SALT LAKE CITY — Don't ditch that fish! That's the message from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources after several fish were discovered to be dumped illegally in four state waterbodies.
Not only is it illegal to dump to dump unwanted pet fish into local ponds, but it is harmful as well. The same goes for moving fish caught from one water body into another.
This year, DWR biologists found several fish that were found illegally placed into the following waterbodies:
- Green sunfish at Yearns Reservoir in Sanpete County
- Smallmouth bass in Settlement Canyon Reservoir in Tooele County
- Redside shiners in Paragonah Reservoir in Iron County
- Largemouth bass in Newcastle Reservoir in Iron County
While people may believe dumping fish is harmless, it can be quite dangerous to existing populations as illegal species might prey upon other fish, impact water quality, and introduce diseases.
"Illegal fish introductions seldom improve fisheries — instead, illegal introductions typically ruin fisheries and threaten the species that live there," said DWR Sportfish Coordinator Randy Oplinger.
"It is also illegal in Utah and can result in a class A misdemeanor."
Anglers may believe that moving fish from one water body to another will improve fishing at another pond, but according to the DWR, this is seldom true.
"It is very expensive and takes a very long time — often requiring rotenone treatments that kill all the fish — to restore these waterbodies after fish have been illegally introduced," Oplinger said.
"Please help our native fish species by never being a 'bucket biologist.'"
To learn more, visit the "Don't Ditch a Fish" page on the DWR website.
