Frequently-Asked Questions
(FAQ)
Prepared by the Black Duck AHM Working Group
What is Adaptive Harvest Management and how would it help in the management
of black ducks?
Management of American black ducks (Anas rubripes) has been hampered by
a lack of understanding regarding the factors affecting black duck abundance.
This has resulted in disagreements among stakeholders about
whether to use hunting regulations to arrest the large-scale decline of black
ducks and ultimately how to provide sustainable hunting opportunities. Adaptive
harvest management (AHM) is a process for making effective regulatory decisions
in the face of uncertainty about black duck ecology while helping to ensure
that uncertainty is reduced as regulatory experience is accumulated.
You can learn more about the concepts of AHM at
http://www.consecol.org/Journal/vol3/iss1/art8/ .
What is the Black Duck AHM Working Group, what is its mission, and who
serves on it?
The AHM Working Group was formed to investigate how the U.S. and Canada
might cooperate in an adaptive approach to the management of black duck sport
harvests. The Working Group was formed by, and provides technical advice
to, the Black Duck International Harvest Strategy Committee (HSC). The HSC
is comprised of seven representatives from the Canadian Wildlife Service,
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyway
Councils. The Working Group includes the seven members of the HSC along with
others who are involved in developing the technical aspects of the effort.
What is motivating the search for an international harvest strategy?
Black ducks, like other migratory waterfowl, are managed under international
treaty. Concerns about the status of black ducks have existed for years,
but there are differences of opinion about the extent to which harvest is
responsible for changes in abundance and distribution. Managers in both
the U.S. and Canada have recognized the need for a coordinated strategy
for the harvest of black ducks that recognizes (1) geographic differences
in stakeholder interests, and (2) uncertainty about the role harvest plays
in influencing black duck populations.
What is the HSC's responsibilities and authorities in developing and
implementing a strategy?
The HSC is, or reports directly to, the individuals in the state, provincial,
and federal regulatory agencies responsible for recommending any changes
in harvest regulations, and for the implementation of AHM for black ducks.
Ultimate authority resides with the Secretary of Interior (for the U.S.)
and the Minister of the Environment (for Canada), as established under international
treaty.
What is the AHM Working Group trying to achieve?
The purpose of the Working Group is to investigate possible approaches
to the adaptive management of black duck harvests. At this point it is unclear
whether an adaptive approach will be implemented.
Who is doing the technical work on Black Duck AHM?
Technical work on Black Duck AHM is under the direction of Dr Michael
Conroy of the University of Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research
Unit. Dr. Conroy is assisted by Christopher Fonnesbeck, Ph.D. student, and
Nathan Zimpfer, M.S. student, both of the University of Georgia. Funding
for the University of Georgia research project is provided by the USGS, CWS,
and USFWS, under the auspices of the Black Duck Joint Venture.
What are the sources of uncertainty in black duck ecology that cause
disagreement about appropriate hunting regulations?
Although evidence exists that harvest has contributed to overall mortality
of black ducks, at present the role of hunting in the
decline of the Black Duck population is unclear. The other major factors
under consideration include impacts of mallard range expansion, and declines
in the availability of breeding and wintering habitats. These factors have
been summarized by several competing hypotheses that explain changes in reproduction
and survival rates in terms of combinations of these factors.
Is AHM now being used to set regulations for Black Ducks in the U.S.
and Canada?
No. At present we are developing methods for black duck AHM, and evaluating
alternative scenarios under which AHM might be tried. When will AHM for
black ducks become operational? A final technical report will be provided
to the HSC by June 2003. The decision of if and when AHM for black ducks
is implemented rests with the various state, provincial, and federal regulatory
authorities in consultation with the Flyway Councils
How does AHM for black ducks relate to the management of mallards?
Under the mallard competition hypothesis, changes in mallard populations
affect the status of black ducks, and thus need to be considered in setting
regulations for black ducks. Also, AHM regulations in the U.S. are
currently based on the status of mallards. Ultimately, there will be a need
to consider how the U.S. regulatory strategy based on mallards might be adjusted
to accommodate management objectives for black ducks.
How are you dealing with the decline in the number of hunters over the
last 25 years?
We are in the process of incorporating hunter numbers into models that
explain variation in black duck survival rates. So far it appears that
these models perform better than models that use only harvest regulations
to predict harvest rates.
Will you account for variation in the status and biology of black ducks
among different parts of its range?
Yes. We are presently developing models which include spatial stratification
of breeding into western (where black duck declines have been steepest,
and mallard influences strongest ) and eastern (more stable, and less influenced
by mallards) components.
What are the time frame and benchmarks for completing the effort?
The project began in June, 1999. A preliminary and an interim report were
produced in June 2000. Plans are to evaluate model resolution/ management
scale by Dec. 2001, and to produce a working AHM protocol by September 2002.
A draft Final Report will be produced by March 2003, and a Final
Report with recommendations by June 2003.
Where can I get more information on this effort?
More information about black duck biology and the effort to explore an adaptive
approach to harvest management is posted on this web site.
