The ongoing poisoning of lakes, streams and rivers in National Parks, Wilderness Areas and elsewhere continues across the United States.  Readers who care about our vital coldwater resources will be surprised to learn that it’s likely happening in their state and is being conducted by fishery biologists.  The costs often being ‘justified’ by the Endangered Species Act. The loose ‘rationale’ being to preserve ‘native species.’  All this poisoning in a time of record species extinctions.

It occurs to me that if anyone other than biologists were dumping poison into our waterways and eradicating fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects from their natural habitats –  our communities would be in an uproar.  Imagine that all this aquatic life was being killed a the result of a massive oil spill…or by industry leaking chemicals into our waterways. Just imagine the reactions.

Governments and non-profits continue undertaking and funding these ‘invasives eradication’ projects in more than 30 states in the U.S. today.  The now 80-year-old fishery management technique of poisoning and stocking monocultures from hatcheries has even attracted a ‘conservationist’ or two to the cause.  Champions of poisoning react to the concerns by spouting conspiracies like an imaginary ‘war on Rotenone’ or suggest that detractors are ‘chemo-phobes’ while they continue a full assault on known science. Ted Williams is one such well-know promoter.  >Read an Open Letter to Mr. Ted Williams

Unfortunately many anglers, conservationists, non-profits, and scientists have remained silent.  Meanwhile, this quiet march of species and habitat destruction continues, funded by big public budgets, all across my home state of Montana and throughout much of the U.S.

Anyone doubting the significant collateral damage being caused by this brand of so-called “Native Fish Restoration” or the potential long-term impacts can read more at www.stopriverkilling.org or Watch a Short Documentary on YouTube

Our nation’s streams, rivers and wetlands  face many challenges today, but few so great as ill-conceived, extreme and antiquated management techniques.  In this, Sapiens are clearly the most invasive species.