On Friday, the world-renowned fish scientists at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) released a groundbreaking study that has sent shockwaves throughout the fish conservation world. The study, which was financed by the Bubbas Bonk Steelhead Foundation, claims that wild steelhead can actually breathe air and that holding fish out of the water for extended periods of time helps revive fish after being caught. The release of this study comes on the heels of IDFG taking heat from the steelhead conservation community about IDFG’s refusal to require that imperiled B-run wild steelhead be kept in the water.
In their official press release, the leading scientist of the study Bill Loney said, “This study is proof positive that our decision to allow anglers to hold wild steelhead out of the water is absolutely the right policy. Not only does this policy give Instagram obsessed anglers the opportunity to take dozens of selfies with a species on the brink of extinction before it disappears, but it also improves the chances these fish will be able to reproduce. It really is a win, win for both anglers and steelhead.”
As part of their press release, IDFG released a series of photos depicting some of the best practices to use when reviving wild steelhead out of the water. They strongly encourage the use of rope nets and holding fish as far away from the river as possible. Additionally, they recommend holding fish by the gills so you can open up their airways and ensure as much air gets in as possible. IDFG emphasized that using these best practices is especially important when you sight fish colored up steelhead on their spawning beds because these fish benefit the most from breathing air.
According to IDFG scientist Bill Loney, the Bubbas Bonk Steelhead Foundation was so pleased with the findings of this study that they have decided to fund more of Bill’s work. Next up on his agenda is conducting studies to confirm two of his other long-held steelhead suspicions – that steelhead actually have heads made of steel and that dropping steelhead on hard surfaces strengthens wild steelhead and helps them survive their arduous migration.
Stay tuned for more exciting fish biology breakthroughs from the genius brain trust in Idaho.