‘Don’t Ditch Fish’: DWR urges public to not dump fish in different waterbodies

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is reminding the public not to move fish from different waterbodies or to dump unwanted pet fish.

According to the DWR, they discovered an illegal fish introduction when smallmouth bass were released into Lloyds Lake in the Colorado River. The transport of these bass from where they were first caught and the release of the fish into a new location are illegal.

“Due to several endangered fish in the Colorado River, we partner with other agencies to ensure that our sportfish stocking does not interfere with the recovery of native fish,” DWR Sportfish Coordinator Trina Hedrick said.

“The stocking of sportfish in any drainages in the Colorado River Basin is therefore highly regulated,” Hedrick said, “If we were going to consider the stocking of smallmouth bass, it would get a thorough review and escapement evaluation, and it is highly unlikely that we would stock the species here. This illegal introduction is very problematic.” 

Experts with DWR say that illegally introducing a fish into a body of water can have negative effects on the ecosystem. Illegal fish can introduce disease or prey on other native fish species. Additionally, they can negatively harm water quality.

“Illegal fish introductions seldom improve fisheries — instead, illegal introductions typically ruin fisheries and threaten the species that live there,” Hedrick said. “It is also illegal in Utah to transport live fish or to introduce them into a new location and can result in a class A misdemeanor.”

Individuals should never move fish from one waterbody to another, and that includes dumping unwanted pet fish into local ponds or using live bait fish.

When an illegal introduction happens, it can cause significant damage and require significant treatment to restore bodies of water.

“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,” Hedrick added, “Please help our native fish species and maintain quality fishing in Utah by never dumping a fish or being a ‘bucket biologist.’”

If you see invasive fish in a waterbody or see someone illegally introducing fish to a waterbody, you can call 800-662-3337 to report it..

Additionally, for more information on illegal fish introductions, you can visit the DWR website.