As anglers here in the northeast, we have an opportunity (and responsibility) to be a voice for our wildlife resources. That’s why I find it important to keep all of us updated on current issues that will (or in some cases, already do) affect NH’s fish populations and their habitats.
It is easy to forget that before the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, many of the fish species we catch in our favorite freshwater and saltwater fishing spots weren't there. We know that fish are sensitive to pollutants, water temperature, and changes in food cycles.
The “Swimming Upstream” report released in September noted increasing numbers of endangered freshwater fish species across the country due to rising nutrient pollution, sedimentation, and habitat degradation that are all linked to changes in our climate. It is astonishing that 37 percent of freshwater animals – from fish to crayfish to mussels – are at risk of serious population changes as a result.
Think about it like this: as anglers, we know that some fish like deep water, some fish like shallow coves, some fish are hiding out in dense vegetation, others sitting at the bottom of rocky lake. And without thinking about it, we know they are there for a particular reason, and remaining at a specific temperature range is usually part of that. Warmer air, as a result of climate change, leads to earlier stratification of lakes and ponds in the spring. The layers of dense cold water will separate from the warmer water earlier than normal, resulting in increases of summer fish kills due to oxygen depleted water. It’s not very complicated of course, cold water holds more oxygen, hence why warm-water species can’t just hang out in warm water for the summer – it’s much more complicated than that. Think of all the restoration that has gone on around our valued fish species; rising temperatures threaten to compromise the success of many restoration efforts underway in New Hampshire’s freshwater systems.
Please be aware, and support climate change legislation in the coming months.
It is easy to forget that before the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, many of the fish species we catch in our favorite freshwater and saltwater fishing spots weren't there. We know that fish are sensitive to pollutants, water temperature, and changes in food cycles.
The “Swimming Upstream” report released in September noted increasing numbers of endangered freshwater fish species across the country due to rising nutrient pollution, sedimentation, and habitat degradation that are all linked to changes in our climate. It is astonishing that 37 percent of freshwater animals – from fish to crayfish to mussels – are at risk of serious population changes as a result.
Think about it like this: as anglers, we know that some fish like deep water, some fish like shallow coves, some fish are hiding out in dense vegetation, others sitting at the bottom of rocky lake. And without thinking about it, we know they are there for a particular reason, and remaining at a specific temperature range is usually part of that. Warmer air, as a result of climate change, leads to earlier stratification of lakes and ponds in the spring. The layers of dense cold water will separate from the warmer water earlier than normal, resulting in increases of summer fish kills due to oxygen depleted water. It’s not very complicated of course, cold water holds more oxygen, hence why warm-water species can’t just hang out in warm water for the summer – it’s much more complicated than that. Think of all the restoration that has gone on around our valued fish species; rising temperatures threaten to compromise the success of many restoration efforts underway in New Hampshire’s freshwater systems.
Please be aware, and support climate change legislation in the coming months.