Electrofishing and Age and Growth Training Opportunity
Sponsored by the Utah Chapter of AFS and UDWR
When: August 5-7, 2019 – Electrofishing Training
August 8-9, 2019 – Fish Population Dynamics
Who: Any Utah Chapter AFS member/DWR fisheries professional – Space is limited so RSVP quickly
Where: UDWR Farmington Bay Training Facility
NO CHARGE
The Utah Chapter of the American Fisheries Society has teamed up with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to sponsor two training opportunities in August! Space is limited and spots will be filled on a first come first serve basis, so RSVP quickly ([email protected]) so you don’t miss out on this great opportunity. While there is no cost for these trainings, we encourage all attendees to be current on their Utah Chapter AFS membership – this is an example of how your membership dues are used! You will be responsible for meals and lodging during the training you attend. While we are still organizing these trainings and more details will follow to the individuals that sign up, here is a general overview of the two training opportunities:
Electrofishing Training, August 5-7th
This class will be taught by the father of electrofishing, Jim Reynolds! There are only 24 spots available, so please RSVP to me by June 28th if you are interested in this training. UDWR biologists – please work through Craig Walker to secure your spot in this training – all others should email me. This training will be organized as follows:
Monday, August 5th – Full day classroom setting consisting of theory presentations in the morning and a lab-style training by hands-on use of electrical measuring instruments in the afternoon.
Tuesday August 6th – Full field day. Participants form into teams and use the instruments (e.g., portable oscilloscope) to evaluate their backpack electrofishing unit; a sampling exercise follows in a stream to collect data on catch and unit performance. Lunch provided.
Wednesday, August 7th – Half day classroom setting consisting of open discussion of the field trip and an evaluation of the data collected from the field trip followed by an activity using data to develop a chart for standardized electrofishing.
Upon completion of the course, each participant will be able to (1) appreciate basic electrofishing theory; (2) utilize approaches to minimize fish stress and injury from electroshock; (3) evaluate safety and performance of electrofishing equipment; and (4) understand the elements of standardized electrofishing. At the conclusion of the course, each participant receives certification of formal training (but not user certification – that is an employer responsibility).
Fish Population Dynamics, August 8-9th
This class will be taught by Michael Quist from the University of Idaho and build off the teachings from last year’s age and growth training. There are 50 spots available for this training. Please RSVP to me ([email protected]) by June 14th if you would like to attend. This classroom training will be organized as follows:
Thursday, August 8th – Full day classroom setting covering: 1) a review of age and growth, 2) estimation of recruitment, 3) estimation of mortality, 4) an overview of abundance, and 5) an overview of stock assessment techniques.
Friday, August 9th – Three quarters day classroom setting covering yield-per-recruit modeling with exercises using FAMS and if there is time, Leslie matrix modeling.
Don’t miss out on these amazing training opportunities – drop me an email if you are interested in one or both trainings. If you have additional questions, please let me know.
Paul Thompson
President
Utah Chapter American Fisheries Society
(801) 538-7420
[email protected]
