Resolution to Oppose a Recreational Fishery in Fossil Creek

Authors: Brian R. Kesner, Abraham P. Karam, Paul C. Marsh

Year: 2009 (xli)

Abstract

Whereas the Desert Fishes Council (http://www.desertfishes.org) is an international organization numbering in excess of 250 professional members including agency, university, and private research and management scientists and resource specialists and other individuals concerned with the long-term integrity of North America’s desert ecosystems, and

Whereas the expertise of its members collectively reflects considerable decades of education and active experience working in the fields of aquatic ecosystem research, conservation and management, and

Whereas Fossil Creek is one of few streams in Arizona with a flourishing native fish community void of non-native fishes upstream of its fish barrier, and

Whereas U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which invested heavily in the renovation and protection of native fishes in Fossil Creek by constructing a fish barrier, provided funding for native fish repatriation and post-stocking monitoring, opposed opening Fossil Creek to recreational fishing at this time, and

Whereas there is a profound concern that opening the creek to sport fishing, even with the constraints of artificial, barbless, catch and release will increase the likelihood that there will be illicit contamination of the stream by irresponsible individuals, and

Whereas an important initial argument to support the sport fish status of roundtail chub was that as such it could be better managed than if it was federally listed under the Endangered Species Act, yet management for this species has been negligible and local populations have declined or been extirpated, and

Whereas introduction and establishment of non-native fishes into Fossil Creek would be devastating for the conservation of native fishes that occupy the stream, including threatened loach minnow and spikedace, and endangered Gila topminnow and razorback sucker—all stocked in hopes of establishing new populations of these critically imperiled species, and

Whereas the potential risk to the entire community of native fishes in Fossil Creek and to the long term success of the restoration project, the establishment of a sport fishery for a single, uncommon species, presents an unwarranted risk, and

Whereas headwater chub also occupies the stream and is the species most likely to be encountered by anglers, is not a sport fish and is elsewhere protected statewide but conveniently designated a sport species only in Fossil Creek, and

Whereas recent studies suggest that chubs in general may not tolerate handling very well, thus catch and release actually may be detrimental to both headwater chub and roundtail chub that occupy the sport fishing reach of Fossil Creek, and

Whereas the creation of a recreational fishery in Fossil Creek, which is already stressed due to severe overuse and lacks adequate law enforcement, will exacerbate current use problems, and

Whereas the creation of a recreational fishery in Fossil Creek is premature given the absence of a U.S. Forest Service management plan for the area, which is currently in development, now therefore be it

Resolved that the Desert Fishes Council, by majority vote of the membership assembled at its 41st annual business meeting on November 20, 2009 in Death Valley National Park, California, urges Arizona Game and Fish Department to reverse its decision to open Fossil Creek to a catch and release fishery for roundtail and headwater chubs.

Copies of this resolution to be sent to (addresses to be provided):

Director, Arizona Game and Fish Department Commissioners, Arizona Game and Fish Commission Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Phoenix Regional Forester, U.S. Forest Service Area Manager, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Executive Director, Center for Biological Diversity President, Flycasters of Northern Arizona

And other parties to be determined