Live fish highway: Uncovering the pathways that move millions of minnows across the United States

The long-distance transport of live baitfish represents a significant yet
under-quantified pathway for the spread of aquatic invasive species and
pathogens, posing a substantial threat to freshwater ecosystems and local
economies across the United States. To address the lack of high-quality,
quantitative data necessary for rigorous risk assessment and biosecurity
policy, this dataset provides a comprehensive record of interstate
baitfish trade flows between 2022 and 2024, synthesized from Freedom of
Information (FOI) requests submitted to 58 government agencies across 43
states. The dataset captures the movement of 39.3 million live baitfish
and an additional 746 transport events where specific quantities were not
recorded, with data disaggregated by species and geographic
origin-destination pairs. While the records reflect inherent variability
in state government record-keeping, resulting in some data gaps, the
dataset offers high reuse potential for researchers and policymakers to
identify high-traffic trade routes, model pathogen dispersal, and
strengthen environmental biosecurity frameworks. All data were obtained
through public records requests and represent official government
documentation of trade activities.