West Coast Bass Anglers Say No to Illegal Bass Introductions

(April 6, 2004 )

The West Coast Bass Anglers Association (WCBA) is pleased to announce an innovative reward offer to help curtail the illegal spread of bass throughout the province of British Columbia . In this its first year, the reward offer will dole out up to $1,000 to anyone offering information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of any person(s) caught illegally transporting or transplanting smallmouth or largemouth bass from one water body to another. This Information Reward, is being paid out up by members of the WCBA in order to conserve and protect the excellent fisheries of this province. WCBA conservation director Shawn Smith explained that “Some might wonder why a group of bass fishermen would care if more lakes in BC had bass in them, but for us the issue is much more complex than that. Naturally, like millions of other North Americans we enjoy fishing for bass more than any other species, however we do not feel it is proper for anyone to take it upon themselves to try and establish a bass population in a fishery that may not be suited for this tremendous species. Therefore in addition to our education and information campaigns to help stop the illegal spread of bass in BC, we have decided to put our money where our mouths are and offer this reward.” In a strong message to anyone who may have considered illegally transplanting bass, the WCBA would like to stress that only in co-operation with BC’s provincial fisheries department, would the WCBA be willing to explore possibilities that may some day lead to additional bass fishing opportunities. However it is critical to point out, that this must only occur in waterbodies where professional fishery biologists determine the addition of bass would be sustainable for the entire aquatic ecosystem.

By offering this information reward, the WCBA, is demonstrating a strong commitment to ensure the integrity of our world-renowned fisheries. The amount paid to the informant(s) by the WCBA’s Rewards Committee will be based upon information given by the arresting officers.

For more details on WCBA’s information reward program, please contact:
Shawn Smith
Conservation Director West Coast Bass Anglers
604-823-4314shawns@uniserve.com