๐ฃ Trout invasion wrecked NZ's native fish life
Brown trout were introduced to New Zealand in 1867 for sport fishing purposes by British settlers. Over the next five decades, more than 60 million of these trout were released into waterways across the North and South Islands. This invasive species caused severe declines and local extinctions among native fish populations, according to a review in Biological Conservation. The trout also act like biological dams, fragmenting native fish habitats and reducing gene flow. Conservation efforts are ongoing, but complete eradication is proving nearly impossible. ๐ฃ