Earlier in April, Tony Kennedy reported in the Star Tribune, DNR pushes for new respect of Minnesota's rough fish:
. . . The information campaign, launched recently on the DNR's social media channels, will be amped up during the state's traditional fishing opener in mid-May. State Fisheries Chief Brad Parsons said it's designed to reverse prevalent beliefs that nongame fish are "trash'' or "junk.''
"These are fish we need,'' Parsons said. "There's still a perception that if it's not a sunfish or another game fish, it's a carp.''
Fisheries managers of yore helped plant the culture of disrespect by poisoning so-called "rough fish" to rid them from waterways. Myths have grown up around some species that they stunt walleye production.
With the exception of common carp, a destructive, nonnative fish still targeted by the DNR for mass removal from shallow lakes, nongame species have important roles in the ecosystem, the agency is teaching. Redhorse and other suckers are a vital food source for game fish. Buffalo eat unwanted algae. Gar and dogfish (bowfin) are among the few fish that eat carp. Minnows thrive by eating suckers' eggs. There's also growing interest around the country in targeting certain native, nongame species for table fare and catch-and-release sport. . . .
That may well be changing for the gar.
As we reported in [VIDEO] MN House environment and natural resources committee passes omnibuzz bill:
The A3 amendment, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL-Roseville), would change the classification of gar fish from game to rough fish to limit how many can be possessed. Anglers can possess as many rough fish as they want but are limited in how many game fish they can take.
DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Meier said the department does not have a great handle around the gar population but is concerned about its status.
The amendment was approved along party lines, with Republicans wanting to see more research before acting.
Here's the clip of the discussion, taken from the Minnesota House Information Service's YouTube archive:
While Browns Valley Republica Jeff Backer objected to sharing information about gar on social media, some representative tweets about the amendment suggests that those doing the sharing are--gasp--scientists (or folks with undergraduate degrees in the sciences, not unlike the west central Minnesota resident).
Some examples:
✅It’s Time ⏰to End the Gar Wars. Today we will consider the A3 amendment to MN HF 1076 changing the status of gar (Lepisosteidae) from “Rough fish” to “Game fish” @jbeckerfinn #mnleg #biodiversity https://t.co/96jXAEJkOx
— Rep. Rick Hansen (@reprickhansen) April 8, 2021
Amendment PASSED!!!!!!!
— Dr. Solomon David (@SolomonRDavid) April 9, 2021
Gar status change from “rough fish” (with unlimited harvest/no protections) to “game fish” in Minnesota! https://t.co/Zbu6MWHVL9 pic.twitter.com/GXIgGfmnEE
Fisheries mgmt a partisan issue at #mnleg. 11 ayes, 8 nays in committee for amendment to make gar game fish. Thank you @jbeckerfinn for standing up for common sense and science-based natural resource management. Discussion starts at ~ 57 minutes. https://t.co/3i7yQlFTdz pic.twitter.com/1rBiz0COuG
— Christopher E. Smith (@FieldEcology) April 10, 2021
Shout out to @eatguineapigs for the original #GarWars story and @DirtyDog650’s recent research on bowfishing & native species, both referenced in @jbeckerfinn’s comments!
— Dr. Solomon David (@SolomonRDavid) April 9, 2021
LINKS:
Gar Wars https://t.co/xq4TVeMkKd
Bowfishing https://t.co/HHGZ7D8n2I
And here’s that photoGARph! pic.twitter.com/cToMT0Qdmi
We've admired gar since we first learned about them from our late father while ambling along the Minnesota River. He felt it was unfortunate that this ancient creature was considered a rough fish in the company of the non-native carp that even then were an issue in Minnesota's waters.
Here's an introduction to the fish on the DNR's long-nose gar page:
Gar are ancient fish, little changed since the days of the dinosaur. The longnose gar's needle-like nose, suit-of-armor scales, and long body make it look like no other fish you might see in Minnesota. An inhabitant of warm, quiet waters, the gar is known for its sharp teeth and aggressive nature.
The longnose gar has a thin, long body covered with hard diamond-shaped scales. Its pointy mouth is filled with teeth.
Longnose gar are found in shallow lakes and rivers in southern and central Minnesota. They can live in very warm water with little oxygen.
In addition to breathing through gills, gar can also take in oxygen by swimming to the surface and gulping air into their swim bladders. This ability to "breathe" means they can survive in water that has almost no oxygen. They can even live out of water for many hours, as long as their bodies stay moist.
Image: MN DNR.
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