Lake Trout Threaten Yellowstone Cutthroat

Fishing

Illegally introduced lake trout pose a threat that must be studied immediately to protect Yellowstone National Park cutthroat trout, officials say.

John Reynolds, deputy director of the National Park Service, has been pleading with Interior Department officials in Washington, D.C., to provide funds to deal with the lake trout, which are likely to prey on the cutthroats.

The cutthroat trout isn’t important just to fishermen. The species sustains many birds and grizzly bears.

“It cannot be anything but the very highest priority for us,” said Reynolds. “This has serious effects on grizzly bears and on Yellowstone’s ecosystem.”

Lake trout were discovered last summer in Yellowstone Lake, the only remaining natural habitat for Yellowstone cutthroat.

In Jackson Lake, the introduction of lake trout reduced cutthroat numbers by 90 percent in 50 years, said John Erickson, a retired Wyoming Game and Fish biologist.

A panel of 12 biologists believes that if no action is taken to control Yellowstone’s lake trout growth, the cutthroat population will be reduced in 20 years by 50-80 percent.

The current lake trout population is estimated at between thousands and tens of thousands; meanwhile, the number of cutthroats is estimated at between 3 million and 12 million.

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