Snakehead Fish: Return of the Pest

Snakehead fish seem to be a problem almost every year in the United States. Headlines from spring to summer seem to always include something about how a snakehead fish was spotted in x state and that anglers are encouraged to fish and kill them with or without permits. 

How are snakehead fish spreading so rapidly? Something unique to the snakehead fish specifically is that they are actually able to travel short distances outside of the water. That's right, these freshwater fish that are native to Asia are air breathing and can essentially move from one water source to another without the body of water needing to be moving (ie: a river or stream). 

Snakehead fish are an invasive species in North America and feed on smaller fish, amphibians, and sometimes small rodents, like mice and voles. Apparently, the snakehead fish has made its way to Missouri with multiple reports of them being seen, caught, or killed this summer. The first reported encounter with a snakehead fish in Missouri was back in 2019. 

Why are snakehead fish such a big deal? They happen to be fairly aggressive predators and are preying on and competing with native species for resources. The latest issue is that the snakehead fish has been spotted in the Duck Creek Conservation Area. The Duck Creek Conservation Area was purchased by the Missouri Department of Conservation in 1950 in order to establish a waterfowl hunting area. The 6,000+ acre area supports a diverse plant and animal population with 1,500 acres of open march, 2,700 acres of bottomland forest, and a 1,800 acre lake. Missouri is a fairly diverse state in terms of landscape and more than 200 kinds of fish can be found in the state as well as in the Duck Creek Conservation Area. While fishing is allowed in the conservation area proper permits must be acquired prior to fishing and we imagine that the fish population is closely monitored such that no species goes extinct within the land. 

Beyond impacting conservation areas like the Duck Creek Conservation Area, snakehead fish have the potential to negatively impact fishing as a whole in the state of Missouri. Consider that in Missouri, fishing is a more than $400 million industry (including permits, supplies, guides, boats, lodging, transportation, and food) that draws both fishers and observers into the outdoors. If populations of desired species drop such that they either cannot be fished or are limited, fishing attractions will be impacted and therefore so will the fishing industry for the state of Missouri. 

With snakehead fish showing up in more and more states in North America, it is only a matter of time before this invasive species starts to have a serious negative impact on species native to North American freshwater bodies of water. 

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