Apache trout could be delisted, but conservation work on streams will continue
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed delisting the Apache trout from the endangered species list.
But biologists will continue to work on conserving the native trout.
The fish got its name after the White Mountain Apache tribe took steps to save it from extinction, such as making remote tribal streams off limits to anglers.
Over the years, fisheries biologists have built barriers to keep native populations separate from non-native species of trout.
Those barriers, and hatcheries used to raise native trout, will need periodic maintenance.
Dan Dauwalter, fisheries science director for Trout Unlimited's science program, said delisting does not mean an end to conservation work.
"The Apache trout is a conservation reliant species, meaning it’s not going to survive and persist on its own, it’s going to require conservation actions or management into the future," he said.
He says that government agencies and conservation groups have signed an agreement to provide that management.
