Is the trout sword a double-edged one?

- Charles King (For The Highlands News - published Friday, 07 August 2008)

 

All emotions aside, what exactly are the implications – both to the trout industry and the environment - if brown and rainbow trout were reclassified as invasive, or even listed as prohibited species?

The Sunday Times reported that draft regulations promulgated a year ago to control foreign species and prevent or minimise the harm they wreak on the environment (as part of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act) are about to be signed into law.

They report that if this were to happen, the country's multimillion-rand trout industry could collapse because it would be illegal for anyone to either farm trout or fish for the species.

The Biodiversity Act wants to see native species protected, which will mean that aquaculturists would need to acquire expensive permits, and fishermen would be required to kill any trout they caught.

According to the report Etienne Hinrichsen, chairman of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa, is calling for trout to be exempted from the regulations.

"If trout were having a major biodiversity impact, then we wouldn't really have a leg to stand on — but this is not so," he said.

But is it really not so?

Globally invasive species have been highlighted as one of the major pressures on native biodiversity.

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), one of the most widely introduced fish species in the world is a highly valued sport fish. But internationally concerns have been raised about its effect on native fish and invertebrates through predation and competition.

Brown trout (Salmo trutta) has been introduced around the world for aquaculture and stocked for sport fisheries. But it's guilty of reducing native fish populations, especially other salmonids, through predation, displacement and also food competition. It's also one of the "world's 100 worst" invaders.

Invasive species are also known to be a major driver of global changes in freshwater community structure and ecosystem function. But until recently ecologists haven't been able to forecast (even possibly prevent) the introduction, spread and impact of species likely to cause net financial or environmental harm.

Has anyone counted the cost and impact of these freshwater invasive species on our natural habitats and national biodiversity?

On the other hand, the only estimate I could find in a relatively short time as to the value of Rainbow trout alone to the economy, was that in 2002 it was the most important South African aquaculture product. A total of 1 800 tons worth R44m was produced.

That sounds like a lot of created jobs to me. (Or is it a fat cat, elitist industry where very little wealth trickles down?)

The good news is that there appears to be a middle ground. Research is being conducted around the concept of zoning rivers or sections thereof so as to be able to conserve threatened species as well as to manage established alien species that have a high socio-economic value.

All emotions aside, we need to ask questions and examine facts. Despite the size of our human egos and our illusions of grandeur, we're immensely fragile and merely custodians of 'our' land.

 Poet Carl Sandburg from his astounding 1918 poem "Wilderness":

I am the keeper of zoo: I say yes and no:

I sing and kill and work...

This species has been nominated as among 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders

The great trout debate...

 

brown trout: Salmo trutta has been introduced around the world for aquaculture and stocked for sport fisheries. 

 

Brown trout have been implicated in reducing native fish populations (especially other salmonids) through predation, displacement, and food competition (Taylor et al. 1984, in Fuller, 1999).

 

It is a popular angling fish, particularly in the Mpumalanga Highlands. But this species has been nominated as among 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders.

 

http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=78&fr=1&sts=sss

Multimillion-rand trout industry on the line

Sunday Times: Draft regulations spell trouble for fly-fishing and aquaculture in SA

Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni and thousands of other fly-fishing fans will be forced to hang up their tackle if draft regulations on trout fishing become law.

The proposed legislation could result in brown and rainbow trout being reclassified as an invasive species or even placed on the list of prohibited species.

If this were to happen, the country's multimillion-rand trout industry would collapse, as it would be illegal for anyone to either farm trout or fish for the species, industry players said this week.

Although lawmakers could still decide to exempt the fish from the new government regulations, there is concern that a ban would cripple the aqua-culture sector that produces table fish, including smoked trout fillet and fresh and processed trout, for the annual R45-million local industry.

Tourism in several areas, including the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, eastern Free State, Western Cape and Mpumalanga, rely heavily on trout fishing.

Industry players agreed this week that the regulations, in their present form, would sound the death knell for the country's premier trout region , Dullstroom, as well as several other trout-fishing havens.

One of the sticking points of the draft legislation is that environmental risk assessments, costing between R10000 and R20000 each, would have to be conducted by trout farmers, who would also be required to possess permits.

One of the proposed changes is to keep trout classified as an invasive species — meaning anglers would be obliged to kill the fish they caught instead of releasing them, as is common practice.

Trout industry players will meet the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on August 13, when a decision on the fish's listing is expected.

The regulations, which stem from the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, are being drawn up to control foreign species to prevent or minimise the harm they wreak on the environment.

Trout, originally brought into the country from Loch Leven in Scotland more than a century ago, are considered invasive fish species. But fly-fishing organisations insist that trout co-exist with indigenous fish and cause them no harm.

Sonja Meintjes, deputy director for biodiversity compliance in the Department of Environmental Affairs, said trout industry concerns would be accommodated "in a way that will not harm the environment".

Andre Burger, owner of a fly-fishing shop in Bethlehem, Free State, said his livelihood depended on fishing.

"I will have to close down if trout is declared a prohibited species," he said.

Etienne Hinrichsen, chairman of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa, said it was calling for trout to be exempted from the regulations

"If trout were having a major biodiversity impact, then we wouldn't really have a leg to stand on — but this is not so," he said.

This article was by Prega Govender in yesterday's Sunday Times: http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/News/Article.aspx?id=814115

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This has been a long time coming. It's going to be an interesting environmental story with far-reaching implications to watch unfold. Especially in this part of the world. And considering this country's water 'challenges' (some say crisis), I wonder when the spotlight will fall on golf estates?

(Is the sun setting on fly-fishing? These photos were taken in Waterval-Boven.)