Snakeheads in the Big Apple?

Snakeheads might be lurking in waters of New York City’s Central Park.

I’m sorry about this, but this is just the way my mind works: When I first learned of this, I couldn’t help but think of the song made famous by Frank Sinatra.

I want to wake up in that city 
That doesn't sleep 
And find I'm king of the hill 
Top of the heap 

 And how about this? 

If I can make it there 
I'll make it anywhere 
It's up to you 
New York, New York

I hope that’s not true in regard to snakeheads. 

Here’s the New York Times’ take on the hunt for snakeheads in Central Park.

Thirty Invaders Bite the Dust in Python Challenge

Thirty Burmese pythons have been killed so far in the Florida Everglades as part of the Python Challenge that began Jan. 12.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that eradicating pythons is not the goal of program, which ends Feb. 10. Rather, wildlife officials hope to raise awareness about the snake’s threat to native wildlife and the fragile Everglades ecosystem. Also, they believe that the hunt will help them collect valuable information about the exotic predator’s habits so that it might be better controlled.

By the way, plug "pythons on the loose" and "alligators on the loose" into a Google search if you want to get an idea of the problem that we have in this country with irresponsible pet owners and an under-regulated exotic pet industry. They're also the ones that introduced some of our troublesome aquatic plants, including Eurasian watermilfoil. Likely, they are responsible for snakeheads as well.

Snakehead Population Continues to Grow in Potomac

Potomac River guide Steve Chaconas with a northern snakehead.

News is not good regarding snakeheads in the Potomac River, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

Research indicates that since 2006 “distribution in Maryland has rapidly increased.”  Also, “relative abundance has doubled most years.”

On the plus side, “anglers are handling, killing, cooking, and eating the fish.”

To learn more, go here.

More DNA Evidence Raises Odds That Carp Have Invaded Great Lakes

More damning evidence has just been revealed that Asian carp might already have invaded Lake Michigan via a manmade connection to the Mississippi River basin and it’s only a matter of time until numbers reach critical mass, spawning occurs, and we start seeing huge numbers of the prolific exotics.

That’s exactly what happened with snakeheads in the Potomac River. For several years, anglers caught just enough of them to remind us that they were there. Then someone found a mass of them spawning in a creek, and the population seemed to explode almost overnight.

In the case of Asian carp and Lake Michigan, researchers report that 17 of 171 samples taken from the North Shore Channel tested positive for silver carp DNA. Additionally, 17 of 57 from the Chicago River also proved positive for the genetic material.

Meanwhile, the Corps still is studying the situation.

"Asian carp are knocking at the front door of the Great Lakes, and we cannot afford to wait on a federal government that fails to act,” said Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Read more here.

Action --- Not Reaction --- Needed to Protect Fisheries From Invasive Species

Burmese pythons in the Everglades are but one example of government failure to protect our lands and waters from invasive species. ABC News photo.

“Innocent until proven guilty” is a great philosophy for our legal system.

 But it’s no way to protect fisheries from invasive species.

 I delivered that message to the Missouri Conservation Commission Friday, as I spoke in support of regulations proposed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. It’s a message that public officials at all levels need to know about.

 MDC wants to protect state waters by prohibiting the import and sale of crayfish. That’s because the agency learned that some species already are established outside their native range, bait shop operators don’t know what they’re selling, and anglers too often release unused bait into the waters that they were fishing.

 Not surprisingly, the proposed regulations are opposed by the aquaculture industry and the Farm Bureau. That’s because fish farmers and bait shop owners would lose income --- arguably not much --- if crayfish are taken off the market.

 In my five-minute presentation, I made two points not included in MDC’s excellent arguments for the ban on sale of crayfish:

 No. 1 is that state and federal agencies repeatedly have failed to protect our lands and waters from invasive species. Mostly that’s because of successful lobbying by special interests, with public concerns often ignored.

 For example, failure to rein in the exotic pet industry has resulted in Burmese pythons in the Everglades, about 30 species of exotic fish in Florida waters, and snakeheads in the Potomac and Delaware River systems (Restaurants and markets also contributed to the latter.). And those are but a few examples of the damage done by this special interest.

Plant and nursery businesses have given us dozens of exotic trees, shrubs, and aquatic plants that damage and degrade native ecosystems. Two of the most notable are water hyacinth and giant salvinia, which choke off waterways throughout the South.

In the Great Lakes, the federal government has allowed the shipping industry to introduce dozens of exotic species in ballast water. Zebra and quagga mussels are the most infamous, now threatening lakes, reservoirs, and public water supplies from coast to coast.

And then there’s aquaculture industry. Because of its powerful lobbying in the Mid-South, fish farmers were allowed to import and cultivate silver and bighead carp, which now have spread throughout the Mississippi and Missouri River drainages and are threatening the Great Lakes and its sport fishery, worth $7 billion annually.

No. 2 is the X factor. Scientists generally can predict the impact that invasive species will have. More often than not, the invaders will compete with native species for food and habitat, as well as bring with them the threat of new diseases.

But some consequences simply cannot be predicted. For example, two exotic species ---- zebra mussels and round gobies --- likely have contributed to the death of thousands of loons, gulls, and other fish-eating birds. And eagles are dying because of toxins in an alga that grows on exotic hydrilla.

Missouri’s streams and fisheries are public resources worth millions and dollars and enjoyed by millions of people, I said in conclusion. They should be protected.

To learn more, check out these two Activist Angler posts: Missouri Needs Angler Support to Protect Fisheries from Invasive Crayfish on June 14 and Invasive Crayfish Threaten Fisheries on June 20.