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<br />, ( (' l <br />\iil d\.ll <br /> <br />III. Nonnative Fishes and Soortfishing <br /> <br />Goal: Minimize the impacts of nonnative fishes and incidental take associated with sport <br />fishing on the endangered fishes. <br /> <br />Status: <br /> <br />. Effective management of riverine populations of problematic nonnative fishes <br />is a high priority of the Recovery Program and one of the most challenging <br />recovery elements. <br /> <br />. As a result of the February 2002 workshop on nonnative fish management, <br />nonnative fish control activities were expanded in FY03 and folIowed a <br />treatment/control approach. An associated I&E effort included press releases, <br />public meetings, and meetings with resource advisory groups. <br /> <br />. Results of the FY03 nonnative fish management projects were reviewed at a <br />December 2003 workshop and appropriate revisions were made to the scopes of <br />work for FY04 (including increased effort, placing emphasis on the Yampa <br />River, shifting from treatment/control approach to depletion analysis, and <br />shifting emphasis from channel catfish to smallmouth bass). Tagging of <br />n0l1hem pike upstream of the Hayden Bridge will help determine downstream <br />movements into critical habitat and guide decisions to expand control efforts. <br />Evaluation of response of the native fish community to nonnative fish <br />management activities began in FY04. A workshop is scheduled for December <br />2004 to review and evaluate results of management activities to date, and to <br />prepare for the upcoming FY05 field season. I&E efforts will continue. <br /> <br />. Data since 2001 strongly indicate that efforts to manage northern pike in the <br />middle Green River in Utah are having a depletive effect (i.e., 248 remoyed in <br />2001,42 in 2002, and 22 in 2003). <br /> <br />. On February 4, 2004, the Recovery Program adopted a nonnative fish <br />management policy that addresses the process of identifying and implementing <br />notmative fish management actions needed to recover the endangered fishes. <br />The policy ensures that a more consistent message is included in strategic <br />communication efforts intended to gain agency and public understanding and <br />support for these necessary actions. <br /> <br />. Where feasible, fish removed from the Yan1pa River are relocated to area ponds <br />and reservoirs to provide sportfishing opportunities for the angling public. In <br />2004, approximately 2,600 small mouth bass were relocated to Elkhead <br />Reservoir, and approximately 1,600 northern pike went to Yampa State <br />Wildlife Area ponds, Loudy-Simpson pond, or Rio Blanco Reservoir. <br /> <br />9 <br />