Snakeheads, Gobies, Zebra Mussels. Asian Carp etc ...

[bilgerat]

The current snakehead thread got me thinking about something ... it seems common practice for any given state's wildlife authority to issue directives to destroy any form of wildlife (or vegetation for that matter) that is deemed invasive.

I understand the the thinking behind it, about maintaining the perceived natural order of things and all of that, but has it ever been remotely successful on any level ? To me it seems akin to pissing on a forest fire. Honestly, how would you go about eradicating a single species from any substantial sized body of water, especially tributaries that are liked to much larger rivers and such ?

To go a step further, how many species of fish that are common and accepted in your home waters were considered invasive at one time ? It seems nature is a master of adaptation ... for example the gobies that were said to be the ruin of many northern smallmouth waters are a food source for them. In my case, the waterway I caught my giant snakehead in has a huge population of trophy size largemouth bass, by far the biggest I've seen here despite the snakeheads being in there for quite a few years now. This particular body of water is a tributary of the Delaware River, which is likely how the snakeheads got here in the first place, but more importantly it supports a huge shad population which apparently is enough to keep both the snakeheads AND bass fat and happy. I've caught/snagged shad the size of a NERF football many times in there, and when the shad are running it's a feeding frenzy for everyone.

I guess my thought on the matter is once it's in there, it's in there to stay and nothing short of natural selection (or god forbid some horrible man made environmental catastrophe) will change it. What say you ???

[esfbassman]

I agree with you on this one and I've noticed that nature has an amazing way of balancing things out even if it is rapidly disrupted by a new invasive. For example, goby numbers are now stabilizing after a rapid initial explosion, and like you said fish love munching them. Yeah maybe they did replace a native forage species here and there but the smallmouth don't discriminate.

I feel like the main reason they have the strict regulations and tell you to eradicate them if caught is to help prevent spread at all costs because often these species are new and fisheries managers have no clue what the effects may be. A lot of my professors in college are "restoration ecologists" which means they strive to restore habitats to native species compositions and I would constantly bring up the point that maybe change isn't such a bad thing and rather than spend all the money on what was we should spend it on what it could be with all the new changes taken into account.

[eat more spots]

Spotted bass have ruined most of our Savannah River Chain lakes. They are also being transported/transplanted into other local lakes.
Blue back herring have changed how we fish our lakes for the most part. I will keep on fishing though

[vatreefarmer]

The growing Python infestation in the everglades is an interesting one for sure. I don't think it can be stopped now

[Jeff Hahn]

I agree with you on this one and I've noticed that nature has an amazing way of balancing things out even if it is rapidly disrupted by a new invasive. For example, goby numbers are now stabilizing after a rapid initial explosion, and like you said fish love munching them. Yeah maybe they did replace a native forage species here and there but the smallmouth don't discriminate.

I feel like the main reason they have the strict regulations and tell you to eradicate them if caught is to help prevent spread at all costs because often these species are new and fisheries managers have no clue what the effects may be. A lot of my professors in college are "restoration ecologists" which means they strive to restore habitats to native species compositions and I would constantly bring up the point that maybe change isn't such a bad thing and rather than spend all the money on what was we should spend it on what it could be with all the new changes taken into account.

Was this the same philosophy held by Dept. of the Interior folks back in the 1990's, who wanted to eradicate bass west of the Mississippi because they were not native to that area 300 years ago?

[acesover]

Same thing with the Lionfish here in Florida, I doubt they will ever get rid of them, but they taste really good. A local eatery here has them on the menu when they can get them. I tried it and was impressed with how good it was.

[basscat21]

We will just have to live with them. Every thing changes, might not the change we like, but it's going to happen. Snakehead boats will be next. Rainbow trout are not native to NY, but they keep stocking them.

[Dan21XRS]

In the not too distant future scientist will develop certain chemical that will only affect certain specie with specific DNA... Just like weed killer, kills the weeds but spares the grass. Now what the unintended consequences are???... Dan

[12poundbass]

If I remember correctly perch were an invasive species in the Great Lakes region and now almost everyone loves them. I also believe one of the Salmon species aren't native to Lake Michigan but were introduced to the lake to help eradicate another invasive species.

[osutodd]

Our state quit stocking Tennessee smallmouth bass in one of our lakes because they didn't want to mess with the gene pool of the native smallmouth in the river flowing into the lake. But they don't have any problem stocking Florida largemouth everywhere.

I think it all comes down to what they think will generate more license or tax dollars for them.

[idbefishing]

The growing Python infestation in the everglades is an interesting one for sure. I don't think it can be stopped now

I watched a program on Discovery about this problem and they said the python are adapting and advancing north along with other invasive species that flourish in Dade County.

I wish tilapia would adapt and live in Indiana water.

[bfrank]

I watched a program on Discovery about this problem and they said the python are adapting and advancing north along with other invasive species that flourish in Dade County.

I wish tilapia would adapt and live in Indiana water.

They are in old hickory lake... Come on down this fall and catch a few hundred by the exit of the coal power plant.

[idbefishing]

They are in old hickory lake... Come on down this fall and catch a few hundred by the exit of the coal power plant.

5 hours drive, wish it's closer......maybe I should move to TN

Are they biguns or little ones?

[artcarney_agr]

I wish tilapia would adapt and live in Indiana water.

They farm them in farm ponds in Kentucky. If they can survive in KY waters, surely they could survive in IN waters, or southern IN at the very least.

[OH_Ranger]

The growing Python infestation in the everglades is an interesting one for sure. I don't think it can be stopped now

A young man I go to church with invented some type of trap and won a $25,000 college scholarship.

[Hoot]

Same thing with the Lionfish here in Florida, I doubt they will ever get rid of them, but they taste really good. A local eatery here has them on the menu when they can get them. I tried it and was impressed with how good it was.

I have friends who dive near Cancun all the time and harvest a ton of Lionfish guess the change in the temperature and direction of the ocean currents have brought them to Florida and other areas in vast numbers. They said the Lionfish are getting wise and they mostly hunt them at night now when they are active as they used to pick them off right and left during the day.

[rds_nc]

I agree with you on this one and I've noticed that nature has an amazing way of balancing things out even if it is rapidly disrupted by a new invasive. For example, goby numbers are now stabilizing after a rapid initial explosion, and like you said fish love munching them. Yeah maybe they did replace a native forage species here and there but the smallmouth don't discriminate.

I feel like the main reason they have the strict regulations and tell you to eradicate them if caught is to help prevent spread at all costs because often these species are new and fisheries managers have no clue what the effects may be. A lot of my professors in college are "restoration ecologists" which means they strive to restore habitats to native species compositions and I would constantly bring up the point that maybe change isn't such a bad thing and rather than spend all the money on what was we should spend it on what it could be with all the new changes taken into account.

How about the bird populations of Guam and (I think) Hawaii b/c of snakes hitch hiking on military aircraft?

[artcarney_agr]

We've had Asian carp in KY and Barkley Lake for over 10 years. People are now finally starting to pay attention now that the population is starting to include more of the ones that jump (silvers).

We've had Zebra mussels in the lake for over 10 years as well, actually more like 20 years now. They are kind of the forgotten invasive now...water clarity has certainly improved over the years since the zebra mussels showed up.

Several consecutive years of big spring flooding events have killed most of the aquatic vegetation, as well as providing poor spawning conditions - that's been the biggest issue and overlooked by many, most are too busy pointing at the asian carp more than anything...yeah the carp are a problem but they have been for several years now.