A local fish expert says you can blame the serious decline in Kootenay Lake’s Kokanee stocks on Gerrard Rainbow Trout.
Provincial biologist Matt Neufeld is speaking following news that the Family Day Fishing Derby in February has been cancelled due to the lack of fish in the lake.
..that in turn impacts the whole food chain, including the size of the Gerrards.
Neufeld does not think the recently discovered IHN fish virus is having much of an impact.
He adds the Fish and Wildlife Management Branch will continue efforts to speed up the Kokanee recovery such as managing spawning channels and lake fertilization.
The cancellation of the fishing derby by organisers is seen as a blow to the local tourism economy.
*Picture – Kootenaylake.bc.ca
