Manitoba Fisheries have been seeing Small-mouth bass populations creep across the province more than expected.
Brody Kitch with Manitoba Fisheries is quite concerned about this, as smallmouth bass are aggressive eaters, and could threaten native populations.
"A management issue that we're dealing with right now across the province, not just in western Manitoba, is the illegal movement of smallmouth bass. we're seeing smallmouth bass pop up into lots of lakes that weren't put in by the province. They can play a pretty big impact on our native species, specifically out stocked-trout waters that we put a lot of time, money, and effort into."
Kitch was shocked to find that small mouth bass have been spotted as far north as Thompson.
With these sitings, Manitoba would have the farthest northern populations of these fish, which is uncommon for a species originating in middle-North America.
Kitch warns that if you're for some reason transporting these fish, there could be some consequences, both on the enviroment, and your wallet.
"You might think you're doing something right, but in the big picture it's typically quite detrimental to the fisheries and it is also illegal. theres a just under $500 fine if you're caught moving fish, so keep that in mind"
There are still limits on smallmouth bass in the province, but Kitch suggested there may eventually be some measures taken to reel in these smallmouth bass populations.
