New fisheries manager likes the diversity

The new Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 1 fisheries manager will face the challenge of balancing often conflicting interests, but Mark Deleray is well-suited for the challenge.

Deleray, 51, has been working in fisheries management in Northwest Montana for 23 years and is a fan of fish of all stripes.

He succeeded Jim Vashro at the regional job about a month ago.

“When I was a kid, I loved to fish and that’s where my interests formed for fisheries,” he said.

Deleray earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California-Berkeley and his master’s in fish and wildlife management at Montana State University. He worked as a biologist for the state of Washington and spent a year as a fisheries technician in Townsend.

Over the last 23 years, Deleray worked under Vashro in Kalispell, the last 18 years as a fisheries management biologist in and around the Flathead Valley, with the exception of the Swan, Middle Fork and South Fork drainages.

Deleray calls himself a “generalist” when it comes to fishing. He plies all types of waters for all types of fish using different techniques and equipment.

“I’m not kidding,” he said. “I’m up for anything when it comes to fishing.”

That could be important when dealing with anglers passionate about fish species that often compete or prey on one another, particularly in Northwest Montana.

“That is one of the great things about Region 1 — there is a huge diversity in fishing,” Deleray said. “All that diversity creates a diversity of issues. That’s the other side of it.”

A well-known conflict involves native species such as bull trout and non-native fish such as lake trout.

The conflict lies at the heart of why FWP is not partnering with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes over a controversial netting project aimed at suppressing lake trout numbers on Flathead Lake.

Critics of the netting plan contend it will decimate lake trout, the only popular sport fishery on the lake.

Advocates say it’s necessary to increase the bull trout population.

A Flathead Lake co-management plan between the state and the tribes expired in 2010, but developing a new plan “is an ongoing discussion,” Deleray said, but the state and tribes work together on many other aspects of fish and wildlife management.

“You hear about the rough spots, but I think we need to look at our entire working relationship,” he said. “We continue to work on a lot of things, collaboratively.”

Deleray also reflected on the state’s broad mission for fisheries management.

“The goal has always been the same — to conserve our fishery resources for future generations,” he said. “The challenge is the playing field is always changing.”

Whether it’s illegally introduced species, providing adequate public access to state waters or addressing changing water quality, “nothing is static in fisheries management,” Deleray said.

For example, the 36 fishing access sites currently in Region 1 may seem like a lot, but not when considering how much water there is in Northwest Montana.

“Some of these access sites, in the summer, are over capacity now,” Deleray said. “We’ll continue to pursue new access where possible, when the opportunities arise.”

Another big issue is the significant budgetary shortfall forecasted for FWP.

“We’re going to have to make serious cuts in our services and programs, depending on the outcome of this next legislative session,” he said.

Overall, Deleray said he is looking forward to his new job.

“From a personal standpoint, I see it as a challenge,” he said. “On the professional side, there’s a lot of opportunity to do good work in this region.”