Stewardship Tip Mar 23rd, 2010- One Small Step
We applaud the Alaska Board of Fisheries for phasing out felt-soled, wading boots. As Fly Rod and Reel reported, the ban will take effect on Jan. 1, 2012. This is certainly a step in the right direction.
Felt-soled boots, because they do not dry easily, have been implicated in the spread of several aquatic nuisance species (ANS). For example, in a paper published in Fisheries, Max Bothwell, et al, concluded that the spread of didymo (didymosphenia geminata) among rivers on Vancouver Island correlates with the with activity of anglers and the commercial introduction and wide-spread use of felt-soled wading boots in the late 1980s.
Virtually any piece of equipment or clothing, though, can transport debris, mud, sand, and water. And it is these compounds can hold
ANS; when they are transported between watersheds, the risk of spreading ANS increases.
Wading boots, even with non-felt soles, can remain wet between trips. Rubber and composite soles can trap mud in the tread. Wader cuffs can retain moisture and sand. Nets and rope can remain moist and, of course, boats and trailers can transport debris, mud, sand, and water.
Ultimately, containing the spread of ANS depends upon our actions. As Ben Franklin noted in Poor Richard’s Almanac, “God helps those who help themselves.”
Help yourself by using the following procedures whenever you move from one watershed to another:
Remove all visible mud, debris, sand, plants, fish, and animals from all of your equipment
Eliminate water from all equipment before transporting equipment anywhere
Clean and dry anything that came in contact with the water; Disinfect your equipment if necessary, and
Do not release or put plants, fish or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water
You can find more information about helping to limit the spread of ANS at protectyourwaters.net.
A ban on felt-soled boots is one small step; when everyone takes action to prevent the spread of ANS, our footsteps can be heard around the world. We will ultimately help ourselves and help our fish.
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