in very large quantity then the pesky mosquitofish will no longer have such a large food supply. With any kind of luck the birds that will eat the mosquitofish will make a big come back. Mosquitofish "Gambusia" have a natural toxin in their skin that will make fish that eat them sick; they also harbor heavy metals, and pesticides within their body. Gambusia are extremely aggressive and eat the eggs and larvae of other fish and amphibians. The Gambusia would much rather eat fish eggs than mosquitoes that make up only a small percentage of their overall diet. Mosquitofish are one of the most destructive fish known to man and beast.

Disease and Risk Assessment: The only potential hazard might be having a 100 pound fish land in your boat as you are cruising down the canal. I don't think there is any recorded history of such a thing happening with paddlefish. They are hyper sensitive to sounds and tend to stay to the cool bottom anyway. This is unlike the Manatee that gets in the way of propellers or the carp that freaks out of the water. Spawning season is the only time of the year that they might be in sufficient numbers to be considered crowded and the worst case might be them acting like a speed bump that will slow you down every time. Might save a few Manatees. Safety in numbers is the only predator defense the paddlefish has. I don't know much about the physiology of the Manatee, but although the paddlefish is not a mammal, the transfer of disease to each other should be looked into. Both animals have skin and advanced robust immune systems. They might be hanging out together in the fresh water areas or develop a type of co-herding arrangement. Perhaps the very sensitive paddlefish will alert the Manatees to the advancement of boats or allow them some form of training.

The advantages of having an isolated ecosystem from the rest of the nation are great. Often the difference between a warm water disease and a cold water disease can be the survival of a species. If in the event of a pandemic of disease in the northern states, then Florida could provide a gene pool for replenishment. In the event that the pandemic were to infest Florida then the other states would be isolated simply because there are no paddlefish here in south and central Florida in the first place. The normal Mississippi river system has virtually no connection to the Florida everglades (Florida Panhandle excluded). If there were a connection then the paddlefish would already be in south Florida. Florida could conceivably immerge as the savior of this ancient species. If we are going to have a dinosaur park then we might as well do it right, why should the alligators get all the glory anyway. At least the paddlefish will not eat your dog. However, if you are studying parasites of the Florida everglades then you might honestly be able to say "the paddlefish ate my homework".

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