Montana columnist George Ochenski, known for his bold and sometimes controversial takes on state policy and environmental issues, is not holding back in his latest piece about the Big Hole River. In a recent column on The Western News website, Ochenski criticizes Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) for a recent electrofishing study that, he says left more than just a few trout belly-up. Citing reports from local outfitter Craig Jones, he argues that the already stressed river, which was hit hard by drought, irrigation, and rising temperatures, definitely did not need another shock to the system.
FWP maintains that the study was done to help better understand trout mortality, but Ochenski questions whether all that “data gathering” is doing more harm than good. His takeaway is that the Big Hole’s biggest problem isn’t a lack of research, but a lack of water.
Of course, that is his perspective. What do you think? Is the research worth the risk, or should caution come first when Montana’s rivers are already struggling?
