Check stations finding illegal live fish in boats

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reports that at least nine trailered boats checked recently at roadside watercraft inspection stations were transporting live fish, which is illegal in Montana’s western and central fishing districts.

More than 58 illegal fish were found at check stations in Coram, Ronan, Thompson Falls, Wolf Creek and Hardin. The fish, including yellow perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye, were kept in water-filled tanks used on a variety of fishing boats to keep bait and caught fish alive.

“Moving live fish from the water in which they were caught is illegal in most of the state and can lead to big trouble if those fish are placed into other waters,” FWP fisheries chief Bruce Rich said. “New fish in any river or lake can change — and sometimes destroy — existing fisheries because new species may not be compatible with the fish already there or could even cause major environmental damage.”

Rich said anglers should put their catch in coolers and place the fish on ice to keep them fresh on the way home.

All boats being trailered or hauled in Montana — including rafts, kayaks and canoes — must stop and be checked at watercraft inspection stations. Inspectors are looking for zebra and quagga mussels and other aquatic invaders that may be accidentally transported from other areas.

But inspectors also check live wells to ensure Montana laws prohibiting the transport of live fish are being followed. The penalty for transporting live fish in Montana is a maximum of $1,000, six months in jail and forfeiture of hunting and fishing licenses.

FWP’s mandatory watercraft inspection stations are located at 18 strategic highway locations and boat ramps in Montana. Crews typically inspect more than 30,000 boats — including about 4,000 from out-of-state — from mid-May to Labor Day.

Crews regularly find vegetation on boats and trailers, including numerous cases of Eurasian watermilfoil and other problem-causing plants, over the course of a season. Crews also often find standing water in boats, which can harbor aquatic invasive species, particularly in the bilge area and in live wells.

Good news is that more boat owners are becoming familiar with FWP’s “Inspect-Clean-Dry” education campaign. As a result, more boats are showing up at inspection stations with boat plugs out and live wells drained.

“Our best defense against invasive species is to inspect, clean, and dry boats, trailers, and fishing gear after each use,” Rich said. “If all boaters and anglers get into the ‘Inspect, Clean and Dry’ habit, they’ll help to reduce unintentional introductions of harmful species into Montana’s streams and lakes.”

Boat owners said that their recent efforts to help stop the spread of unwanted aquatic invasive species are a direct response to information received from previous inspections on the importance of having a drained and dry boat.

For information, visit online at http://fwp.mt.gov, then click “Stop the Spread.”