The population of smallmouth bass in the Chesapeake Bay region, formerly so large that fishermen could catch and release hundreds in one night, now has been decimated by as much as 80% from 2001-2005, according to a new report (via The Washington Post).
There is no single factor that has caused the fish population to decline so dramatically, but rather the combination of parasites, pollution, disease, and endocrine disruptors that are changing the sex of males. Oftentimes the fish that are caught are sickly and undersized, and not even worth a snapshot as proof of capture.
The decline smallmouth bass population has affected the Susquehanna River most harshly, and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's has called on the Environmental Protection Agency to declare a 98 mile stretch of the river as "impaired" under the Clean Water Act, which could happen in the several days. This would mean that the EPA would ask farmers and cities to regulate their nitrogen and phosphorus runoff into the river more aggressively than current standards. Opponents of the move state that this would only help one cause of the declining fish population, and that fish are dying of mysterious diseases even in the cleanest water in the state. Kevin Sunday, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency, had this to say about the decision:
"We don't make impairment designations based on the health of a species of fish. We make them based on water quality..."
There is much at stake over the decline of the smallmouth bass population. Smallmouth bass often act as a barometer for the overall fish population's health, as they are particularly sensitive to disease and pollution. Often times, if something is effecting the smallmouth bass population, then it will soon start to affect other fish in the ecosystem.
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