FUNDING TARGETS PUBLIC EDUCATION ON NON-NATIVE FISH

VICTORIA - The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has been provided with $20,000 to help educate the public about the problems caused by illegally introducing non-native sports fish into the watersheds of British Columbia, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced today.

"People need to understand that it's illegal to put non-native fish into British Columbia's watersheds, even if they think they are creating a fish population for sport angling that wasn't there before," said Penner. "Invasive fish species can have a devastating effect on the indigenous fish in a watershed."

Perch, bass and sunfish, collectively known as spiny-ray fish, have been illegally transplanted by anglers into many lakes and rivers in B.C. Last summer, two boys fishing with their father in Beaver Creek, just upstream from where it enters the Quesnel River, caught the first recorded smallmouth bass in the Cariboo. Additional bass have been caught in test fisheries since then.

Bass can pose a threat to the quality of local fisheries. They are aggressive, predatory fish that can out-compete natural and stocked species such as rainbow trout and threaten stocks of local amphibians.

Northern pike have been introduced in the East Kootenay. In January 2006, Haha Creek watershed was closed to fishing due to the presence of northern pike in the watershed.

"It's extremely difficult to reverse the effects of foreign fish species in a body of water. It's far better to prevent the introduction in the first place," said Don Peterson, president of the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. "We have developed considerable expertise in the area of public education and communication and we'll be using that expertise to reach a broad public audience interested in the fisheries resource in a very cost-effective manner."

The FFSBC is a key partner with the Ministry of Environment in the delivery of the Freshwater Fisheries Program.

The public is reminded that it's illegal to transport live fish without prior approval of the ministry and it's also illegal to use live fish as bait in all B.C. waters. Anyone who thinks they may have seen non-native fish being illegally introduced into any of B.C.'s lakes and rivers should report the information through the province's wildlife infraction reporting hotline at 1 877 952-RAPP (7277), or #7277 on the TELUS Mobility Network.