55 Recreational and commercial are the main forms of fishing on the Fox River, each of which is intrinsically connected to the health of bodies of water such as the Fox River and raises important points concerning the influence humans have on the living occupants of said river. One in ten people in industrialized nations are recreational fishermen, which means that recreational fishing has the capacity to dramatically impact fish populations. While the main reason anglers are invested in the healthiness of aquatic environments is to protect the fish they seek, a number of fishermen have also developed a deep respect for the natural world and their catch. Historical sportsmen and fishermen alike have consciously engaged in conservation efforts. In the American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation, John Reiger details how sportsmen were at the forefront of many conservation movements. Through the 1870s, they formed hundreds of organizations that maintained game habitats, organized national parks, and lobbied for laws surrounding the protection of game species.10 This is useful since sportsmen are often the first to notice when something is wrong. One famous case is when, in September 2010, a fly fisherman in Britain noticed the presence of an invasive and highly ecologically damaging species known as the ‘killer shrimp’ (Dikerogammarus villosus) in Grafham Water reservoir. He reported it immediately, allowing the scientific community to take steps to contain the problem before it spread around the country.11 Anglers also monitor pollution levels. Many invertebrates (such as Baetis rhodani) can only thrive in very well oxygenated, unpolluted water, so when their populations drop, anglers will note this as an indicator of degrading water quality and will report it, as it signals that a pollution incident has likely occurred.12 There are 10 Clumpner, R. A. (1976). Reviewed Work: American Sportsmen and The Origins of Conservation by John F. Reiger. Journal of Sport History, 3(3), 326–328. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/43609672. 11 Madgwick, Genevieve, and David C Aldridge. “Killer Shrimps in Britain: Hype or Horror?” British Wildlife, August 2011. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289661862_Killer_shrimps_in_Britain_Hype_or_horror_The_facts_about_ our_latest_invasive_animal. 12 MacDougall-Davis, Robert. “Fishing and the Environment: Why the Two Are Inextricably Linked.” The Ecologist, October 15, 2015. https://theecologist.org/2010/oct/15/fishing-and-environment-why-two-are-inextricablylinked#:~:text=Angling%20and%20fisheries%20conservation,environmental%20issues%20that%20need%20addressing .
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