Freshwater Fish Populations Prediction

 Through recent years, freshwater fish populations have been dwindling in numbers. This has been affecting all species in freshwater. There are numerous variables effecting the species and are mostly our own fault. If we do not change, I predict we will completely eliminate species of fish we have grown accustomed to. I will go over a few problems that are continuing to hurt these populations.

Overfishing has been a problem throughout lakes across the United States. Fishers not paying attention to size and weight requirements, along with taking an amount that exceeds the limits per day. This led to not enough mature fish to promote sufficient spawning.

Pollution always has been a problem in waters, and it does not change for freshwater. People are throwing away trash into lakes. Any kind of trash is damaging to fish because unhealthy water diminishes these species and not much is changing.

Invasive species has become a major problem. Introducing any type of animal with no natural predators is dangerous to the ecosystem. Asian Carp are killing thousands of freshwater fish around the Midwest, destroying lakes while they do it. Once these species are eliminated from these lake, it is impossible to bring them back with these invasive species there.

If these problems continue to happen, the fishing population will fall too far behind to bring it back. Preserving these fish are important to the environment and our communities. Areas depend on these lakes for visitors and tourism. I think these will eventually be gone because not everyone is consciously thinking about the population of the fish population.