Economic effects of predation by scaup on baitfish and sportfish farms

Abstract

Fish‐eating birds have been found to consume baitfish and sportfish raised on farms in the United States. Understanding the on‐farm economic effects of such wildlife conflicts is essential for wildlife management agencies to make informed decisions. Lesser scaup, while not widely considered a fish‐eating bird, will consume farmed fish. Baitfish and sportfish farms in Arkansas (the major baitfish and sportfish producing‐state in the U.S.) were surveyed to gather data on the cost of protecting farm crops from scaup. The values of lost sales revenue from the various species of baitfish and sportfish consumed by scaup were estimated based on a concomitant field study on the abundance, distribution, and dietary habits of scaup that visited Arkansas baitfish and sportfish farms during winters of 2016–2017 and 2017–2018. Economic effects were estimated for golden shiner, fathead minnow, sportfish, and goldfish farms. Total annual costs to scare birds from baitfish and sportfish farms were $622 ± 742 per ha. The greatest components of bird‐scaring costs were manpower (56%), truck usage (32%), levee upkeep for vehicle access to scare birds (9%), firearms and ammunition (2%), and pyrotechnic devices (1%). The combined annual economic losses, calculated as reduced revenue from fish losses to scaup plus expenditures to scare birds, averaged $683/ha for golden shiners, $695/ha for fathead minnows, $663/ha for sportfish, and $673/ha for goldfish across the two study years. The fish losses to scaup alone averaged $1.06 million per year ($0.09 million in Year 1 and $2.03 million in Year 2) for the Arkansas baitfish industry. Total direct negative economic effects on the Arkansas baitfish industry were estimated to be, on average, $5.5 million per year ($4.6 in Year 1 and $6.3 million in Year 2).

A regulatory cost assessment of ornamental aquaculture farms in Florida

“…Production losses because of fish-eating predators on ornamental aquaculture farms in Florida were the second highest production loss category because of regulations reported by farms ($6.5 million), with the value of production losses averaging $217,064 per farm. By comparison, production losses of catfish because of fish-eating birds were estimated to average $47.2 million annually in addition to expenditures to scare birds from farms of $17.5 million annually (Engle et al, 2020a) and $1.1 million annually on baitfish/sportfish farms in Arkansas alone in addition to expenditures on bird-scaring of $4.4 million per year (Engle et al, 2020b), although results varied from year-to-year. The USFWS currently administers a program where producers can be issued a permit to trap, remove, or dispose of nuisance migratory birds, which would otherwise be protected under federal law (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2019b).…”

Cost of regulations on US catfish farms

“…Yet catfish farms are not compensated under federal assistance programs for such losses, in stark contrast to relief provided to other livestock sectors. Further efforts to include catfish in such compensation programs are needed (Engle, Christie, et al, 2021; Engle, Clements, et al, 2021). More frequent federal roost dispersal activities are needed to reduce congregation of piscivorous birds from fish farms (Mott & Boyd, 1995).…”

“…The non-lethal activities used to scare birds from farms simply move birds within the farm or to a neighboring farm. Increased costs arising from federally protected birds is a reverse externality arising from previous public investments (Engle, Clements, et al, 2021) to clear wetland areas in the Mississippi River Delta (flood control levee systems; clearing for agricultural development, and urbanization). Although federal efforts to protect piscivorous migratory birds accomplished large-scale success, the significant negative economic aftermaths from rising numbers of piscivorous birds fall heavily on catfish farms.…”