The annual removal of nonnative lake trout from Yellowstone Lake has concluded and the multiyear effort points to a declining population. The lake trout were removed in an effort to preserve the native cutthroat trout population, the largest remaining concentration of inland cutthroat trout in existence.
Native cutthroat trout are the park’s most ecologically important fish and the most highly regarded by visiting anglers. It is an important food source for grizzly bears, birds of prey, and other wildlife.
The population of cutthroat declined resulted in several of these species being displaced from Yellowstone Lake or having to use alternate food sources due to competition from non-native lake trout.
Yellowstone National Park and contract crews removed 282,960 fish between May and October of this year compared to 297,110 in 2018, and 396,950 in 2017, a 29% decline over three years.
While models and monitoring point to positive trends, a panel of expert fishery scientists in May 2019, estimate that a minimum of five more years of effort is needed to reach the lake trout population goal of below 100,000.
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