Playing “God” With Our Fisheries

Sometimes (even though I feel like people are tired of my rants on assorted topics) I must once again dedicate a very pointed column to the importance of “allowing” the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) to do their jobs regardless of our personal opinions as to their effectiveness.

Please allow me to explain.

Starting with me, some of the management policies of the UDWR literally drive me to drink (sodas).  They are human beings (some even have advanced degrees) and at times I feel their “book learning” gets in the way of boots-on-the-ground in the real world.  That being said, I would NEVER decide on my own to alter their management plans by taking matters into my own hands.

Death of a Reservoir

This month, Kolob Reservoir (in southern Utah) was killed because some anglers decided they wanted perch, blue gills, and sun fish in the reservoir, instead of the trout the UDWR have been managing for years.  That may not resonate with some of you but I have seen the aftermath of the “death” of a reservoir, seen the dead and dying fish, smelled the rotting carcasses, and watched the short-term economic hardships placed on businesses that relied on a healthy fishery for a large part of their income.

Why does this continue to happen?

Stocking Fish Illegally

Anglers come in all sorts of different packages.  Purists, who would never purposely harm a fish and would never think of taking one home for dinner; avid sportsmen that take their limits but no more; and then those that take more than their limits, ignore slot limits or other regulations and in short, think more about themselves and anyone or anything else.

It is this third tier of anglers I am writing to this morning. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE. If you decide to illegally stock or move any fish (from one water to another) YOU ARE SPITTING IN THE FACES OF EVERY OTHER LAW ABIDING ANGLER IN THE STATE.  PERIOD!

We now have smallmouth bass in Quail Creek Reservoir in southern Utah, northern pike in Utah Lake, smallmouth bass in Strawberry Reservoir, white bass in Deer Creek, and the list goes on and on.  It is difficult enough for the UDWR to manage the fish they purposely stocked in our reservoirs, but to be forced to deal with unthinking and uncaring individuals who “think” they are “putting one over” on fishery managers are destroying angling opportunities for the rest of us.

In my mind, there are a few reasons people illegally stock fish.

1. They truly believe they are helping the fishery.
2. They only care about THEIR fishing experiences and couldn’t care less about anyone else.
3. They are such poor anglers they want a larger variety of fish in a reservoir so they can catch more fish.
4. They are so ignorant of laws and the rationale for proper fishery management that they don’t respect anything the UDWR says or does, and just want to put a wrench in their plans.

What Can Be Done?

Can something be done to stop this senseless waste of taxpayer dollars to kill reservoirs and start over again time after time?  Yes, there are several things than can and should be done.

1. Offer rewards for people observing illegal stocking and calling a hot line.
2. Have the mussel awareness personnel check live wells and ice chests in every boat passing through their stations.
3. Increase the criminal penalties for illegal stocking or transfers of fish.
4. Provide more education for anglers about the short and long term effects of illegal stocking.

We are truly blessed with some of the finest fishing opportunities in the world.  From trout to bass, catfish to stripers, our reservoirs are full of a variety of species.  Regardless of our differences with management policies and styles by those in charge, we MUST RESPECT their decisions and make our cases in RAC meetings held frequently all over the state.

We must decide to Never play “God” with our fisheries.

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