I got an email from a buddy of mine working for Arkansas fish and game with this article attached. What this article does not say is that they were raised in the area in 2000 as a food fish and after the ban the stock ponds were poisoned and the fish killed. Well apparently not all. My friend says the ditch this particular fish and others were found in has been flooded and connecting to larger bodies of waterthese past few weeks. He and his colleagues believe it is already too late and the fish has spread. I will keep you all updated on their upcoming shocking surveys.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
2 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock , AR 72205
April 28, 2008
Northern snakehead makes Arkansas arrival
BRINKLEY Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries biologists confirmed a breeding population of northern snakehead, an invasive species from Asia, in Lee County on April 28.
The population was discovered when a farmer found an unusual fish wiggling along a gravel farm road near a ditch and contacted the AGFC regional office in Brinkley. AGFC Fisheries Management Biologist Lee Holt identified the fish as the invasive species that recently made national headlines. Since the confirmation, fisheries biologists have worked to establish how far the population has spread and to control the population.
The species was banned in Arkansas in 2002 and placed under a federal importation ban the same year because of its potential to cause problems with native fish. However, biologists believe the species may have been brought to Arkansas before these regulations were passed.
The northern snakehead is used as a food species in Asia, and we know some were brought to fish farms in the U.S. before 2002, said AGFC Assistant Chief of Fisheries Mark Oliver. Fish farmers in Arkansas realized the potential danger the species posed and tried to eradicate them even before bans were imposed.
AGFC biologists are killing every snakehead they find in their research, but theyre not optimistic that they can eradicate the population.
We cant be sure exactly where this population came from and we just dont know how far theyve spread, added Oliver. Their abilities to live in extremely poor water conditions and reproduce quickly make them a difficult target to completely eliminate.
John Odenkirk with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has worked with the species since its discovery in the Potomac River in 2004. He said the fish are harmless to people, contrary to their vicious reputation.
The fishs name, appearance and ability to survive out of the water for short periods make it easy to sensationalize. Theyre nothing like the horror stories Ive heard and seen.
Oliver agreed, Theyre a top-shelf predator in our fisheries, but they arent some kind of Frankenfish that will attack people or chase them on land. (AGFC Fisheries biologists) handled quite a few of them in the last few days, and no one has had any sort of injury or bite.
The largest fear biologists have concerning the species is its impact on native fish such as largemouth bass, bream and crappie. Snakeheads are very aggressive predators, attacking food species as well as fish their own size.
Right now its just too early to tell what sort of impact snakeheads may have on a fishery, said Odenkirk. But invasive species rarely provide many benefits to systems where they are introduced. By the time the damage is seen, it can be too late to control.
Oliver said that the sooner the AGFC knows about a population of invasive species, the better the chances for controlling their spread.
If you catch a snakehead or find one in your area, please immediately contact the AGFC Regional Office in Brinkley, (877) 734-4581, or the Fisheries Division in the Little Rock Office, (501) 223-6428. Commission regulations prohibit the import, transport or possession of snakeheads in Arkansas , however snakeheads caught may be immediately turned in to the AGFC.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
2 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock , AR 72205
April 28, 2008
Northern snakehead makes Arkansas arrival
BRINKLEY Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries biologists confirmed a breeding population of northern snakehead, an invasive species from Asia, in Lee County on April 28.
The population was discovered when a farmer found an unusual fish wiggling along a gravel farm road near a ditch and contacted the AGFC regional office in Brinkley. AGFC Fisheries Management Biologist Lee Holt identified the fish as the invasive species that recently made national headlines. Since the confirmation, fisheries biologists have worked to establish how far the population has spread and to control the population.
The species was banned in Arkansas in 2002 and placed under a federal importation ban the same year because of its potential to cause problems with native fish. However, biologists believe the species may have been brought to Arkansas before these regulations were passed.
The northern snakehead is used as a food species in Asia, and we know some were brought to fish farms in the U.S. before 2002, said AGFC Assistant Chief of Fisheries Mark Oliver. Fish farmers in Arkansas realized the potential danger the species posed and tried to eradicate them even before bans were imposed.
AGFC biologists are killing every snakehead they find in their research, but theyre not optimistic that they can eradicate the population.
We cant be sure exactly where this population came from and we just dont know how far theyve spread, added Oliver. Their abilities to live in extremely poor water conditions and reproduce quickly make them a difficult target to completely eliminate.
John Odenkirk with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has worked with the species since its discovery in the Potomac River in 2004. He said the fish are harmless to people, contrary to their vicious reputation.
The fishs name, appearance and ability to survive out of the water for short periods make it easy to sensationalize. Theyre nothing like the horror stories Ive heard and seen.
Oliver agreed, Theyre a top-shelf predator in our fisheries, but they arent some kind of Frankenfish that will attack people or chase them on land. (AGFC Fisheries biologists) handled quite a few of them in the last few days, and no one has had any sort of injury or bite.
The largest fear biologists have concerning the species is its impact on native fish such as largemouth bass, bream and crappie. Snakeheads are very aggressive predators, attacking food species as well as fish their own size.
Right now its just too early to tell what sort of impact snakeheads may have on a fishery, said Odenkirk. But invasive species rarely provide many benefits to systems where they are introduced. By the time the damage is seen, it can be too late to control.
Oliver said that the sooner the AGFC knows about a population of invasive species, the better the chances for controlling their spread.
If you catch a snakehead or find one in your area, please immediately contact the AGFC Regional Office in Brinkley, (877) 734-4581, or the Fisheries Division in the Little Rock Office, (501) 223-6428. Commission regulations prohibit the import, transport or possession of snakeheads in Arkansas , however snakeheads caught may be immediately turned in to the AGFC.
POND RAISE! Wow, what is this, round 3?
