04-07-2015, 10:43 PM
[quote Therapist]The use of all sterile game fish should indicate to everyone what is going on !! Sterile Walleye, Wipers (sterile) Tiger Trout (Sterile), what does that say !!! WE DON'T WANT FERTILE FISH THAT ARE GOING TO GO DOWN STREAM AND PREY ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES DOWN STREAM !!! Does that make sense to you ??? My guess is that if DWR did not agree to the use of sterile game fish, we would have Bony tail chubs, flannel mouth suckers, pike minnow, hump back chub, and NO FISHING !!! Does that make sense to you, there was a compromise that allows the public to have a continuing fishery, that will have to be RESTOCKED on a yearly basis ( can you say $$$$) to maintain, so that we can continue to fish the pond.
[/quote]
You are partially correct. The committee compiled a list of sportfish and forage fish that would be allowed by the feds in the system, fish that would not damage the endangered species downstream. Then we narrowed down the possibilities to species anglers wanted. The decision to use sterile fish was to reduce the harm of escapees to the extent of their lifespan. Wiper and sterile walleye can survive in the lower Green and Colorado Rivers but they wouldn't reproduce. Tiger trout would either migrate upstream or die. Fertile prey species -- crappie, perch, mountain whitefish, bonytail chub, fathead minnow -- would do no harm if they escape. Additionally the sterile fish chosen are readily available and quite inexpensive to stock. It is expected that we will have local supplies soon if not already available. Nearly all the forage species will be obtained from Utah waters by netting and angling. There were many gamefish species we could have chosen to restore it to a viable sport fishery and there was never any threat, by DWR or the feds, of making Red Fleet an endangered species haven.
[signature]
[/quote]
You are partially correct. The committee compiled a list of sportfish and forage fish that would be allowed by the feds in the system, fish that would not damage the endangered species downstream. Then we narrowed down the possibilities to species anglers wanted. The decision to use sterile fish was to reduce the harm of escapees to the extent of their lifespan. Wiper and sterile walleye can survive in the lower Green and Colorado Rivers but they wouldn't reproduce. Tiger trout would either migrate upstream or die. Fertile prey species -- crappie, perch, mountain whitefish, bonytail chub, fathead minnow -- would do no harm if they escape. Additionally the sterile fish chosen are readily available and quite inexpensive to stock. It is expected that we will have local supplies soon if not already available. Nearly all the forage species will be obtained from Utah waters by netting and angling. There were many gamefish species we could have chosen to restore it to a viable sport fishery and there was never any threat, by DWR or the feds, of making Red Fleet an endangered species haven.
[signature]