Incredible Video Shows Thousands Of Fish Dropped From Plane To Restock Lakes

An incredible video shows rivers in the US being 'restocked' with live fish dropped from a plane - you can see it here:

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources shared the bizarre footage showing the fish being dropped from the plane in a plume of water.

The plane was stocked with thousands of young fish - or fingerlings - which were then dropped into more than 200 lakes across the country.

The plane can hold gallons of water and can drop as many as 35,000 fish in one flight.

In a statement on Facebook Utah Division of Wildlife Resources explained that due to their size, the fish 'flutter down slowly' into the water - so although it might look fairly brutal the little guys aren't harmed in the process.

The post read: "This week we stocked around 200 high-elevation lakes across the state. These lakes are not accessible by vehicle and other means of stocking.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

"The fish are between 1-3 inches long, so they flutter down slowly to the water. Aerial fish stocking in Utah is an effective method of stocking and has been since the mid 1950s. Post-stocking netting surveys show that survival of aerial-stocked fish is incredibly high.

"The airplane holds hundreds of pounds of water and can drop 35,000 fish in a single flight without reloading."

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologist Matt McKell explained in a blog that fish are usually transported in trucks inside tanks; the truck then pulls up near the lake and a pipe is attached to the tank's outlet, a chute opens up and the fish can then slide through and straight into the water.

Now, while that's the usual method, biologists have also implemented some more unusual ideas to get the fish into the lakes.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

McKell explained that two biologists he worked with had dirt bikes... and well, can you see where this is going?

McKell wrote: "So, I recruited them to try a new stocking method, and on a cold, rainy, fall day, we loaded a couple backpacks with fish and water and sent them down the trail.

"They got the fish down to the stream and had fun doing it, despite the treachery of a slick trail and its deep ruts (which actually caused a couple minor incidents), in a way we'd never tried before - dirt bikes!"

Topics: Interesting, US News, Animals

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19