Maryland has put a bounty on snakehead fish , a particularly nasty breed of fish that ruins eco-systems and is even able to survive on land. The state wants them gone so much, in fact, that if anglers are able to catch and kill snakehead fish, they’ll be rewarded a $200 gift card for Bass Pro Shops and various other prizes.
Snakehead fish are native to Africa and Asia, but the “fish from hell” managed to make its way to waters here in the United States, and they’re wreaking havoc on the eco-systems of lakes, ponds and streams. The invasive, aggressive fish likely found their way in American waters by way of the Asian seafood market, officials suspect.
“We do not want snakeheads in our waters,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Inland Fisheries Director Don Cosden told Fox News. “This initiative is a way to remind anglers that it is important to catch and remove this invasive species of fish.”
While the initiative to remove snakehead fish from Maryland’s waters hopes to get as many fish out of the water as possible, officials don’t expect the problem to go away completely anytime soon–still, officials are hopeful that the growing problem will at least be alleviated.
“We don’t expect that anglers will eradicate the snakehead population,” said Joe Love, the state’s Department of Natural Resources Tidal Bass program manager. “We do believe this promotion and inspiration of anglers can help control the snakehead population. The information we gain from the Angler’s Log reports are also helpful in assessing the abundance, spread and impact of these feisty fish.”
Source: Fox News