Rappahannock Tribe

The Rappahannock Tribe Seeks Federal Funding Through the Tribal Wildlife Grant Opportunity for Building a Mobile Aquaculture Unit (MAU) to Propagate River Herring and Rappahannock River Oysters. Oysters and Herring Have Been a Cultural Food Source for the Rappahannock People for Thousands of Years. But Declining Herring and Oyster Populations, Combined With the Tribe Being Pushed Further and Further From the River Named After the Tribe Have Eliminated Tribal Citizens Access to These Fisheries. the Loss of These Food Sources and Their Ecosystem Services Damages the Tribes Heritage and Connection to Traditions Passed Down Through the Generations. the Mau Will Be an 8.5 X 34 FT Utility Hauling Trailer With Lights and Air Conditioning and Containing Tanks, Pumps, Temperature Controls, and Other Assorted Aquaculture Equipment. the Mau Will Be Specifically Designed So That It Can Be Driven Within 150 Feet of Surface Water Where Pipes and Submersible Pumps Will Supply Water for Propagation of River Herring and Oysters. the Goal of the Mau Design Is to 1) Lower Overhead Construction Costs, 2) Prevent Permanent Construction That Would Damage Natural Resources, and 3) Allow Access to Water Supply Without Disturbing Critical Riparian Buffer Zones (within 100 Feet of Streams or Rivers). the Tribe Will Use the Mau to Propagate and Restore Declining Populations of Rappahannock River Oysters and River Herring and Provide Job Opportunities for Tribal Citizens to Follow Their Passion for Natural Resources. Year One of River Herring Work Will Collect Fin Clip Samples of Multiple Runs of River Herring From January to May in Occupacia Creek, Garlands Creek, Mount Landing Creek, and Jones Creek. Herring Will Be Dip Netted for Fin Clip Samples. Once Fin Clips Are Obtained and Preserved, They Will Be Taken to a Fisheries Genetics Laboratory for Processing. the Genetic Stock Structure Generated From Fin Clip Samples Will Inform the Tribe of Which Tributaries and Herring Stocks Are Ideal for Propagation. in Year Two of the Project, Mau Construction Will Be Complete and Herring Propagation Will Proceed. Herring Will Be Dip Netted With a Target Ratio of Two Males Per One Female. Each Fish Will Be Given a Fin Tag and Have a Fin Clip Taken for Genetic Samples. the Sample Will Be Taken to a Lab for Processing So That Individual Males and Females Can Be Selected for Strip Spawning. Fertilized Eggs Will Be Measured and Placed in a Mcdonald Jar for 5 Days to Complete the Hatching Process. Herring Fry Will Be Released by Hand in Selected Tributaries. Year Two Propagation Has a Goal of 500,000 Fry Propagated and Released. by Propagating Herring Fry From Eggs, the Tribe Aims to Increase the Total Survival of River Herring to Adulthood, Thus Increasing Herring Spawning for Future Generations.from June to November the Tribe Will Shift Its Focus to Spat on Shell Propagation of Rappahannock River Oysters. This Portion of the Project With Have a Two-pronged Approach the First for Release of Oysters Into Recovering Shellfish Beds and Second to Sell a Portion of the Propagated Oysters at Market to Fund Future Conservation Projects Using the Mau After the Tribal Wildlife Grant Period Has Ended. the Thesis of the Tribes Oyster Work Is to Provide a Small Amount of Market Product While Stocking Most Propagated Oysters in a Currently Less-productive Lease Sites, Eventually Allowing Oyster Recruitment of Lease Sites to Overtake the Production of the Mau and Increase the Number of Adult Breeding Oysters in the Rappahannock River. Following the Practice Manual for Remote Setting Written by Vims the Year 1 Goal of Production Will Be Two Hundred Bushels of Spat on Shell Oysters With 5% (10 Bushels) Withheld From Bottom Stocking for in Culture Grow Out. the Year Two Production Goal Will Increase to Three Hundred Bushels If Successful Cultivation Is Achieved in Year One. Studies Indicate That With an Expected Rate of Seven Hundred Shells Per Bushel, With a Yield of 2:1