Rick Crawford
As I was experiencing the tug of the first Snake River Cutthroat of our trip to Jackson, WY I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic as this was only our second trip back since we moved back east in 2011, and it had been seven years since our last visit. Like everywhere these days with beautiful scenery, great fishing and growing populations, things had changed in Jackson, but nothing else matters when you are hooked up with a fish and being completely focused and living in the present moment is one of the many aspects of fly fishing that I love. However, as we continued our trip hiking in Grand Teton National Park and stopping to look at the receding Teton Glacier, I was reminded that our climate is also changing rapidly and negatively impacting trout all over the world and wondered if my daughter would have the same opportunity to experience the beauty of the Tetons while catching trout and relishing living in the moment too?
The question is, how does climate change impact trout? First, we need to understand that the reason our climate is changing is because as our population grows, so does our demand for resources and we have chosen since the Industrial Revolution to supply that demand by burning fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases that are warming our planet. Additionally, we are simultaneously destroying forests at massive scales which act as the lungs of our planet and is furthering the climate emergency. Basically, our planet has lung cancer and we are increasingly smoking more packs per day while turning up the heat. Hopefully this analogy makes sense, and as you can imagine, cold water species like trout don’t like warm water, so here are 3 Ways Climate Change Impacts Trout:
- Less snowpack means less cold water resulting in warmer stream temperatures.
- Warmer water temperatures put stress on trout by reducing levels of dissolved oxygen in the water and results in stream closures, fish kills and even the spread of aquatic invasive species.
- Higher temperatures result in more frequent drought and wildfires which negatively impact trout habitat by way of erosion and less streamside growth.
Take Action
Climate change is the single greatest threat to fisheries around the world, and as anglers we have a responsibility to protect what we love by acting now to save trout from the impacts of climate change. I believe that part of solution to solving climate change is simply education and awareness, and taking action at our homes by letting our elected officials know that acting on climate change is important, and taking action with our business by working towards going zero waste and carbon neutral. By working to help businesses implement sustainable business practices that protect and restore wildlife, habitats and the planet by eliminating their impact on climate change, I know I will be working towards ensuring that my daughter will always be able to fish for trout in the Tetons and that’s worth fighting for!