MONTANA - Stopping Illegal Fish Dumping

"Stopping illegal fish dumping in Montana before it’s too late" PBS NewsHour 11/27/2014

Excerpt

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  Now a story that comes to us via our network of Student Reporting Labs around the country.

Meri DeMarois of the University of Montana and her mentor, Anna Rau of Montana PBS, look at the dangers of illegal fish dumping in that region’s rivers and what is being done to protect Montana’s celebrated fishing traditions.

CAREY SCHMIDT, Fisherman:  Montana’s a special place with these rivers.  Trout fishing is part of our heritage, and especially, you know, native trout, like the Westslope cutthroat or the Yellowstone cutthroat or bull trout.  I think catching those fish is just really special.  It really connects you to the river and to the — to, you know, a part of Montana’s past.

MERI DEMAROIS, University of Montana:  Carey Schmidt began fishing in Montana as a child.  Today, he is a busy lawyer and father, but he tries to get on the river as much as possible to enjoy native fish species.

CAREY SCHMIDT:  I think trout are just a really charismatic species that people want to come to Montana to catch.  If they don’t find trout, they’re not going to come here.

MERI DEMAROIS:  Schmidt has reason to be concerned, because, beneath the surface, there’s more going on that could affect fishing in the state.  People are illegally dumping new fish species like northern pike, walleye, and lake trout into Montana’s waters.

BRUCE FARLING, Executive Director, Montana Trout Unlimited:  Now, what’s happening now, with the illegal introductions, is we have people who aren’t professional biologists.  We have people who are going out there at night, thinking they know better.