SALT LAKE CITY — Wildlife officials are cracking down on illegal fish stocking in Utah's lakes and streams.
"We've found some northern pike in Utah Lake where they don't belong. We've found black bullhead catfish in Deer Creek Reservoir where they don't belong," said Division of Wildlife Resources spokesman Mark Hadley.
The DWR says the non-native fish can end up destroying a body of water’s ecosystem, and it will no longer manage fish that are placed illegally in a body of water. It is recommending no limit and catch-and-kill regulations for the 2012 fishing season at several waters in Utah.
The recommendations for the no-limit regulations would be on the smallmouth bass in Quail Creek, Sand Hollow and Gunlock reservoirs, and the Virgin and Santa Clara rivers. The catch-and-kill regulation would be for the black bullhead catfish in Deer Creek Reservoir and northern pike in Utah Lake.
“Two tools we have to fight illegal fish stocking are no limit and catch-and-kill regulations,” said Drew Cushing, sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR. “We want illegally introduced fish removed as quick as possible.”
Sometimes the only way to remove illegally introduced fish is to kill all of the fish in a body of water and start over again with new fish, the DWR says, and treatments to kill fish can cost hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars.
"Someone who plants fish illegally is every bit as much a poacher," Hadley said.
The DWR's Regional Advisory Councils are holding several public meetings on fishing recommendations this month at the following locations:
• Southern Region
Sept. 20, 7 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E. Center, Beaver
• Southeastern Region
Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main, Green River
• Northeastern Region
Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center
320 N. Aggie Blvd. (2000 West ), Vernal
• Central Region
Sept. 27, 6:30 p.m.
Springville Civic Center
110 S. Main, Springville
• Northern Region
Sept. 28, 6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 West, Brigham City
If you can't attend one of the meetings you can email them by going to wildlife.utah.gov. Rules for the 2012 fishing season will be approved on Nov. 3.
E-mail: vvo-duc@ksl.com, rjeppesen@desnews.com