News
Letter: Climate threatens fishing; act now
St. Cloud Times, MN
By Kelly Scanlan, Minnesota Natural Legacy Campaign
May 14. 2006
As Minnesotans, we take pride in our outdoor activities. The governor kicked off fishing opener Saturday along with Minnesotans statewide.
Can we imagine Minnesota without fishing? What if in 20 years, fishing was seen as a part of Minnesota history?
Overwhelming scientific evidence shows our climate is changing. As the temperature of the atmosphere rises, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water also become warmer.
In Minnesota, rising water temperatures have a direct impact on trout fishing. Trout are a cool-water fish, and if streams and lakes become too warm, it will have a dramatic impact on the habitat trout need to live and reproduce.
Some experts calculate that a 2 degree temperature increase in lakes and rivers could cut Minnesota's trout population in half.
The loss of trout fishing would hurt Minnesota's economy.
Each year more than 64,000 cold-water anglers boost our economy by spending $148 million on equipment and other fishing-related supplies.
Statewide, fishing creates 28,000 jobs, with the majority of the jobs in rural areas and small towns.
Fortunately, there is time to save trout fishing and the economic opportunities it brings.
New employment and investment opportunities would be created if Washington, D.C., joined the effort to limit greenhouse gas pollution by implementing a national policy that caps greenhouse gas emissions.
We need to protect fishing in Minnesota's lakes, and the time has come for the United States to take the lead in a common-sense search for solutions to climate change, promising new opportunities for Minnesota and protecting valuable fish habitat.