A Call to Safeguard Native Fish and Biodiversity by Prohibiting Fish Feeding in Waters of the State
Subject: A Call to Safeguard Native Fish and Biodiversity by Prohibiting Fish Feeding in Waters of the State
Dear Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commissioners,
Feeding fish in waters of the state has become one of the largest issues contributing to the spread of disease, decline of wild fish populations and decline of river ecosystems.
The feeding of big game is prohibited in Colorado due to biological and ethical reasons. This practice leads to the unnatural concentration of animals, fosters increased disease and parasite transmission, and habituates wild animals to being fed by people, thus reducing their natural instincts for predator avoidance The exact same concepts all hold true for the feeding of fish in rivers.
By feeding fish, we are also introducing nutrients into watersheds that may violate the Clean Water Act. These excess nutrients may lead to increased algae blooms which reduce invertebrate, juvenile fish and spawning habitat as well as other water quality concerns
Parks and Wildlife Regulation #103(A)(10)(a) prohibits the practice of chumming, which is defined in #100(C) as “placing fish, parts of fish, or other material upon which fish
might feed in the waters of this state for the purpose of attracting fish to a particular
area in order that they might be taken, but such term shall not include fishing with
baited hooks or live traps.” There is little to no difference between chumming and fish feeding. The following is a scenario that I have witnessed countless times on our floatable rivers. Private landowners release pellets into the river while public anglers are floating the same stretch.The fish, having been habituated to be fed, begin aggressively feeding on these pellets while the anglers continue to pursue the same fish. Who is at fault in this scenario, the private landowner or the angler? How are anglers supposed to comply with chumming regulations while these landowners are releasing food into the river?
We respectfully call on Colorado Parks and Wildlife to enact a prohibition on feeding fish in waters of the state.
Sincerely,
Ben McCormick
