Pymatuning State Park: Wildlife officials tell visitors not to feed the fish

LINESVILLE, PA -- A tradition that has brought families to a tiny town in the corner of northwestern Pennsylvania for generations could soon be a thing of the past.

Pymatuning State Park is proposing that visitors no longer be allowed to throw bread and other 'human' food to the thousands of common carp that cram the park's spillway.

The fish have literally put the tiny town of Linesville -- where the spillway is located-- on the map. It is known as the town "where ducks walk on the backs of fish," because the open water of the spillway is literally filled with fish, leaving the ducks no where else to go.

There's nothing else like it anywhere," says on visitor from Shelbyville, Indiana. "We come here a couple times a year to see and feed the fish, and we've done it for years."

Local restaurant owner Charlotte Kimple is worried about losing repeat visitors and the business they bring with them. At her "Driftwood" restaurant, she's spreading the word of the change and gathering comments from residents and tourists alike to hopefully make a difference.

"We're a destination for people from all over," says Kimple. So far she's collected 10 pages of comments on the fish feeding change, none of them positive.

Officials estimate more than 300,000 people visit the Pymatuning Spillway each year, and they're a vital part of the economy.

State parks officials justify the change because most foods for human consumption are not healthy for wildlife. They say the change is also in line with the rule that prohibits the feeding of wildlife elsewhere in the park. Up until now, an exception has always been made for visitors who've come to feed the carp.

The park says it will still allow visitors to throw the fish special feed pellets which can be purchased at the on-site concession stand.

Kimple, the restaurant owner, has another point of view. "It's just another way for the state to make money off of folks, charging for something that used to be free. It's not right." Her main worry is it will turn people away and hurt the local economy.

State legislators have scheduled a public meeting on the subject for September 8 where people can voice their concerns.