The PFBC is still stocking brookies (ST) in Big Spring - for better or worse.
Generally, I'm in the camp that feels that PA should still stock adult STs, just due to tradition and they're our state fish. I also tend to believe that stocked STs are more likely to quickly be caught by anglers and are FAR less likely to hold over than RTs or BTs. In my neck of the woods, there are a couple popular streams that used to be stocked exclusively with STs that have been transitioned to RT/BTs. Since the transition a couple years ago, I see many more stocked trout, including as recently as last month. Back when they were stocked with STs this was rare and I almost never saw stocked fish in the fall. I fish both these streams year round and both have good numbers of wild ST and the presence of so many large stockies into the fall, especially in larger pools, is something I have mixed feelings about (I know, they shouldn't be stocked at all- that's a tired debate for a different thread). Sometimes I wish they'd put the STs back so they'd all get fished out in springtime.
Regarding the abatement of ST propagation/stocking by PFBC due to gill lice. . . apparently it's a more complicated picture. Some friends and colleagues who are involved with coop hatcheries have told me that PFBC will not provide STs for their clubs anymore. On the other hand, the PFBC still lists STs as being exclusively stocked in some of my local waters, such as Waynesboro Lake, that have always rec'd them. For whatever reason, PFBC seems to be staying the course on some of these waters, Big Spring included.
Over the summer, I walked the raceways at Huntsdale fish hatchery and saw no STs being raised. Maybe they'd already been stocked? So. . . I dunno (scratching head). I think PFBC wants to keep their options open at this stage. Institutionally, I'm sympathetic to that mindset.
I would have to agree that the cutting back on native brook trout is WAY more complicated than gill lice.
Native brook trout conservation is simply part of the larger movement to conserve species biodiversity/richness during a historic bio diversity crisis/current mass extinction event.
So no matter if your talking native brook trout, Florida Panthers, or Red Panda’s we are in a point in time during human history where scientists are realizing relying on demographic data alone without genetics, as we have done with trout, is not a good way to manage/protect/restore ect. the population your working with.
“Broadly defined, demography is the study of the characteristics of populations. It provides a mathematical description of how those characteristics change over time. Demographics can include any statistical factors that influence population growth or decline, but several parameters are particularly important: population size, density, age structure, fecundity (birth rates), mortality (death rates), and sex ratio (Dodge 2006). We introduce each of these in turn.”
Enter the field of conservation genetics, the future of native brook trout conservation, as well as many other species. By looking at how genetically healthy a population is and pairing that WITH demographic data your no longer managing blind and just assigning an arbitrary class A to a stream section because it had a lot of trout in it. You can see which populations have been polluted with hatchery genes, which populations have rare genes that should be saved in a “portfolio” of genes useful for brook trout evolution. You can see which populations are incredibly genetically diverse and equipped to adapt at a higher rate already and prioritize them and use them as a source stock for conservation hatcheries, genetic rescues, and reintroductions to bolster populations experiencing inbreeding depression about to blink out.
With the entire community of species conservation moving to conservation genetics even PA fish and boat will have a hard time living down stocking hatchery brook trout that could potentially outbreed wild native brook trout genes that took since the last glaciation to evolve and genetically sabotaging the entire species.
When I have heard the average angler use the word “genetics” it’s usually inaccurately related to how a fish looks which is not always true. How something looks is phenotype not genotype. Your average angler has NO idea that conservation genetics is SO important and we are in a monumental shift in understanding how we can better conserve species through understanding their survivability and adaptability through genetics instead of simply counting fish and pointing fingers at solely issues with the stream. Not many are really largely aware in my experience of how critical the genes in the animal that code for tools used to survive in the wild are. So when they hear genetic pollution or introgression it sounds to esoteric or fancy to be a real threat like the almighty general stream temperature or habitat we collectively have tunnel vision on. Pa fish and boat goes to multiple fisheries science conferences, they hear the same articles i post here presented by the authors in many cases, and they know better in almost every case they chose not to do the right thing.
Thats a really long winded way of saying people underestimate how dangerous stocking hatchery brook trout over wild brook trout is and its something so bad even PA fish and boat can’t avoid it (as mentioned in above document provided by silver fox that no one in the general public will ever see to get educated unless you already know enough to go looking for it).
This all comes back to lack of education and awareness and again instead of using the below mediums for public education they it in obscure PDF hidden on website. Their not trying hard to “reach anyone” on this topic but at the same time will cite “strong public resistance” to many stocking reforms that would benefit native brook trout without softening up or educating the angling public at all.
Instead would be free to little cost to use any of these to teach about why its dangerous to stock hatchery brook teout over native brook trout.
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