self sustaining populations possible? I am unclear as to what stocked trout, regardless of species, are capable of in terms of breeding. I've heard that stock trout do not reproduce. Is this true just for a certain time, say the first year, or is it a lifelong deficiency? If not, then strict catch and release coupled with barbless hook regulations should be able to be employed on a rolling basis for different watersheds at different times. This would allow people who keep them to catch their limits many areas one year, while the next year at the same spot everything would have to be released.
The only trouble, as I see it would be policing people to follow the rules. However, if I am way off with the breeding capabilities of holdover fish, then it would certainly not work. Im sure the professional biologists have given it plenty of thought. I am just surprised that the resource cannot be managed, and our national brook trout treasure cannot be guaranteed for the future. Very sad to think that this species has been around for so long and now faces trouble. It is parallel to what is happening with the global warming issue now, nobody wanted to hear about it even 5 years ago, now everyone is scrambling because it is realised as a real threat, but it seems to be too little too late. I hope this is not the case with brook trout in the northeast.
I'd enjoy reading replies and people's thoughts on this. |