 As it is an apex predator, its population density cannot be high.It is popular with anglers and theoretically a valuable food species, but it is recommended to catch and release it until the water quality is improved – for one thing, catching them for food may deplete local stocks to the point of extinction, for another, as an apex predator it accumulates toxins and may not be safe to eat.Whether significant introgression with the smallmouth yellowfish ("Labeobarbus aeneus") occurs and yields less viable hybrid offspring (which would also serve to decrease its stocks) needs to be determined.