This little nugget about two northern Minnesota minnow-farmers breaking the golden rules of invasive-species management got me thinking.
In this case (which was widely reported in the media) a pair of licensed minnow-farmers used equipment from Lake of the Woods - which had possibly been infected by the lake's invasive species, such as the spiny waterflea - to harvest minnows in Upper Red Lake. As punishment, their commercial minnow licenses were revoked for three years.
I say: Take their fishing licenses, too.
I've become entirely fed up with anglers who don't take preservation seriously. Those who don't care enough about the water to preserve it, don't deserve to fish it either.
I'm ashamed when I travel to my favorite shore-fishing haunts only to find the shoreline strewn with empty cans of Natural Ice (funny that it's never something like Sam Adams or Stella Artois), various bait containers and cigarette butts.
I'm a smoker myself. And I use beer and bait regularly, often at the same time but only rarely for the same purpose. However, I have never - now allow me a moment to mount my high horse - NEVER thrown those things on the ground.
Those who do act so carelessly deserve to be treated the same as those who transport invasive species, an issue that has long troubled Minnesota anglers and DNR officials: Take their licenses, confiscate their equipment and tell them not to bother fishing for awhile.
As outdoors folk, we make habit of proclaiming loudly our value of preservation. I say: Prove it.
- For those interested, you can view a list of Minnesota waters that are infested with invasive species here.
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