With the focus
in recent months on encouraging rainbow trout harvest in
the South Fork
of the Snake River there has been some confusion about
IDFGês rainbow trout stocking practices that warrant
clarification. True, until the early 1980ês IDFG was
guilty of stocking rainbow trout into the South Fork
and some of the tributaries. Although it was clearly
a mistake in retrospect, it was done to meet a demand
for harvest and provide a diverse fishery. Unfortunately,
thirty years ago biologists did not recognize the threat
rainbow trout pose to native cutthroat trout.
Since the early 1980ês IDFG has not
stocked rainbow trout in the South Fork, the tributaries,
or in Palisades Reservoir.
This would clearly be in conflict with our goal of managing
the South Fork for native cutthroat trout. Some of the
confusion is likely related to the stocking database
on the IDFG website. The website lists that South Fork
as having been stocked with rainbow trout as recently
as 2000. These fish were all stocked in the Dry Bed,
below the Great Feeder diversion. Because these fish
did not have access to the South Fork and were sterile
triploids incapable of interbreeding with cutthroat trout,
they pose no threat to the South Fork cutthroat population.
Regardless, this program has also been recently terminated
because of poor return-to-creel.
IDFG is sincerely committed to cutthroat trout conservation
in the South Fork. The efforts depend on anglers playing
an active role in suppressing rainbow trout. It is therefore
vital that anglers know their efforts are not being undermined
by counterproductive stocking practices by IDFG. |