[Aqua-ohio] bird predation funded project and published research

[Smith, Matthew A.]

All,

NCRAC recently funded a project to investigate a new sound system which may deter fish-eating birds from outdoor aquaculture facilities without being heard by humans. This project stems from farmers in the Midwest sometimes seeing massive financial losses, depending on how the heavy the bird problem is on a given year. This 1-year project is currently under way and results will be presented in multiple places in the Midwest next year.

The NCRAC project is titled "Non-lethal bird deterrent evaluation in the NCR", and the work is being conducted on 4 commercial farms in the Midwest. I am involved in that project as one of the Extension representatives.

The Midwest is not the only region with substantial fish losses due to piscivorous birds. On Christmas Day, the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society published "Economic effects of predation by scaup on baitfish and sportfish farms". This was an investigation within the State of Arkansas. The greatest cost by percentage found were manpower (56%), truck usage (32%), levee upkeep for vehicle access to scare birds (9%), firearms and ammunition (2%), and pyrotechnic devices (1%). The end of the abstract states that lesser scaup alone accounts for, on average, $1.06 million per year in fish losses, and the total direct negative economic effects on the Arkansas baitfish industry averaged $5.5. million per year.

While I was in Arkansas, one lesser scaup had 26 small bluegill in it! Cormorants, herons, egrets, etc. are problems here in the Midwest, but this e-mail is just a heads up that economic research was recently published on Arkansas farms, and NCRAC is currently investigating ways to deter all fish-eating birds from our outdoor production facilities.

Click the link below if you want to read the economic scaup paper by Engle et al.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jwas.12760?campaign=wolearlyview

When published, results of the sound system research in the Midwest will be shared at several state aquaculture association meetings and in various ways through these listservs. The leader on that project is Dr. Paul Brown with Purdue. Non-lethal and inaudible (to humans) means of deterring birds could be very impactful for producers who are in  urban settings.


Regards,

Matt

[The Ohio State University]
Matthew A. Smith
Program Director, Aquaculture Extension

Madison County Extension Office
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
217 Elm Street, London, Ohio 43140
740.852.0975 ext 17 Office
smith.11460 at osu.edu
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