From Your Representative: To gill-net or not to gill-net

There’s a big debate raging here locally. It concerns getting rid of lake trout (mackinaw) in Flathead Lake in order to provide a home for bull trout and cutthroat.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe has proposed gill-netting 150,000 lake trout per year to reduce the large population in the lake. The Tribe, with other sponsors, currently conducts annual “Mack Days” fishing events in its efforts to reduce lake trout populations. Somewhere near 70,000 fish are pulled out of the lake each spring and fall in this competition and it provides great sport for anglers and treasure seekers (the fish are tagged and anglers catching certain fish can win thousands of dollars).

On the other side of the issue are sport anglers and the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). Sport anglers as you might guess do not want lake trout removed from the lake. Folks pay them to fish them out. Sport anglers like to get paid and their income bounces around our economy nicely.

FWP is siding with the sport anglers because it feels a need for accurate data and science prior to jumping into a huge undertaking like removing hundreds of thousands of lake trout from Flathead. You see, the Tribe submitted an application to Bonneville Power Administration, BPA, to get funds for use in gill-netting lake trout. BPA has set aside money to pay for certain fish mitigation and the Tribe would like to use that money in its efforts to return native fish to the lake.

According to BPA, they first have to review the lake trout Environmental Impact Statement. When the science review is done, BPA will review the Tribe’s proposal and make a final decision based on their science panel report, budget and how the proposal fits into the overall program.

But, according to FWP biologists (Kalispell Region 1, 406-751-4543), the Tribe’s application was incomplete. It lacked accurate data and science. So FWP backed out of the deal. As your representative I, like FWP, would like to see complete data prior to moving forward with gill-netting.

According to sport anglers gill-netting is a horrible way for fish to die. Their gills get caught in the net and they can’t move them – making the fish flail about, beating up their bodies, while they suffocate. Also there’s a concern the nets will pull up precious bull trout and other species, too. Those facts notwithstanding some biologists predict that if lake trout are removed dramatically, the shrimp and algae populations will explode, turning the lake green, depleting oxygen supplies.

This, of course, would lead to the decimation of sport fishing, and a huge drop in property values for landowners. Tourism would drop, too. And that would hurt our local economy. Doom and gloom.

As a local resident you have a voice. BPA is engaged in dialog with the Tribe’s representative, Tom McDonald, 42487 Complex Blvd. PO Box 278, Pablo, MT 59855. Submit your comments with Mr. McDonald and they will be forwarded to BPA. The comment period ends soon.

I am interested in your comments. Call me at 849-6096 or email jannataylor@montana.com. I never forget that I work for you.