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The invention of the modern livewell was a natural resource manager's worst nightmare. It gave the amateur biologist the one tool he needed to transport and stock public waters at his own discretion.

Want some northern pike over there? Need a few smallmouth bass here. No problem, we'll just load the livewell and spread the wealth.

Now we're dealing with the fallout from decades of ill-advised stocking efforts, forcing many states to address the issue with legislation. And, unfortunately, this is one of those times when government interdiction in recreational fishing is welcomed.

This past spring, Maine passed a law making it illegal for any angler to possess a live fish, unless that angler is competing in a state-sanctioned tournament. Otherwise, all fish caught in Maine must be immediately released — or killed and thrown into a cooler as part of a legal limit. Anyone caught violating the new law will have their fishing license revoked or, in extreme cases, they could face fines up to $10,000.

Extreme measures for an extremely complex problem.

"Transporting fish from one body of water to another causes irreversible damage to an entire watershed," emphasized Mark Latti with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

"It absolutely decimates a fishery."

Moosehead Lake, the state's largest inland fishery, is a good example of how illegal introductions impact everyone. Moosehead was once home to a phenomenal native brook trout fishery. Several decades ago, some genius decided the fishery needed white perch and smallmouth bass. And a pristine trout fishery was compromised.

Unfortunately, what happened at Moosehead has occurred at fisheries from Maine to California. Although it may seem harmless, everyone pays. No matter where you live, part of every fishing license dollar is spent to combat fish introductions, whether it's to eradicate a non-native fish population or to re-establish a native one. Recreational fishermen are funding reparation and mitigation efforts nationwide.

Yet the amateur biologist's intentional introductions are only part of the problem. There's also the unintentional introductions of exotic species. Either directly or indirectly, we're financing the war against this onslaught, as well, while state and federal wildlife officials scramble to find ways to halt their spread.

When zebra mussels first appeared in the Great Lakes, it appeared to be a regional issue, one that would not impact fisheries in other states. Nothing could have prepared us for what eventually transpired. Exotics like the zebra mussel and a plethora of other exotics are now spreading across the United States at an alarming rate. Resources managers recently discovered zebra mussels in Oologah Lake in northeastern Oklahoma, setting up the possibility of more infestations in areas once thought to be too distant to be of any concern.

Once again, anglers are part of the problem. Our own mobility and ignorance are partially to blame. We're able to haul our boats great distances, coming into contact with many of these non-native species. And without knowing it, we've become the Typhoid Mary of the waterways. Drain and sanitize your livewells regularly, especially if you're fishing outside your home region. Carefully inspect your boats and trailers and remove any undesirable hitchhikers. Instead of being part of the problem, fishermen need to become part of the solution. Otherwise, we'll continue to pay for our mistakes.

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