Snakehead Impact Study

[lycoflyfisher]

Aquatic populations are quite dynamic and while I do not think you could blame extirpation of a species on brown trout, you could certainly argue that there have been alteratioms to specoes diversity and abundance of native species since brown trout introduction.

Brown trout eat a lot of food, their dietary needs and the subsequent increase in competition for food alone certainly had an impact on our aquatic communities. The drainage has has seen signicant changes in abundance of several panfish species. Brook trout populations are irrefutably impacted by brown trout, to what degree is the question. Brown trout are here to stay, and I will not advocate for their removal, but I do not believe we could say their introduction has had no impact on the aquatic communities of the drainage.

 

[moon1284]

There is a difference between an introduced and and invasive species (at least there was when I was in college). In the vast majority of america, brown trout are considered introduced not invasive.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Without getting into the semantics regarding the debate on introduced vs invasive, I will readily admit that I enjoy fishing for and catching wild brown trout as much as anyone. They are a resilient species much more tolerant of marginal water quality than brook trout. This provides for substantial recreational opportunities that we may not have otherwise.

With all that said, I am not naive enough to believe that as a species, brown trout have not had an impact on the composition of our aquatic communities. Is it the same degree to which the extensive clear cutting, dams, channel manipulation and other industrial development... probably not.