And imagine what is being done to the irreplaceable genetic diversity of our native brook trout populations. It took literally millions of years for these fish to evolve. Now those fish genetically coded to mature early in life while small in size, spawn and die, are heavily favored. There is no longer any survival advantage to long life and large size. As anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of natural selection knows, the species will adapt to fit the environment.
Extinction is the only alternative.
Make no mistake about it, these fish are highly adaptable and will survive, but their ability to live long lives and reach large size will be lost forever if we continue on the present course. Several states have now stopped stocking streams with naturally reproducing populations of trout. They have recognized that this is the first critical step in restoring a wild trout fishery. I think the PFBC recognizes that this is the way to go, but they have the unenviable task of trying to satisfy the demands of a diverse angling public. Hence, we stock over five million trout every year, too many of which go into streams perfectly capable of sustaining fishable wild trout populations.