Gone fishin'? Bring your leftover worms back home with you
If you go fishing in or near the forest, it's a good idea to take your leftover earthworms home with you instead of leaving them behind.
There’s nothing more peaceful than fishing in a brook in the woods, trying to reel in supper.
But if you’re using earthworms as bait, leaving them behind can create chaos for the forest ecosystem. That’s according to Natural Resources Canada research scientist Dr. Jérôme Laganière.
If you have leftover worms after fishing, it's best to take them home for the sake of the ecosystem. (Nathan Coleman/The Weather Network)
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He says today’s earthworms are not native to North America but were likely brought over with European settlers. They have the ability to reproduce quickly, and while it’s good for your garden when they’re down there mixing the soil around, it’s not the same story on the forest floor.
“These layers are habitats for many organisms, [such as] insects and amphibians, and they’re also seed belts for plants and tree seeds," says Laganière. "So, if the layers disappear, it reduces animal and plant biodiversity. It’s also a major carbon reservoir, so if we remove these layers, we contribute to climate change because we diminish the capacity of forests to store carbon.”
He says some worm species can reproduce without a partner, so one individual can colonize an entire forest in a matter of a few years.
The message: If you go fishing near or in the forest, take your earthworms home with you! On their own, the worms could only travel 5 to 10 metres a year but have now been observed as far north as Labrador and the Northwest Territories.
Watch the video above for the full report.