Interactive Source Map Logan Hensley English 102

These two sources draw a connection bewteen how stocking rivers impact the Boise area also biologically along with ecologically

These two sources draw a great connection between how stocking rivers affects environements both socially and ecologically

These two sources show more about how the choices we make as citizens impact the other not only socially but also ecologically due to how we treat our environment

These two sources share information about how and why state agencies decided to stock rivers with fish.

What are the Impacts Ecologically and Socially of Idaho Fish and Game Stocking the Boise River with fish

This last source draws great explanation and detail to the Biological impacts and how they tie into the health and anatomy of fish who breed with other fish whio are stocked in the river.

Summary: This article is a great introduction to the basics of how fisheries such as the Boise River work and function when it comes to fishing. This article explains how government agencies such as Idaho Fish and Game introduce fish that have been raised on farms throughout the state into the river and how this changes the dynamics of the river. As stated in the article, it can be seen that introducing fish from outside bodies of water in a river creates competition naturally between the wild fish who were born in the river and the government stocked fish. When the rate at which the state government releases fish into the river is done improperly, the number of native fish in the river can fluctuate and create an ecosystem where native fish struggle for food and spots to spawn.

"To Stock or Not to Stock?"

1.Brown, K. (2023, August 28). To stock or not to stock. MeatEater Conservation. https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/wildlife-management/to-stock-or-not-to-stock

Overview: This source is written by K. Brown , an environmentalist and biologist, who studies river ecosystems and marine habitats. In 2023 Brown wrote on his own website about how and why river fishieries decided to start stocking bodies of water with fish and how that has created problems for the plants and aniamls that are native to the river.

Role in the Conversation; This article shows relevnace towards my topic because it gives a great introduction towards what the affects on native fish that occurr when hatchery fish are introdcued into a river system. This article discusses the problems that happen and the dangers that stun our beautiful and native fish when changes come to the river.

Main Points

• Creates an unatural environment for native plants and animals
• Creates competition for breeding and eating for native fish

Trout Stocking- Helpful or Harmful. Simpson Fly Fishing

Summary: This article is great to explain more about why government agencies decide to place fish that they raised into rivers. The reason why fish have been and were originally stocked in rivers was because in the late 1890’s in the United States there was a rise in the amount of fisherman in our country. Therefore, there was a huge opportunity for state governments to provide their people with the possibilities to not only fish and catch plenty of fish but also make millions of dollars in the process as a state. States stock certain rivers with fish and charge people money each year to buy a license to fish and harvest the fish that they catch. Although this may be good financially for states like Idaho, the native fish found in rivers began to suffer and struggle due to the competition now found with stocked fish now being found in the river.

Overview: Al Simpson, fly fishing expert guide and historian, discusses on his website in 2015, the history of the United States and state governments deciding on when and why to stock local rivers with fish. Simpson touches on the impacts that began to occurr once fish were released into river bodies in the United States in the late 1890's.

Simpson, al. (2015, May 4). Trout Stocking- Helpful or Harmful. Simpson Fly Fishing. https://simpsonflyfishing.com/trout-stocking-helpful-or-harmful/

Main Points

• State governements started introducing hatchery fish into rivers in the 1890's
• fishing was a social gathering early on
• impacts were able to be seen almost instantly upon chanhes being made in river systems.

Role in the Conversation: This article brings great relevance to my topic because it shows and teaches the history of why and when states started stocking their rivers with fish. This is very important for an audience to undertsand the original history and how long this has been going on in our country.

Overview: In this article from 2021 J.G Frued, fish biologist, describes on his website and blog the social impacts of state agencies stocking local rivers with fish. He describes insentives of anglers who decide to fish. Some are looking to fish for fun while others fish for sport.

The problems with stocked fish. ScientificFlyAngler

Main Points

• Finding out what makes anglers want to fish.
• Seeing how some cities decide to dedicate there rivers as protected and natural bodies of water.
• Importance of protecting our naturally found ecosystems.
• Learning how you can protect your local river from pollution and damage.

Freund, J. G. (2021, July 12). The problems with stocked fish. ScientificFlyAngler. https://www.thescientificflyangler.com/post/the-problems-with-stocked-fish

Summary: This article shows the relationship between fishing being recreational vs being viewed as a sport. Just like any other aspect of life with hobbies or activities that people take part in, some people enjoy just having fun while others take things very seriously. Fishing is the same way, some anglers enjoy catching any fish that will take the bait, while other anglers travel to specific bodies of water to take part in an ecosystem that is preserved and natural in nature. Making changes to the ecosystem of a river by introducing fish raised on a farm to add sure numbers of the amount of fish that could be potentially caught to draw people in to make money doesn’t appeal to all anglers. Some states have designated specific rivers and preserved them by keeping them natural and not introducing hatchery fish into the ecosystem. Therefore, the wild fish in the river can grow and do not have to struggle with the competition of overwhelming numbers of synthetic government placed fish taking resources and space.

Role in the Conversation: This website plays a role towards relevance and importance for my topic because it does a great job providing information for the social impacts of Idaho Fish and Game stocking the Boise River with fish. To get a deeper undertsanding of the social impacts that occurr here in Boise we can learn from this artile and see that the more fish that are released into our river then naturally more poeple will spend time fishing. Naturally if there are more poeple, then there will be more waste and trash placed by and near the river as well. We can also see from the artcile that to perserve our natural river we could implement rules as a state to no longer release hatchery fish into our river and allow it to be a natural body of water.

Overview: On Febuary 12, 2024, I met up for an interview with a friend of mine who recently stopped working for Idaho Fish and Game because he felt that they were not honest and an organization and he ultimately did not want to endorse or be a part of what he was seeing. As an employee who worked directly in my field of study, my friend gave great insight on what is really going on behind the scenes in Idaho when stocking fish in the Boise River.

Interview with Idaho Fish and Game Employee #1 By Logan Hensley 2/12/24

Summary: I conducted an interview last week with a former Idaho Fish and Game employee who has chosen to stay anonymous. He worked directly with counting, researching, and studying the behavior of fish that were born and raised in the Idaho Fish and Game hatchery before they were released into the Boise River. He told me that many times groups of fish in the hatchery were infected and sick and still later placed into the Boise River. This is a huge problem because anytime a group introduces something into an ecosystem it directly changes the ecosystem. Let alone if the fish that are being released into the Boise River could be sick from time to time and Idaho Fish and Game let this behavior slide then the whole ecosystem involving the river can be changed in many ways other than native rainbow and brown trout becoming sick and potentially dying. If hatchery fish are sick and still released into the river then all organisms in the river are at risk and so are the birds in the ecosystem including birds of prey such as: osprey, hawks, and heron which are all on protected lists in the state of Idaho.

Main Points

• Some fish put into rivers may carry disease
• all fish put in the river directly impact the ecosystem that they are placed into.
• All plants and animals in the river system are impacted by fish being released into the river.
• Not all state run agencies are completely upfront or honest.
• Protected Bird of Prey in Boise can be affected and die from sickness of eating fish released into our river.

Role in the Conversation: This great interview that I was lucky to conduct plays a huge role in my argument and topic research because it shows that sometimes fish are put into a river system and at times are already sick. This seriosuly changes the dynamics of the river both socially and ecologically. I hope that one day we don't hear people commonly saying to not go to the Boise River because of how dirty and infected it could possibly become due to pollution.

Learn About Aquatic Trash

Overview: In 2015 the United States Environmental Protection Agency created an article to inform Americans on the impacts of leaving trash and polluting their bodies of water and how this affects fish and wildlife ecosystems.

US EPA, O. (2015, November 19). Learn About Aquatic Trash. Www.epa.gov. https://www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters/learn-about-aquatic-trash/

Main Points

• Citizens' decisions can and will impact the ecosystem that they live in.
• Many are unaware of the impacts they make while camping, fishing, and recreating.
• We can still make changes in our lifestyles to help preserve and save naturally found ecosystems.

‌Summary: This article describes the impact of people leaving trash and waste items near and in rivers. This source ties in well with my others provided on this source document because part of my discussion is that the more people who are drawn into fishing or recreating in or near the Boise River, there becomes a natural increase in the amount of trash and waste that is left by people who interact with the river. People who leave trash and other waste items near and in the river are contributing to one of my pain points stated earlier through another source. My point is that as a species we are changing the river ecosystem through polluting and contaminating water by leaving waste. This actually changes the ecosystem of the river by polluting the water that plants and animals live in. This also creates social problems as well. As a state we should want to provide a beautiful natural resource for all to enjoy such as the Boise River. By introducing unnecessary changes such as polluting the water and changing the natural makeup where the pants and animals live we are doing the complete opposite.

Role in the Conversation: This article is relevant and important to my topic because it shows the social impacts that as civilians we make upon our ecosystems. This is important because we all play a part in our world when it comes to helping out in our communities with nature and the beauty we all enjoy around us.

Overview: In 2020 a magazine company who studies the lives of wild fish discussed and shared a very uring problem when agencies such as Idaho Fish and Gamerelease hatchery fish into rivers. Trout Unlimited Magazine shared key details about cross breeding between hatchery and native fish. When this occurs fish become very sick and infect parts of the river. This is a major problem because this has been seen in other river systems and has destroyed enture popukations of fish living in rivers.

Native And Wild - Trout Unlimited

Native And Wild - Trout Unlimited. (2020, September 18). Www.tu.org. https://www.tu.org/magazine/from-the-president/native-and-wild/‌

Summary:This article addresses a huge problem that ties into two of my main points previously stated. In this article we can learn and understand that when state agencies such as Idaho Fish and Game decide to stock or introduce hatchery fish into a river system such as the Boise River they can create major problems within the breeding system of the fish and animals in the river. When hatchery fish are introduced into the Boise River studies have shown that hybridization can occur and spread disease through the river, infecting the fish and plants. Hybridization occurs when a fish who was not born in that river and is a hatchery fish breeds with a native fish who was born in that river. This does not end well, when the genes of these fish mix it creates a hybrid fish that does not operate very well. These fish are born very sick and oftentimes spread disease that are capable of wiping out entire species of fish that live in the river. Birds of Prey( Which are supposed to be protected) can eat these sick fish and carry disease as well. More than just the plants and animals who live in the Boise River are affected when infected fish are released into the river and hybridization occurs from cross breeding.

Main Points

• Cross breeding between native and hatchery fish can be detremental to river ecosystems.
• Entire species of fish can be eliminated.
• Plants and other marine animals can be exposed to sickness that is carried from hybridization breeding fish.
• Less breeding spots are available for native fish.
• Less resources and food are available for native fish.

Role in the Conversation: This magazine artcile is relevant to my topic and research because it gives another great example that reinforces my previous points that serious problmes can occurr from hatchery fish being released into river ecosystems, such as sickness being spread from fish who are introduced and changing the dynamics of the river.