Fox-11 News Interviews Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Chris Acy about Bait Shop Initiative
On Wednesday December 20th, Fox-11 News interviewed the Winnebago Waterways Program Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Chris Acy about the recently started Bait Shop Initiative. The interview was conducted at the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance office in Kimberly and aired on the evening of December 20th. You can watch the interview by CLICKING HERE.
The Bait Shop Initiative is a statewide program aimed to help educate lake users about aquatic invasive species and how they can help protect the waters that they love. In lake communities, like the Winnebago System, AIS have the potential to harm the local economy by decreasing revenue from tourism and fishing, which can directly affect local businesses. Bait shops in the Winnebago Waterways System area recognize the importance of working together to keep invasive species under control and will be working to share that message with their customers.
Bait shop owners and employees are in a unique position to share information about invasive species because they interact with boaters and anglers who use area lakes on a daily basis. Moreover, many people often consider bait shop owners to be a trusted source of information especially when it comes to the lakes nearby.
There are participating bait shops all around the Winnebago System including; Fish Tales and Fox River Bait & Tackle in Oshkosh, Dutch’s Trading Post and River Haus in Fond du Lac, and The Reel Shot in Appleton. These bait shops have agreed to feature educational materials in their stores and answer customer questions about aquatic invasive species.
These Winnebago System area bait shops have recently teamed up with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, University of Wisconsin-Extension, University of Wisconsin Department of Life Sciences Communication and the Department of Natural Resources to share information with boaters and anglers about the threats of invasive species in Wisconsin lakes.
If you’re a bait shop owner or employee who would like to join this effort, or if you know a bait shop that may be willing to help, contact Chris Acy at chris@fwwa.org or (920) 460-3674.
Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.
This article was written by Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator for the Winnebago Waterways Program covering Calumet, Winnebago, and Fond du Lac counties.
