Taking Stock of Fish Stocking in the Western US

The first introduction of non-native gamefish to Western US (1870s) was perceived as a major scientific and cultural advancement providing food fish and recreational opportunities. By the latter half of the 20^th century stocking was mainly utilized as a strategy to create recreational angling opportunities. Western states now face a dilemma as they are tasked with retaining recreational fishing opportunities for established non-natives while maintaining and protecting native populations.  We obtained fish stocking records from the seven state agencies and looked at the last thirty years of stocking records with respect to trends in species, biomass, and locations. Over the past 30 years at least 56 species have been introduced for recreational opportunities into seven western states: AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA.  These seven states are also home to 60% (89/149) of the freshwater and anadromous fishes listed under the Endangered Species Act.  Overall trends in fish stocking show little change over the past 30 years, however we find a number of specific examples where states have changed gamefish stocking strategies or moved toward conservation stocking.