Steve Fry, president of the Appalachian Chapter of Trout Unlimited, presents a check to TNACI biologists Dr. Bernie Kuhajda and Kathlina Alford.
Southern Appalachian Brook Trout
photo by Todd Stailey
Trout Unlimited specialty tag
Tennessee’s only native trout species is getting a big boost from many of the state’s motorists. Each time someone pays a little extra for the colorful Trout Unlimited specialty tag, the additional cash is used by the organization to conserve, protect and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
For the second year in a row, a portion of that money is supporting the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute’s (TNACI) efforts to raise the colorful fish in Chattanooga. “I have been working with Southern Appalachian Brook Trout restoration with the U.S. Forest Service and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for approximately 25 years now,” said Steve Fry, president of the Appalachian Chapter of Trout Unlimited. “To have the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute producing Brook Trout has our membership across the state fired up about this partnership.”
Mr. Fry recently presented a check for $10,000 to TNACI biologists Dr. Bernie Kuhajda and Kathlina Alford. This contribution will help pay for the newest phase of this conservation project. “We have had a lot of success spawning and raising the fish,” said Alford. “The next step is studying the survival and growth rates of the reintroduced trout to determine the best path to restoration of this species.” To do so, scientists like Ms. Alford need to carefully track the released fish in the wild over time.
Before being released, each fish is marked with a tiny coded wire tag. These nearly microscopic tags can be read by a special device that indicates where a trout was raised. In addition, each fish is marked with a visible implant elastomer (VIE) tag. “A tiny amount of colored liquid plastic is injected below the tail of each trout which identifies which hatchery raised the fish,” said Ms. Alford. “We will get critical information about how well these fish are doing after a graduate student from Tennessee Tech University surveys the streams to record and measure the trout we’ve released.”
Raising trout, tracking them and refining techniques to restore a species is time-consuming and costly, but necessary if Southern Appalachian Brook Trout are to regain their role within their historic range. Saving one freshwater animal helps repair headwater ecosystems leading to healthier habitats downstream while also revitalizing an important part of the region’s cultural heritage. “If you get to a good Brook Trout stream, you can catch a fish in every little hole,” said Mr. Fry. “So we want to do what we can for the environment and to make sure that the fishing opportunities that I’ve enjoyed throughout my lifetime will exist for future generations.”
According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, there are currently 1,446 vehicles registered with the Trout Unlimited specialty tag.
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