Workshop Introduction from Bob Rose, Confederated Tribes and Bands of
the Yakama Nation:The context and goals for this workshop are all
carefully embedded in its title, which simultaneously expresses the
reasons for assembling this particular meeting and the longer-term goals
of this type of collaboration moving forward.
First –
This is the "First International Forum" on this issue and we sincerely
hope the friendships and experiences we establish here will provoke a
second and a third gathering. We hope this will not be the only or the
last, but the beginning of an ongoing conversation.
International – It is apparent that the decline in lamprey
populations is an international issue. Over the next few years we hope
to encourage greater international involvement and gather lots of
success stories from which an international community can not only
learn, but learn at a greatly accelerated rate.
Forum –
A forum is a discussion; it is an opportunity. This forum is intended to
be informal. We have a room, we will have food, and most importantly we
have the right people here. The objective is 3 days of discussion and
sharing of ideas.
Recovery – Our ultimate goal is
the recovery of lamprey populations, and not just in one place but in
all places.
Propagation – We know that the factors
that have brought lamprey populations to perilous decline will take a
long time to fix. Artificial propagation may be the lifeline for some
species. Propagation certainly opens up many doors for research, which
is also very important to us.
Lamprey – In time, we
hope to include all lamprey in this discussion, not just Pacific lamprey
or Arctic lamprey or European River lamprey.
These are the reasons
for the title of this workshop, which are lofty ideas. But here we are
today – we are starting.
Hydro Home
