1 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News Headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. This 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: is Cow's Week in Review with Ryan cow Klah Here's 3 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: cal A new study is found that dogs can detect 4 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: chronic wasting disease with nothing more than their legendary noses. 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: The study, published in the Plus one Journal last month, 6 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: describes how researchers trained six shelter dogs in a laboratory 7 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: and field settings to sniff out the always fatal neurodegenerative disease. 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: The researchers started by obtaining hundreds of fecal samples from 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: both farmed white tail deer and deer killed by hunters 10 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: in western Tennessee. The dogs were walked down a line 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: of five boxes, only one of which contained poop from 12 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: an infected deer. The dogs were able to detect CWD 13 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: with ninety percent accuracy by scenting a metabolic change that 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: occurs when deer get an infected with the preon disease. 15 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: To a dog, CWD poop smells different, sort of like 16 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: how you always know when your roommate in college head 17 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: etn Taco bell, cheap beans and plastic cheese gives off 18 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: a distinct aroma after passing through the digestive tract doesn't 19 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: it anyway. Once the dogs were trained to detect CWD 20 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: and deer poop, they were given intestinal samples to sample. 21 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: In one portion of the study of the dogs correctly 22 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,919 Speaker 1: identified CWD in deer colons with ninety six percent accuracy. 23 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: At this point, you might be wondering why anyone would 24 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: bother training dogs to detect CWD. There isn't a cure 25 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: for the disease, and it's not like the deer trying 26 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: to smuggle misfolded preons through the airport. This research is 27 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: important because we still don't have a reliable anti mortem 28 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: CWD test for deer and other ungulates. In other words, 29 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: it's hard for us to tell whether a deer has 30 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: CWD without killing it first. Obviously, we can guess with 31 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: a larger degree of certainty in areas where the disease 32 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: has a high prevalence and those deer are showing the 33 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: physical manifestations of the disease, which are super nasty. But 34 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: that's still going to be a guess until you do 35 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: the actual test, and that is a big problem for 36 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: states like Texas where deer breeders want to ship their 37 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,119 Speaker 1: deer across the state to hunting properties or other breeding facilities. 38 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: Right now, we don't really know whether those deer are 39 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,399 Speaker 1: infected and will spread the disease to areas that don't 40 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: already have it. It's unclear whether dogs are the solution 41 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: to this problem. Some would argue that deer breeders shouldn't 42 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: really exist in the first place, and they certainly shouldn't 43 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: be allowed to transport deer to other counties. But as 44 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: we work out those debates, it would be great if 45 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: we could know with certainty that we aren't making the 46 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: problem worse. CWD sniffing dogs might be one piece of 47 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: that puzzle. This week, we've got the great bear call 48 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: or how other countries do it? Salmon, salamanders, lobsters and fish. 49 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: But first I'm gonna tell you about my week. And 50 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: right now, as you listen to this old dirt myth, 51 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: Brad Brooks are golly outdoors, which you know, Brad makes 52 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: a bunch of awesome stuff over there, so he's check 53 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: that out, longtime hunting buddy of mine. We're kind of 54 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: marching ourselves out of the woods, if I can envision this, 55 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: and we're loaded to the hilt with elk meat and 56 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 1: hopefully elk antlers so big it's going to be hard 57 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: to find a wall to stick them on or a 58 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: door frame to fit them through. And even though we're 59 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: tired and beat up and stinky and dirty, we're going 60 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: to ignore the beer cooler. Brad's gonna drive away Old 61 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: Dirt and I are going to pick up some lamas 62 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: from Old bull Baby, and we're going to head out 63 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: and up to Parts unknown in pursuit of the elusive 64 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: gigantic high Mountain Mule Deer. Body sore, but brain function 65 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: increased substantially. Due to the lack of screen time and 66 00:03:54,280 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: oppressive connection to the outside world, We've probably we experienced 67 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: more than a couple of setbacks, hopefully all minor. But 68 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: you know, part of living life in the outdoors is 69 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: being able to think on your feet, keep your head 70 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: on a swivel, and figure stuff out, improvise, adapt, and overcome. 71 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: As they used to say, We're gonna film both of 72 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: these hunts. That's what Dirt Myth's doing there. But if 73 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: you would be interested in a podcast recap with these fellas, 74 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: just rite in you know where to ride in and 75 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: let me know and we'll try to do our best 76 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: on that one might just record one for fun. Anyway, 77 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: Outside of that, I hope everyone is starting to get 78 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: some fall weather and thinking about that amazing outside time 79 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: or getting out in the out of doors. Right now, 80 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: if you are out doing the college football thing, look 81 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: for the meat Eater tailgate tour and say hi to 82 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 1: those great folks. For me, I can't say hi because 83 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: I'm going to be in the woods, and I can't 84 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 1: say I wish I was there because fall is for hunting. 85 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: There is admittedly a part of me that's still truly football. 86 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: It's a great opportunity to build skills and have fun. 87 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: I wouldn't go back and change the great experiences I 88 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,679 Speaker 1: had playing the sport as a kid, But I also 89 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: had anxiety standing on the field as leaves were falling, 90 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: frost was in the grass, and geese were flying overhead, 91 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: or like when that early season snowstorm had hit, and 92 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: part of you was looking forward to playing in those conditions, 93 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: but a bigger part of you was mentally carrying the 94 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: old three hundred win meg looking for elk tracks, maybe 95 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: even falling the old outfitter around, watching his hand rolled 96 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: cigarette smoke show you how the wind was drifting after 97 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: the storm broke. It's a great time of year and 98 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: we just can't be two places at once. Moving on 99 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: to the bear management desk. Police officers in Sweden were 100 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: forced to accompany hunters during this year's brown bear hunt 101 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: as protesters tried to interfere with the annual event. Officers 102 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: have been patrolling the forests on foot and with drones 103 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: to ensure the hunter's peaceful progress. Amid concerns that high 104 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: license numbers could provoke unrest. Swedish wildlife officials issued four 105 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty six licenses this year, which animal rights 106 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: activists complain is equal to about twenty percent of the 107 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: country's brown bear population. Hunters know that an issued license 108 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: does not always result in a dead animal, which is 109 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: kind of what I was alluding to in last week's 110 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 1: episode when we were talking about name and deer, having 111 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: clients pick them out and then letting those deer come 112 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,239 Speaker 1: into big old piles of corn in Utah. But Swedish 113 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: bear hunters appear to be unusually effective. Last year, hunters 114 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: were issued six hundred and forty nine licenses, and that's 115 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: how many bears they killed during the regular hunt. The 116 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: quota has been significantly reduced this year, but it still 117 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 1: represents a good chunk of the estimated twenty five hundred 118 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: bears that reside in the country. In relation to its size, 119 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,799 Speaker 1: Sweden has a similar brown bear population as Montana. Montana 120 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: is about fifteen percent smaller than the northern European country, 121 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: and it has an estimated twenty one one hundred grizzlies 122 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,559 Speaker 1: shambling around within its borders. As in Montana, brown bears 123 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: in Sweden were more or less wiped out by the 124 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: beginning of the twentieth century, but protective policies allowed the 125 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: population to grow to a peak of thirty three hundred 126 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: in two thousand and eight. Allowing an annual hunt has 127 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: stabilized that population to where it is now, but protectionist 128 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: groups are warning that the state is allowing too many 129 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: of the bruins to be taken each year, and they 130 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: believe the hunt will permanently harm the population, even though 131 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: quotas are set at the local level. They accused the 132 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: Big government of unofficially aiming for the minimum population goal, 133 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: which is fourteen hundred bears. They accuse hunters of only 134 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: wanting to shoot bears because of quote a macho dimension 135 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: and to protect the reindeer and moose populations. About one 136 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty bears were killed the first two days 137 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: of the hunt, and thanks to police efforts, I haven't 138 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: seen any reports of activists interfering with the proceedings. We'll 139 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: keep an eye on this one. It's hard not to 140 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: see parallels between how sweet and manages its brown bears 141 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: and how states like Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming would like 142 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: to manage theirs if the species is removed from the 143 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: endangered species list. I can see annual hunts to keep 144 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: the population at an acceptable level, with flexible hunt quotas 145 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: to respond to changing circumstances. Seems like a sustainable plan 146 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: to me. I know you're asking this question, so I'll 147 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: just say it out loud. If these anti hunters really 148 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: cared about animal populations, you think they'd protest people who 149 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: build houses in sensitive habitat. The urban encroachment on wildlife 150 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: kills way more animals than hunters do. But don't take 151 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: my word for it. I'm just a hunter. Moving on 152 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: to the hunting desk. In a related piece of news, 153 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced last month 154 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 1: that the states black bear hunting lottery will officially open 155 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: to state hunters beginning August twenty ninth and ending September 156 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: twenty fifth. Ten black bear hunting permits will be given 157 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: out by a lottery, and it costs fifty dollars to apply. 158 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 1: The hunt will be confined to Bear Management Area four, 159 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: which includes Tensas Madison, East Carroll, and West Carroll Parishes 160 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: in portions of Richland, Franklin, and Catahula parishes. The season 161 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: will begin seven, twenty twenty four and run through December 162 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: twenty two, twenty twenty four. We've covered this story before 163 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: and it's gotten lot to play in the media. For 164 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: that reason, the odds of being selected as one of 165 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: the ten hunters probably aren't high, but sending fifty dollars 166 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: to the Department of Wildlife is never a waste of money. Plus, 167 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: if you're not selected this year, you'll be given an 168 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: additional preference point for each subsequent year you apply. Each 169 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: preference point serves as an additional lottery opportunity, though you'll 170 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: lose your preference points if you fail to apply one year, 171 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: and preference points are capped at five. The Louisiana black 172 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,079 Speaker 1: bear hunt is a great conservation success story, and it 173 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: would be very cool to be one of the hunters 174 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 1: who bags a bruin on this inaugural season. If you're 175 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,080 Speaker 1: one of those hunters I'd love to hear from. Can 176 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: you send me an email at askcal at the Meat 177 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: Eater dot com Let me know how it goes. Speaking 178 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: of additional hunting opportunities, listener Rob Holland wrote in with 179 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: exciting news from his neck of the woods. The US 180 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a new rule that 181 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 1: would open up one hundred thousand acres of National Wildlife 182 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: refuge land in North Dakota two elk hunting. These acres 183 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: would be spread across four different refuges, the J. Clark 184 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: Sailor Upper Souris, Lost Wood, and De Laxe. Rob is 185 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 1: supporting this new rule because quote, there is a limited 186 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 1: opportunity for a true backcountry style hunt in North Dakota 187 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: as there is a lack of roadless areas in the state. 188 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: Opening these wildlife refuges would greatly help increase those opportunities, 189 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: and they are largely devoid of roads and motorized travel. 190 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: As with most new hunting opportunities on National wildlife refuge land, 191 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 1: hunters would be required to use non lead bullets, but 192 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: I think that's a small price to pay for so 193 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 1: much additional hunting opportunity. Rob says that he's seen some 194 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: opposition to this new rule, largely from people who object 195 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: to hunting on land supposedly reserved as wildlife refuges. I 196 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: can see how someone learning about this topic for the 197 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: first time might think that that's incongruous. Why would we 198 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: hunt and kill animals on a refuge. First, it's worth 199 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: noting that the National Refuge System was founded by Teddy Roosevelt, 200 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: who's not exactly known as a vegan. Well, Teddy loved 201 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: to hunt, which is partly what motivated him to fight 202 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: to conserve wildlife habitat. Second, hunting and fishing are tightly 203 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: regulated on refuge properties. Biologists closely monitor the populations of 204 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: game animals, so there's no need to fear that those 205 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: species are being hunted to extinction. In fact, much of 206 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: our refuge land is home to non game species that 207 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: are at risk of extinction. Allowing recreational use on these 208 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 1: properties helps promote buy in from the general public. Hunters 209 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: and anglers fight to protect these areas because they want 210 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: to keep hunting and fishing. In turn, those protected acres 211 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: provide permanent habitat for all their critters that would otherwise 212 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: be trampled under the endless march of new condos and subdivisions. 213 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: Hunters have been among the most vocal supporters of the 214 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: refuge system, so it makes sense to expand hunting opportunities 215 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: on those properties wherever we can. Moving on to the 216 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: amphibian desk, here's a trivia question for you. A recent 217 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: study found that this amphibian has a biomass in northeastern 218 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: North America equal to or greater than white tailed deer. 219 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: If you said frogs, you're wrong. The answer is red 220 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: backed salamanders. According to this study, conducted by the US 221 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: Geological Survey, there are an estimated fifty three hundred red 222 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: backed salamanders living in every patch of forest the size 223 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: of a football field in the northeast. This means that 224 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,439 Speaker 1: they also have some of the highest biomass estimated for 225 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: animals other than insects, similar to or greater than America's 226 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: favorite big game animal. In other words, if you get 227 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: gathered up all the white tailed deer and all the 228 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: salamanders in the northeastern parts of North America, you'd have 229 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: about the same amount of matter. If that's not surprising. 230 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 1: I don't know what is. This matters because it highlights 231 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: the importance of salamanders to these ecosystems. Salamanders are in 232 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: the middle of the food chain. They live mostly underground, 233 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: which is why you don't step on any of those 234 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: fifty three hundred critters when you walk through the forest 235 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: and Maine in that damp undergrowth through at the top 236 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 1: of the food chain, the worms, snails, larvae, and insects 237 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: and aid in the decomposition of matter and contribute to 238 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 1: the health of the soil. But they're also a prey 239 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: species for things like birds, rodents, raccoons, and skunks. If 240 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: salamanders were to disappear, it would leave a massive hole 241 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: in the ecosystem network in that area of the world. 242 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: No one knows exactly what would happen, but it probably 243 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't be good. This is concerning in the light of 244 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: a fungal disease discovered in the Netherlands in twenty thirteen, 245 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 1: Battrack Coquittrium salamandrivorans or b sal for short, has decimated 246 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 1: salamander pop relations in Central Europe and continues to spread 247 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: across that continent. According to a recent report in fizz 248 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: dot org, it hasn't been detected in the US yet, 249 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: but in our global world, it seems like it's only 250 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: a matter of time. That's why scientists are working to 251 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: implement protective measures that can help protect our salamander populations 252 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: before the disease arrives on our shores. These proactive measures 253 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: can include making it harder for amphibians to spread the 254 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: disease by installing barriers or increasing habitat complexity, reducing B 255 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: cell fungal spores in aquatic habitats by temporarily raising the 256 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: water temperatures, increasing the salinity, or increasing the abundance of zooplankton, 257 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: And helping amphibians fight off the disease by improving their 258 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: health through supplemental feeding. Whether wildlife managers will be able 259 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: to secure the funding to implement any of these measures 260 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: is anyone's guess, but knowing how prevalent these little amphibians 261 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: are is a great first step. If biologists can prove 262 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: that red back salamanders almost literally carpet the forest floor, 263 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: it will be much easier to invents policy bankers that 264 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: they're important and that protecting them is worth the cost. 265 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: One more thing you got to point out when you 266 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: talk about amphibian salamanders in particular, is that they have 267 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: porous skin, making them the first canary in the coal 268 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: mine to tell us what we did wrong. Moving on 269 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: to the salmon desk, the controversy over Alaska king salmon 270 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: came to a head last month when the National Marine 271 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: Fishery Service agreed to investigate whether the species deserves protection 272 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: under the Endangered Species Act. The decision comes in response 273 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: to a petition filed by the Wildfish Conservancy, which argued 274 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: that the king salmon's numbers have dropped so precipitously that 275 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: the specie warrants federal protection. The sixty seven page petition 276 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: was submitted in January, and the Marine Fishery Service as 277 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: well as the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration just came to 278 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: a decision. They decided that there was a substantial basis 279 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: to warrant a more in depth review of Gulf of 280 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: Alaska at kings. Now, the federal agencies have one year, 281 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: starting when the petition was submitted so January, to conduct 282 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: a detailed assessment. This will include breaking down kings into 283 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: geographically and genetically distinct subpopulations to determine which ones might 284 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: be at risk of extinction. The State of Alaska, however, 285 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: is not happy with the petition or with Noah's decision 286 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: to look into the issue more closely. In a press release, 287 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: Commissioner Doug Vincent Lang wrote a scathing critique, quote, the 288 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: petition is rife with significant factual errors, omits important data 289 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: that are widely available, and does not accurately describe the 290 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: status of Chinook salmon and Alaska. It is mind boggling 291 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: that NMFS could make a positive finding based on cherry 292 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: pick data to support a predetermined viewpoint. I am concerned 293 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: that this decision will encourage more frivolous petitions in the future. Amazingly, 294 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: Noah agreed that the document contained a plethora of errors, 295 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: but they still determine that allow usk and kings are 296 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: in dire enough condition to potentially warrant action. They said, quote, 297 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: we found that the information present in the petition contained 298 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 1: numerous factual errors, omissions, incomplete references, and unsupported assertions and conclusions. Still, 299 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: we concluded that the petition contained enough information for a 300 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: reasonable person to conclude that the petitioned action ESA listing 301 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:27,880 Speaker 1: may be warranted. Other objections have come from the commercial 302 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: fishing industry, which worries that an ESA listing will shut 303 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: down some fisheries altogether. Representatives from the Wildfish Conservancy who 304 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: spoke with meat eaters Eli Fournier, acknowledge these concerns, but 305 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: say that some of them are overblown. They say that 306 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: listing the fish as endangered in some areas won't shut 307 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: down fishing throughout the Gulf of Alaska. That's small comfort 308 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 1: to those fishermen who live in areas where it will 309 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,679 Speaker 1: be limited. Right now, nothing has been determined. This is 310 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: the very first step in deciding whether or not to 311 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 1: put King Sam on the ESA, and Noah might very 312 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,479 Speaker 1: well decide that it's not warranted. Whatever happens, you can 313 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: be sure we'll stay on top of it. Weigh in 314 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 1: on this one. I know there's a lot of commercial 315 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: folks that listen to this year podcast. I'd love to 316 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: hear from you, especially those of you who keep their 317 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: logs tight year over year. It'd be great to get 318 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: your data as far as like something measurable like fuel 319 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: used per pound of fish would be a good one. 320 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: Something like that. How hard you got to work to 321 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: get your quota King's type of deal anyway, Moving on 322 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: to the mafia desk, the fisheries minister in the Canadian 323 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: province of Nova Scotia's sounding alarm about what he says 324 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: is an organized crime ring taking advantage of the area's 325 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: lucrative lobster fishery. Minister Kent Smith sent a letter to 326 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,160 Speaker 1: his counterpart in the federal government claiming that the illegal 327 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: fishery has entrenched itself in coastal areas of the province. 328 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,360 Speaker 1: He said in an interview with the CBC that criminal 329 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: elements are quote causing havoc in the community and causing 330 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: a lot of fear and anxiety. He says he's spoken 331 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: to fishermen that have been threatened, have had their property damaged, 332 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: and live in constant fear of repercussions for speaking out. 333 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: Is true that the historically peaceful area has seen a 334 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: string of violent crimes, including the burning of a police vehicle, 335 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 1: two arsons and shooting. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which 336 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: is Canada's equivalent of the FBI, admits that these crimes 337 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: are acts of intimidation. However, they do not believe these 338 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 1: attacks are related to illegal lobster fishing. Whether the lobster 339 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: mafia is breaking kneecaps in Nova Scotia is unclear, but 340 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: one thing is certain. Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans 341 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,199 Speaker 1: has come under fire for failing to enforce the stated 342 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: commercial lobster fishing season. It's supposed to run from the 343 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: end of November until the end of May, but out 344 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: of season fishing is rampant. Minister Smith says there is 345 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: zero enforcement on the water, so lobster poachers can harvest 346 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 1: as much as they want. He said he's not just 347 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: concerned about violence, but about unreport income through cash transactions, 348 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: and that out of season fishing risks destroying lobster stocks 349 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 1: and the fishery. Canada's reputation internationally is also at stake, 350 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: he said, particularly if undersized lobsters or females bearing eggs 351 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: are being caught and sold moving on to the fishy 352 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: fish desk. Speaking of fish related crime, a Mississippi seafood 353 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: distributor and two of its managers pled guilty last month 354 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:34,160 Speaker 1: to mislabeling foreign fish as premium local filets. Quality Poultry 355 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 1: and Seafood Inc. QPS, the largest seafood wholesaler on the 356 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: Mississippi Gulf Coast, has agreed to pay the United States 357 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: one million dollars in forfeitures and a criminal fine of 358 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty thousand. In addition, to the company's managers, 359 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: Todd A. Rosetti and James W. Gunkel, pled guilty to 360 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: misbranding seafood to facilitate the company's fraud. According to a 361 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:59,399 Speaker 1: DOJ press release, the fish substitution scheme started all the 362 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: way back into two thousand and two and ran until 363 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. Over those years, the company recommended and sold 364 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: to its restaurant customers foreign sourced fish that could serve 365 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:13,400 Speaker 1: as convincing substitutes for the local species the restaurants advertised 366 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: on their menus. Sometimes those restaurants were in the know. 367 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: A well known Mississippi Gulf Coast restaurant has also pled guilty. 368 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 1: In this case, Mary Mahoney's Old French House in Biloxie 369 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: admitted to selling a whopping twenty nine tons of fraudulently 370 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: labeled seafood between twenty thirteen and twenty nineteen. For example, 371 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: restaurant goers were told they were ordering snapper and grouper 372 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: from the Gulf of Mexico, when in fact they were 373 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 1: eating other species from abroad. DNA tests conducted by the 374 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: FDA confirmed that some of these filets were actually Lake 375 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 1: Victoria perch from Africa, tripletail from Surinam, and unicorm filefish 376 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: from India. That's not great for paying customers, it's not 377 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: great for the fish industry's carbon footprint, and it's especially 378 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,439 Speaker 1: important to prosecute these crimes to protect local fishermen. If 379 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: a supply and a restaurant conspire to mislabeled seafood, they 380 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: can undercut all the other local suppliers and restaurants, which 381 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: means honest fishermen have a hard time making a profit. 382 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: If you don't mind eating frozen fish from overseas, that's fine, 383 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: but lots of folks would prefer eating local, freshly caught fish, 384 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: and that won't be possible if all those commercial operations 385 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: are forced out of business. Quality poultry and seafood has 386 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: already been sentenced, but the individual managers who made these 387 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: decisions won't be until later this year. Hopefully they'll throw 388 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: the book at them. That's all I got for you 389 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: this week. Thank you so much for listening. Remember to 390 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: write in to askcl that's Ascal at the meat eater 391 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: dot com. We'll let you know what's going on in 392 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: our neck of the woods, but you know you do first. 393 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: Had a lot of coffee today. Kids. Anyway, thank you 394 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Get out in the woods. Be 395 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,360 Speaker 1: kind and courteous to those you encounter out there, and 396 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: you know, spread your love of the outdoors. November's coming 397 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 1: up quick. Got a big vote in Colorado, and every 398 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: vote matters. We've got to engage the non hunting public. 399 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:09,360 Speaker 1: Our access to wildlife is at stake. Thanks again, We'll 400 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: talk to you next week.