Conservation department restocking alligator gar in region

The Missouri Department of Conservation is restocking alligator gar to keep populations balanced in local fisheries.

Stocking efforts first began in 2007 at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Stoddard and Wayne counties. Efforts are expanding to seven other conservation areas throughout Southeast Missouri near the St. Francis and Mississippi rivers, according Salvador Mondragon, a fisheries management biologist with the conservation department. These areas include Donaldson Point in New Madrid County, Black Island and Wolf Bayou in Pemiscot County and Seven Island in Mississippi County.

Mondragon said the conservation department picked up restocking efforts last week and brought in 360 young gar to be distributed among the areas, which he said equals to about one fish per acre.

The alligator gar is one of the largest freshwater fish in North America. Once grown, its size ranges from 7 to 10 feet in length and the fish can weigh more than 100 pounds, according to Mondragon. The gar's sharp teeth and rough appearance have made the fish unpopular among fishers, many of whom believe could be harmful to sport fish.

"I understand why some people might think that way when they look at them," Mondragon said. "They're not very attractive and not really fished for, but they do have a purpose."

He said the alligator gar is an "opportunistic feeder" that will feed on whatever prey is abundant and easily captured.

"So the rough fish like shad, buffalo or carp, the ones that nobody really wants to fish for, are abundant," said Mondragon. "They'll feed on them, which really helps keep everything in balance."

A well-balanced fishery tends to be healthier, he added, which is a plus for all fishers.

Mondragon said the gar is native to the area, but locally its population has been "pretty much depleted." That prompted the conservation department to intervene with the restocking efforts. In Mingo, where the project began, he said they already are seeing the benefits and a healthier population.

He said they hope to see the same positive changes in the seven other restocked areas.

"The goal after restocking them is to evaluate and just keep an eye on the population," Mondragon said. "Then later, we'll go back and take samples. Hopefully we'll see a rebound in the population and an improvement in the fisheries."

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

24279 State Highway 51, Puxico, MO