<< To say that an introduced, top-level predator has no impact on its
surrounding environment, >>
I wouldn't say that a brown trout is a top-level predator. A pike is a
top-level predator, it is the fish that must be in-check when introducing
fish further down the food chain, like trout. I know of lakes around here
that have had to be almost rid of pike to allow trout populations to grow,
thats just one example. It may be a hard pill to swallow for many people, but
I don't consider a brown trout to be a top-level predator, and can never grow
to be one in most cases. They feed on mostly insects, and some minnows, but
definately are not predacious enough to upset the balance enough, in my view.
I still beleive brown trout are not destructive in habitats they have become
established in. __Dan McConnell Marshall, MI
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