NH Stocking Update (Summary)
There has been a lot of chatter on the internet lately in regard to some proposed stocking changes in New Hampshire. Some of the terms being thrown around are inaccurate, and while a positive step forward, the overall impact of these changes may be being exaggerated.
NFC has been sorting through emails and documents to try to figure out exactly what is and is not happening in regard to stocking over wild fish in NH. In addition to meeting notes from a winter Zoom call with NH F&G, we have several email threads which ask questions and generate answers, and in some cases more questions, as well as a spreadsheet of proposed changes. Here is what we do know so far:
* There is no general reduction in stocking being proposed at this time, just changes in regard to what goes where. Some decisions are biological and driven by the presence of wild fish, others economic where the stocking does not have a good return on investment.
* The term NH F&G is using is “stream order,” with order 1-3 streams getting most of the attention, and at varying levels. There are however 3-4 generally accepted stream order models, and it is unclear which one they are using. NH NFC will be sorting this out with the NH F&G map person shortly.
* There will be some level of suspensions in regard to stocking over wild native brook trout, mostly in headwater streams. This is good news. But to be clear, not all stocking over wild native brook trout will be suspended, not even close. There are a number of streams with robust wild brook trout populations that were being stocked that NFC has spoken with NH F&G about. Thankfully, a few made the proposed stocking suspension list. Some others we wanted to see suspended did not.
* There will be some level of stocking suspensions where it no longer makes sense due to habitat issues – temps, summer kill, etc. These fish will be moved elsewhere.
* There will be some species changes as well. Rainbow and brown trout will no longer be stocked over wild brook trout in some cases, but not all. They will be replaced with brook trout, exchanging inter-species stocking for intra-species stocking. This is a mixed bag, as all stocking regardless of species, has some of the same issues and concerns – competition for food and space, disease, predation, etc. Inter-species stocking (rainbows over brook trout) also has the potential to create self-sustaining populations of nonnative fish. But intra-species has the potential to water down the genetics, or decrease genetic diversity, of the wild native fish. Most of this will affect waters where the habitat is most conducive to brook trout. The browns and rainbows will be moved downstream where they are less likely to interfere with wild native brook trout. Conversely, in some cases where brook trout are stocked along with browns and bows in “warmer” habitat, the brook trout stocking will be suspended and the fish allocated to habitat more conducive to such.
* Most waters receiving 200 or fewer fish a year will be suspended. This is not what many think, as if a water can support wild fish, or season-long fishing, and we are stocking over them, they typically receive 250+ fish a year. This will impact mostly pure put-and-take programs in warmer water.
* NH F&G will also be reviewing the issuance of private stocking permits. Locations will be reviewed more thoroughly to make sure they don’t conflict with management programs, or impact wild native fish as happened on the Wildcat River above the falls, where rainbows entered the stream from a private pond, which in this case did not have the proper permits. NFC will be watching this closely, and is currently in the process of reviewing the 2020 private stocking permits.
To be clear, these are just proposals at this time, and will go through some level of public input to ascertain the acceptance level from the angling community. Per Dianne Timmins, NH F&G biologist, “…as I mentioned previously none of the changes [proposed stocking suspensions] are permanent at this point. …That being said the status of these waters may change after a social component is incorporated. Just want to be frank in case these do change.”
In general, the proposed changes are more good than bad, much more. While a major step in the right direction, they by no means represent an end to stocking over wild native brook trout in NH, not even close. But again, it is a step in the right direction and that is a good thing...
NFC fully supports the proposed suspensions of stocking over wild native brook trout, including the suspension of stocking nonnative trout over wild native trout.
We do not however support replacing nonnative trout with native trout where they are being stocked over wild native brook trout. A better option would be to suspend stocking altogether, protect what wild native brook trout are there with stricter regulations, and create a natural fishery, whatever that might be, and regardless of social concerns as to the quality of the fishing.