Like
a lot of us, Buford and Wilma Urban of Houston, Mo.
worked hard to obtain their dream of a piece of
Ozark land to retire. They found a beautiful spot on
Arthur Creek; a tributary of the Big Piney. Buford
fished in the creek. He also built a pond and
stocked it with 800 catfish. Two years ago, river
otters, stocked by the Missouri Department of
Conservation (MDC), moved up Arthur Creek and over
the winter decimated the catfish in their pond. The
otters also cleaned out the creek behind their
house. I visited these people on an MDC sponsored
fieldtrip and saw the pictures documenting the
damage.
Three
years ago Debo McKinney, a land owner and fisherman
inTexas County, noticed a decline in the fishing
quality in many of his favorite streams. He saw
otters killing and eating fish. He also found large
piles of scales from this activity. He has been
fishing these streams all his life. He believes the
decline in fishing quality is caused by the
reintroduction of otters by the MDC.
These
are not isolated incidents. Land owners and
fishermen across the Ozarks are reporting fish
losses due to otter predation. What's going on? The
answer lies in irresponsible policy decisions and
incompetent biological practices done by the MDC.
These policies have threatened our Ozark fishing
heritage in our streams and lakes.
This
all began in 1982 when the MDC started a program of
reintroducing river otters into the Ozarks. A total
of 845 otters were released in 43 areas. Stocking
ended in 1992. Since then, the otter population has
exploded. A recent study done by the University of
Missouri shows that by the spring of next year there
will be 18,000 otters in our Ozark streams and the
population will continue to grow rapidly and expand
its range. This animal population has exploded
because it was introduced into a totally unnatural
habitat. The present Ozarks are nothing like the
Ozarks of 100 years ago when these animals existed
here naturally. Now there are thousands of fish
filled ponds like Bufords that provide an unnatural
food source to allow for the otters population
explosion. MDC studies show that 90% of adults are
breeding and they have 3 to 4 pups per litter. This
is an abnormal and unheard of reproduction rate.
The
streams themselves are entirely different because of
excessive past and present timber harvests, bad land
practices, road construction, etc. Because of this,
our streams have become gravel choked. The loss of
the natural deep holes in the streams has radically
changed the habitat. With less places to hide the
fish become highly susceptible to predation by
otters. Yet knowing this, the MDC still went ahead
with reintroduction. That biologically arrogant,
indefensible decision is the cause of this
catastrophe.
The
otters diet consists of crayfish and fish. MDC data
shows that during the warm months crayfish equal 60%
of their diet and fish 30%. In cold months when
crayfish go dormant fish become 60-70% of their main
diet. When the bass, suckers, catfish and trout
school up in the few holes during the cold months
they become highly vulnerable to otter predation. A
recent study done by the MDC shows the effects of
this predation on bass and sunfish. The ages and
percentage of the fish killed are as follows, 40%
1-3 years old, 40% 4-6 years old, 20% 7 years and
older. Now I don't imagine that there are many 4
years and older sunfish out there, so almost 60% of
these fish are probably bass. A 4-6 year old bass is
12 to 18 inches long and a seven year bass is a
trophy. These are the quality fish in our streams
that the otters are killing. This is an
unprecedented disaster in the making for all Ozark
anglers.
Also
when these fish spawn, they become highly
susceptible to harassment by otters. They are either
killed or kept from completing a successful spawn.
The MDC's authority on otter behavior was asked if
otters would harass fish on the spawning beds. He
stated that otters are animals of opportunity and
would definitely attack fish on spawning beds. So
the fish are not only killed and eaten but their
food base is also eaten out from underneath them and
then they are prevented from obtaining a successful
spawn. A triple whammy! These animals pose a
tremendous threat to our fishing throughout the
Ozarks.
You
would expect the MDC Fisheries Division to do a
careful and detailed food and habitat study before
introducing this large, prolific, and voracious fish
killing animal into our Ozark streams. Wrong! Not
one study was done before reintroduction. Out of
state data from Louisiana was used. A state whose
water and habitat is nothing like our free flowing
Ozark streams.
The
MDC is now half way through a four year study, to
the end of 2001, to determine what otters eat. A
study that should have been done before introducing
otters into your Ozark streams. Let me give you a
quote from an MDC publication, 'Missouri River Otter
Update' that was handed out at the 'Otter Advisory
Committee' meeting held in Houston Mo. on 6/19/99.
An MDC spokesman states, "Knowledge of otter
food habits is one of the essential elements missing
from our current understanding of otter biology in
Missouri this study is obviously a first step and a
basic need." Their first step should be to gain
control of this animal and the basic need must be to
protect our Ozark sportfishing heritage.
The
MDC will put its spin on all this like any other
government bureaucracy itself. A bureaucracy always
fears accountability. MDC apologists will scream for
loyalty and to trust the professional 'experts'. I
happen to believe that the thoughtful and reasoned
questioning of poor policy and actions is much more
commendable than blind faith. The days of 'Trust me,
I'm the Expert' ended with Vietnam. No excuses or
rationalization will change the cold hard facts. I
know that the MDC does good work and I understand
this problem did not begin with the present
administration, but this disaster is happening on
their watch. If the MDC claims the successes of past
administrations, they must also accept
responsibility for their failures and mistakes and
move to correct them. The MDC has the right and the
obligation to the landowners and sportsmen of this
state to quickly correct this problem. This animal
was introduced into a completely unnatural habitat.
The animal is an out of control exotic species. The
MDC has every legal and biological right to
vigorously control it.
Imagine
the MDC reintroducing cougar and wolves. Then when
these animals start decimating the deer and turkey
in the state, the MDC saying that they need to do a
four year study to determine what the wolves and
cougars eat, before they act on the problem. Deer
and turkey hunters would never accept this. They
would demand that the problem be fixed and fixed
now! Fishermen and landowners throughout the Ozarks
must demand no less. You must hold the MDC
accountable for this disaster.
Now
that you know the problem, what can you the Ozark
sportsman and landowner do? First you must tell the
MDC to take action against this animal before the
end of the 2001 study. Take action before the animal
becomes more firmly entrenched and your fishing is
degraded even more. If they can't figure out what
they're eating by now, tell them to ask Debo and
Buford. The MDC has already moved to control otters
that threaten their fishery. An MDC fisheries
supervisor acknowledged that the state has removed
otters that were threatening their hatcheries. They
need to move just as quickly to protect your
fishery.
Tell
them you don't believe that sport trappers alone,
even with an extended season, will be able to
control this animal. They may have to bring in
professional animal control agents to work with
local trappers. Yes it will cost money but look at
the alternative. And they have money. The MDC is the
second highest funded state conservation
organization in the country. California is first.
Tell them to take the physicians oath, "Above
all do no harm." and quit playing around with
exotic species. When the Ozarks return to their
original glory, then they can reintroduce species.
But until then, tell them to get back to basics;
habitat improvement and meaningful enforcement.
But
to tell them all this you must have a voice.
Publications like this and groups like the Mo.
Smallmouth Alliance, www.smallmouth.org allow you to
be heard. But to be heard you must use that voice.
You
can have an immediate impact on this problem but
only if you write and demand action. You should be
enraged by this. Get mad. Speak up! If we don't hold
this taxpayer funded department accountable for this
disaster and demand action, we have lost all
credibility as true sportsmen who care about the
future and restoring our Ozark fishing heritage.
Write MDC Director Conley now!
