8109

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8109
• Author: Mitchell, M. J.
• Title: Impact of the Proceedures for Stocking Non Native Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin on Private Landowners and the Commercial Aquaculture Industry
• USFW Year: n.d.
• USFW - Doc Type: Inventory of Public and Private Ponds Along the Upper Colorado and Lower Gunnison Rivers in Colorado-Draft.
• Copyright Material: NO

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• Voluntary compliance is the only way these procedures will be effective. The complexity
of these procedures will impact and reduce voluntary compliance.
• The complexity of the procedures represents a significant hurdle to overcome in general
sales situations. It will reduce the appeal of private sector aquaculture products by
making their legal use difficult to understand.
Market Impacts:
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• The procedures impact 38% of the historic west slope nonnative warrnwater fish sales
made by the private aquaculture industry based on application of the procedures in
designated critical habitat. Implementation of the 6500 msl criteria increases the impact to
58% of the historic customer base. (Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture survey
offish suppliers completed in 1994)
• The Colorado West Slope represents a rapidly expanding market far nonnative warmwater
fish stocking. Private warmwater aquaculture product sales are three times that of a
decade ago. The procedures as written will eliminate almost 60% of this market.
• The procedures establish a review process for all stocking proposals that is untenable for
the normal conduct of private aquaculture commerce. This process will effectively
eliminate all stockings except those easiest to understand and implement in Table 1.
• Criteria required to stock in Table 1 create additional costs for private landowners
(evaluations of connectivity, antimigration devices, other physical improvements} thereby
indirectly increasing the cost of private sector aquaculture products.
• Criteria proposed for stocking within the 50 year floodplain of designated critical habitat,.
specifically allowing limited use of largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, and triploid
grass carp could reduce the loss of private sector nonnative warmwater fish species cash
sales by 24%- 48°/a.
• Implementation of the proposed landowner incentive program will create additional
demand for sahnonici gamefish species. Private aquaculture operations- that produce
and/or distribute these products can benefit from this increased demand if the program is
designed to utilize private sector produced salmonids.