Bowfishing for Released Gold Fish in Utah Lakes is Actually Helpful

News of the illegal introduction of fish in a couple of lakes in Utah has the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources once again asking the public to never ditch a fish. This also brings up an interesting requirement when you do find an invasive species when fishing. 

Utah Law and Invasive Fish 

There are laws on the books for catching certain fish that are protected in Utah. These can result in a steep fine. On the other hand, if you catch certain invasive species, you can get a fine if you don’t immediately kill it.  

That’s because a fish introduced in a place it isn’t native does not have its natural predators present. They can soon take over an environment and drive out the native species. 

This is why the state of Utah wants any invasive fish caught to be destroyed and not released back into the water. 

Reasons People Introduce Invasive Fish 

There are a few reasons people release invasive species into Utah’s water ways. They might want a sport fish that they can catch. This is probably the reason for the small mouth bass recently released in the two reservoirs. 

There is a long history of officials introducing a species that they thought would help. Then there are those who have a pet fish that they no longer want. In a desire to not kill the fish, they release it into a pond or reservoir. 

Read More: This Is The Truth About Animals You Can Hunt Anytime in Utah

This is why you can find goldfish in many Utah lakes and ponds. This is also the reason you can hunt those invasive orange demons. In fact, here is a Facebook page showing bowfishing for goldfish. That's one way to stop an invasive species.