The Arlington, Virginia-based Trout Unlimited, one of the nation’s largest and most effective fresh water conservation organizations, has just released the ‘2015 State of the Trout’. This comprehensive report details the status of America’s trout fisheries, and some of the findings may be troubling to conservation-minded trout anglers.
“The beauty and diversity of trout attracts the artist and photographer as well as the angler,” TU says. “Not only are the fish themselves works of art, but they occur in some of the most beautiful settings the country has to offer, from small gurgling country streams to high-mountain lakes to sweeping western rivers.
Unfortunately, neither the status of native trout nor their habitat is secure. During the past century, trout have declined as a result of land development, overfishing, water pollution, poor timber, and livestock grazing practices and the introduction of non-native fishes and other aquatic invasive species. Stocking of hatchery trout has swamped the genes of the native trout through hybridization and competition.”
According to the study, native brook trout in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic occupy only 55 percent of their original range and are currently threatened by climate change, energy operations, non-native species, and water demand.
For more info, download the full report here, and check out this video featuring the President and CEO Trout Unlimited, Chris Wood.
