Why do people keep dumping buckets of fish into Montana’s lakes?
On a summer day in 1992, a man dumped a cooler full of a fish called yellow perch into Lake Mary Ronan, in northwest Montana. We know this because two teenagers saw him do it; they wrote down his license plate number and called in a tip to the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks department […]
In 1992, a man dumped a cooler full of yellow perch into Lake Mary Ronan, Montana. Two teenagers witnessed the act and reported the incident to the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks department. The man faced a small fine and a charge for illegally introducing non-native fish into the lake. In 1992, intentionally introducing non-native fish to Montana's waters was a felony punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to $25,000.
A biologist at the Flathead Lake Biological Station warned that the introduction of non-native fish could irreparably damage the lake's delicate ecosystem. Despite the law, anglers still illegally dump fish into Montana's lakes, believing that non-native fish are more fun to catch. The consequences of this "bucket biology" are severe, as it can upend established ecosystems and harm native wildlife.
Written by urgent.news from Vox's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
