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Andrew Rypel grew up fishing on Wisconsin's pristine lakes and rivers. With just a worm on his hook, he caught suckers, gar, sunfish and other native fish he never saw in his game fishing magazines.
From a young age, Rypel loved all the fish species and it surprised him that others paid little attention to the native fish in his area. He noticed there were stricter fishing restrictions on game fish, like walleye and trout, than the native species. With no bag limits on many of his favorite native species, people could harvest as many as they pleased. |
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"I learned that there were all these different types of species," Rypel said. "Most of the fishing community focused on these select game fish species."
Anglers even told young Rypel to throw the less desirable native fish up on the bank after they were caught, as they were supposedly a "problem for the ecosystem" and took resources away from highly valued game species.
Rypel always found this perspective backward. Native fish are essential for healthy aquatic environments. And in the midst of the world's climate crisis, protecting these native species is more critical than ever.
Now working as an associate professor at the University of California, Davis, Rypel continues to notice inequities in fisheries management. This year, he decided to do something about it.
"I finally got to a point in my career where I felt like I could write and lead a perspective piece highlighting the problems with the way that we manage freshwater fisheries," Rypel said. |
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