PROTECT.PRESERVE.RESTORE
“Who hears the fishes when they cry?”
MISSION STATEMENT
PROTECT, PRESERVE, AND RESTORE wild NATIVE FISH POPULATIONS THROUGH STEWARDSHIP OF THE FISH AND THEIR HABITATS
“When it comes to fish conservation, we’ve never really gotten it right. The emphasis has been too gamefish centric, too accepting of nonnatives, and too reliant on artificial propagation and other forms of husbandry.”
WHY ARE NATIVE FISHES IMPORTANT?
Clean water and intact riparian areas are absolutely critical to healthy aquatic ecosystems. However, what lives there and doesn’t is equally important, and often overlooked. Without its full complement of wild native fish, or with the addition of nonnative or stocked fish, aquatic ecosystems fall short of being truly healthy. Wild native fish are an important part of big picture aquatic ecosystem health as they impact everything from other fish species, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and even plants. The full complement of native biota, and even microbiota, in a given aquatic ecosystem coevolved to make the system what it is. Remove a piece, or add a piece, and it will have an impact on other pieces, and often in ways we cannot anticipate or undo. The introduction of nonnative predator species, and/or extirpation of native predator species can result in trophic cascades which cause predator/prey imbalances, and/or the loss or disruption of important food sources for certain species. A recent example was the introduction of nonnative lake trout to Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, a wild native cutthroat trout resource of unmatched abundance and ecological significance which not only imperiled the native trout, but stressed an important forage source for birds, otters, and even federally threatened grizzly bears. The introduction of nonnative species, or loss of native species at the bottom of the food pyramid, or even the middle, can cause bottom-up or top-down disruption of aquatic ecosystems. A good example is Flathead Lake in Montana, where the introduction of nonnative mysis shrimp had devastating effects on the native cutthroat and rare bull trout. The loss of native species or introduction of nonnative species can disrupt the entire ecosystem, and result in stress to, or even the loss of other native species.
“The protection of naturalized nonnative species should not be confused with conservation. If we truly want healthy, resilient, functioning aquatic ecosystems, we need to prioritize the preservation and restoration of wild native species.”
Founding member and National Chair Emily Bastian and founding member and Executive Director Bob Mallard. Photo: Larry Bastian
About native fish coalition
Native Fish Coalition was founded in 2017 by Tom Dickins, Bob Mallard and Emily Bastian. We are a nonpartisan, apolitical, grassroots, donor-funded, primarily volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the conservation, preservation and restoration of wild native fish. While most of our members are avid anglers, our focus is not limited to so-called “gamefish.” We are however often - but by no means always - focused on gamefish, and the reason is twofold: Native gamefish are often the species that are most threatened, and what is good for these fish is good for all native fish.
It is the belief of Native Fish Coalition that no stream, river, pond or lake is truly healthy or “restored” until its full complement of native flora and fauna is intact and it is devoid of nonnative species and hatchery-raised fish. While clean water and healthy riparian zones are a necessary foundation for establishing healthy aquatic ecosystems, they are not an absolute indication of overall ecological health.
Native Fish Coalition recognizes that the complete restoration of native species assemblages and the removal of nonnative fish is often not attainable, or practical. It is however a starting point and general blueprint for where we can make a difference. While our mission is absolute, our execution of that mission is pragmatic and based on reality and likelihood of success as much as ideology.
OUR goal
The purpose for forming Native Fish Coalition was to address issues that fall through the cracks, and turn partial solutions into total solutions. Our goal is to work with like-minded entities to best utilize our skills and resources to promote meaningful reform even when that means challenging the status quo, and to bridge the gap between fish and water conservation organizations, as well as other groups.
We are part of a small but rapidly growing group of like-minded advocates who are committed to protecting, preserving, and restoring our wild native fish. That shared vision and the structure of our organization allows us to achieve consensus and act quickly and decisively to protect this invaluable and irreplaceable resource.
Native Fish Coalition sees no issue as too big or too small, too easy or too challenging. We use information and education, research, habitat restoration and enhancement, reclamation, and regulations to promote complete and long-term solutions. While concessions are sometimes necessary, we will not agree to ineffective or dangerous compromises, quick fixes, or temporary solutions. We see education, negotiation, public advocacy, and legislation as important tools for achieving our objectives.
We have assembled a group of experienced advocates who have dedicated themselves to understanding the many threats facing our native fish and the most effective ways to combat those threats. It is our intent to find common ground wherever possible and work with as many organizations, government agencies, businesses and clubs as we can. If you feel as we do, we would greatly appreciate your support. No donation or offer of help is too small or too large.
Rare wild native Arctic charr from Floods Pond in Maine. Photo: Bob Mallard
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TOM DICKENS is a founding member of Native Fish Coalition, and in fact, the founding member…