Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 34 M O N TA N A i n 3 WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT FISHING MIGHT BE LIKE IN MONTANA IN 2045? I think fi shing in Montana in 2045 is going to be great, at least as good as it is now. That said, if cli- mate change continues in an overall warming trend, we may have more of some species (those that thrive in warmer water) and less of some others (especially those that require colder water). In 2013, anglers fi shed 3.5 million days in Montana, a new record. I hope and anticipate that through adaptive manage- ment we will continue to provide a similar amount of angling opportunity and diversity three decades from now. WHAT WILL BE THE TOP THREE CHALLENGES TO FACE MONTANA'S FISHERIES OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS, AND WHAT ARE PLANS FOR DEALING WITH THOSE CHALLENGES? Aquatic invasive species (AIS) and illegal fi sh intro- ductions continue to threaten our existing fi sheries and aquatic ecosystems, so we are working very hard to protect our fi sheries from these threats. Aquatic habitat degradation—both physical habitat and water quality and quantity. We put a lot of our effort into fi ghting these because if you don't have water and habitat, you don't have fi sh! Obtaining and providing adequate funding for our fi sheries management, AIS preven- tion, and fi shing access programs will continue to be a signifi cant challenge. HOW DO YOU SEE THE ROLE OF HATCHERIES CHANGING OVER THE NEXT THREE DECADES? We have been increasing our emphasis on urban fi sheries and our use of hatchery fi sh to support those fi sheries, because of the function they have in provid- ing family fi shing opportunities and recruiting youth anglers. That trend could continue. Similarly we've increased the role of our hatcheries in conserving native fi sh populations such as Yellowstone and Westslope cutthroat trout and Arctic Grayling; that's likely to con- tinue. Finally, it's possible that if we are able to improve enough fi sh habitat in the next 30 years that we may be able to stock less sport fi sh into some non-urban waters as we develop more self-sustaining fi sheries. WHAT CHANGES MIGHT TAKE PLACE FOR FISHING LICENSES FOR RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS? We are already using a lot of new technology in our licensing, You can now buy your resident or non-res- ident license online anywhere, anytime. It's likely we'll eventually have electronic licenses that you can just look up on your mobile device to review it or show a game warden. One thing is for sure, license prices will go up over time, Our costs of doing business go up just like everyone elses do. WHERE IN THE STATE IS FISHING LIKELY TO BE MORE RESTRICTED? LESS RESTRICTED? If our droughts continue or worsen we may need to provide relief to some wild trout populations by limiting angling for them during key times at the height of summer when fl ows are low and FISHERIES yea rs D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A 34 into fi ghting these because if you don't have water and habitat, you don't have fi sh! Obtaining and providing adequate funding for our fi sheries management, AIS preven- able to stock less sport fi sh into some non-urban waters as we develop more self-sustaining fi sheries. WHAT CHANGES MIGHT TAKE PLACE FOR FISHING LICENSES FOR RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS? We are already using a lot of new technology in our licensing, You can now buy your resident or non-res- ident license online anywhere, anytime. It's likely we'll eventually have electronic licenses that you can just look up on your mobile device to review it or show a game warden. One thing is for sure, license prices will go up over time, Our costs of doing business go up just like everyone elses do. WHERE IN THE STATE IS FISHING LIKELY TO BE MORE RESTRICTED? LESS RESTRICTED? we may need to provide relief to some wild trout populations by limiting angling for them during key times at the height of summer when fl ows are low and

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