9688

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9688
• Author: Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program.
• Title: Nonnative Fish Control Workshop Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations.
• USFW Year: 2002.
• USFW - Doc Type: Lakewood, CO.
• Copyright Material: NO

3.2.1 State of Colorado
The State of Colorado supports the Stocking Procedures and is a signatory to the agreement in
support of these procedures. Stocking of warmwater fish in westslope waters by the Colorado
Division of Wildlife (CDOW) was suspended until management plans for existing fisheries were
reviewed and approved through the Procedures protocol. The State finds that there is a need to
demonstrate the need and benefits of regulations for nonnative fish stocking and harvest to the
public. The public perceives stocking and harvest regulations as potential infringements on
fishing privileges and opportunities. This perception is particularly embraced by landowners
with private waters and the aquaculture industry that markets gamefish to the public. The current
Stocking procedures are complex and difficult to interpret, and will need to be re-evaluated soon.
The CDOW would like to simplify the Stocking Procedures so that it is easier for the State to
formulate and enforce regulations, and administer a permitting program. Development of
regulations to control fish stocking in private waters, and the associated permit system to oversee
such stocking, has been difficult to set up and difficult for permitees to understand due to the
complexities of the Procedures.
An effective program to control stocking of nonnative fishes will need to clearly define the
impact of nonnative fish to the public before moving ahead with extensive controls. It would be
necessary to garner support from the angler public before enacting such regulations as requiring
anglers to kill and keep all fish captured of certain species. These kinds of regulations can have
varied effects on anglers. Some anglers may perceive a given regulation as a precursor to
more stringent actions that may further limit fishing opportunities, or as a statement on the
quality of the resource. For example, Colorado anglers have indicated voluntary catch and
release protocol will be promoted to counter state regulations removing bag and possession limits
on their preferred gamefish species. Use of bag limits to remove nonnative species is effective
only if angler attitudes and reactions are well understood. With reduced stocking of warmwater
gamefish species in westslope waters, illicit introductions offish into public fisheries appears to
be on the rise.
3.2.2 State of Utah
All proposed stocking actions in the State of Utah are consistent with the Stocking Procedures.
Utah also tracks all stocking information (public and private waters) from throughout the
Colorado River Basin and reports this information annually to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
as per section X of the Stocking Procedures. Utah's current stocking policy for nonnative,
nonsalmonid fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin is consistent with endangered fish
recovery and interagency agreements of which the State of Utah is a signatory.
Nonnative fish stocking policy in Utah has changed because of agreements, such as the Stocking
Procedures. Tiger muskie are currently the only nonnative, nonsalmonids species which may
pose a threat to the endangered fishes that is currently stocked in upper basin Utah waters by the
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR). UDWR stocked tiger muskie in Johnson
t Reservoir (Fremont River drainage) in 1999. This stocking was approved by the signatories of
the Stocking Procedures as an exception to the general rules with the stipulation that UDWR