Communities in the Kern River Valley say they're being hit hard by a ruling that stopped the stocking of Rainbow Trout in the Kern River. Businesses say it's keeping tourists away. Fishing groups say the ban makes no sense.

A court ruling stopped the stocking of fish in a number of California lakes and rivers in November, and that included the Kern River.

"It has definitely affected the businesses," Jewlz Schulz said inside the River Kern General Store Tuesday afternoon. "It has slowed down the fishing. We get a lot of phone calls, it seems like people coming up already know that they haven't been stocking for a while."

The issue is whether fish from hatcheries negatively impact native fish. Environmental groups sued, and the California Department of Fish and Game was supposed to do environmental studies by last December.

But, the studies haven't been finished, and probably won't be done till 2010. Meanwhile, stocking stopped in waters where there are certain "species of concern."

That includes the hardhead minnow in the Kern River, and the question is whether that fish is affected by the rainbow trout released from the hatchery.

Jim Hunt is president of the Kern River Valley Friends of the Hatchery, and he wants trout again released in the Kern. Hunt has heard that Fish and Game officials will try to get some areas off the "no stocking" list.

"I was informed last last week that they're getting ready to negotiate with the plaintiffs (of the lawsuit) on certain bodies of water, but not the Kern River," Hunt told Eyewitness News.

Eyewitness News put in a call to Fish and Game on Tuesday, but did not get a response.

Hunt also argues there are no valid reasons to stop stocking trout. He said local groups had fish experts review the issue of hardhead minnows in the Kern.

"Their conclusion was, yes -- there are hardhead minnows, but there's no conflict between the hardhead minnows and hatchery-raised trout," Hunt said.

Hunt also says some scientists believe there have been rainbow trout in the Kern for thousands of years. They also say hatchery-raised trout have been released in the Kern for about 70 years, and there are still the hardhead minnow in the river.

Hunt's group also argues the stocked trout only replace the fish taken out by recreational fishing.

The group hopes concerned people will write to the governor and lawmakers urging them to take the Kern River off the "no stocking" list. The group's website is www.kernriverhatchery.org

If an area is not removed from the "no stocking" list now, businesses worry about the impact of not having fish stocked until Fish and Game finishes the environmental reports in 2010.

Hunt says it's estimated that fishing licenses alone bring in $250,000 a year, and all those fishermen also spend more money throughout the communities. They insist fewer fish will mean fewer fishermen.

"There still are fish in there, but they're a little harder to catch now," lamented Jewlz Schulz. Hunt's group agrees with that. They figure expert fishermen will still catch fish, but it'll be harder for groups like families.

And Ed Schulz said things will really get tough for the communities when other types of recreation aren't available. During the summer they get tourists who camp, river raft and hike -- but starting in the Fall they really depend on fishermen.

That's when it'll really hurt, if there is still no trout being released from the hatchery into the Kern. "I think we're going to feel it in the Fall -- especially September and October," said Schulz. "Because that's primarily what we have up here is fishermen."