“It would be fair to say we’re over 10,000”, said Andrea Jones, a spokeswoman for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
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Although crews are assessing the Yellowstone River and tributaries at this time, no dead/infected fish have turned up in Park boundaries.
State wildlife officials say the death toll of whitefish in the Yellowstone River could be much higher than what’s already been counted.
“This kill is unprecedented in magnitude”.
The park insists all visiting anglers and boaters completely clean and disinfect their gear – waders, boots, float tubes, boats – before traveling to the park to help prevent the introduction of this parasite and other aquatic invasive species.
Over one single week, the wildlife officials documented nearly 2,000 dead fish.
No dead fish were found inside Yellowstone National Park, where a celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary is set for next week.
Walter Wiese, head fishing guide at Park’s Fly Shop in Gardiner, said an extended closure would be tough for regional fishing businesses, as well as others along the river, such as whitewater rafting guides.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is implementing an immediate closure of all water-based recreation (fishing, wading, floating, tubing, boating, etc.) on the Yellowstone River and its tributaries from Yellowstone National Park’s northern boundary at Gardiner to the Highway 212 bridge in Laurel. Friday’s decision to indefinitely close a fixed amount of stretch of the river and other waterways has been taken to stop the parasite from spreading, as per the state health officials.
In a news release from the government of Montana, test results showed that the culprit of the mass death in Yellowstone River is the Proliferative Kidney Disease, which is caused by a powerful parasite that originally thrives in the U.S., Canada, and Europe but have been isolated in Montana in the past two decades.
“We’re probably only seeing 10 percent of the impact”, she said.
“The catalysts for the fish kill is called Proliferate Kidney Disease”, Crowser said.
The disease was previously documented just twice in the state over the past 20 years but more recent outbreaks have occurred in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
The closure may also last for months if there would be no improvements in the river’s condition and the fish keep dying. “It’s definitely a big part of the Livingston and area economy”. Reports are emerging that the die-off is beginning to affect some rainbow and Yellowstone cutthroat trout – species crucial to the area’s fishing industry.
The effect of the disease on Yellowstone’s fish populations is exacerbated by other stressors like near record low flows, consistent high temperatures, and the disturbance caused by recreational activities. Because Montana largely thrives on an outdoor-based economy, however, this parasite poses a risk to tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in annual economic activities. “However, we must act to protect this public resource for present and future generations”, said Hagener. They’re trying to rid the waters in the Soda Butte Creek drainage of non-native brook trout.
In addition to the closure on the Yellowstone, FWP is asking for the public’s assistance in preventing the spread of this parasite by properly cleaning all equipment – boats, waders and trailers – before moving between water bodies.
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Two decontamination stations had been installed in the area, to reduce the spread of the parasite.
