Talk about toxic masculinity!
Idaho Fish and Game aims to reduce the invasive Eastern Brook Trout populations by stocking overwhelming numbers of “super male” fish, aiming to reduce successful spawning in river systems. These “super males” have two Y chromosomes, and when they spawn most of their offspring will be males. This strategy aims to eventually make it so there are no more spawning females in the brook trout population, leading to the eventual, humane eradication of the species with little human intervention.
Since their introduction to the state, brookies have become an unlikely headache as they spread throughout the river systems, out-competing native fish with ease.
“[Brook Trout] are an introduced, prolific species from the Eastern Seaboard that did better than they should have,” Anderson said. “And what happens is that they’ll overpopulate and cut out what is supposed to be in our streams: cutthroat trout, bull trout, and rainbow trout, said Greg Anderson, an Idaho Fish, and Game hatchery manager.
This latest “Super Male” strategy comes as fisheries managers are trying to develop plans to finally eradicate the eastern invaders from streams that should be home to thriving populations of wild, native cutthroat trout.
You can read more about these “Super Male” brookies and Idaho’s battle against the brookie in this article from Outdoor Life!
