{"id":63030,"date":"2026-01-07T18:28:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T23:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebeatnews.org\/BeatTeam\/?page_id=63030"},"modified":"2026-08-19T15:08:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T19:08:13","slug":"stop-stocking","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thebeatnews.org\/BeatTeam\/stop-stocking\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop Non-Native Fish Stocking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\nMassachusetts continues to stock more than half a million non-native fish each year, despite scientific evidence that routine stocking can harm native species and ecosystems and despite the Commonwealth\u2019s own commitment to protecting biodiversity.<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n
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WHAT IS FISH STOCKING?<\/h2>\n

\nFish stocking is the practice of raising fish in hatcheries\u2014indoor facilities where fish eggs are artificially bred and hatched, and the young fish are raised in a controlled environment\u2014and then releasing them into lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. State and local agencies do this to introduce new species for sport and to increase the number of people purchasing fishing licenses, as some of the agencies’ funding comes from these sales.<\/p>\n

\nRoutine fish stocking threatens biodiversity<\/a>1, <\/a><\/sup>2, <\/a><\/sup>49<\/a><\/sup> and native fish, 3, <\/a><\/sup>\n4, <\/a><\/sup>5, <\/a><\/sup>6, <\/a><\/sup>7<\/a><\/sup> results in extremely high fish mortality,8<\/a><\/sup> and continues without adequate ecological impact studies on Massachusetts ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n

\n\nResearch shows clear negative effects<\/strong>\n