Local Waterways Are Infested More Than Ever By Dreaded Frankenfish

John Matthews
WMAL.com

POTOMAC, MD — (WMAL) Loch Ness has its monster. The Black Lagoon has its creature. And for better or worse, the waterways of the DC area still have their Frankenfish.

13 years after its introduction to the Potomac River basin, Maryland Natural Resources officials say the Northern Snakehead fish continues to invade the region’s waterways, spreading through tributaries and the C and O Canal to most of the rivers and streams that feed into the Chesapeake Bay.

“The species is just very good at dispersing, and we have no way to really create barriers to prevent the dispersal of these fish,” says Fishery Scientist Joe Love.

The Snakehead is a native of Asia that was first introduced the Potomac basin in 2004 – most likely by a fish enthusiast who no longer cared to grow the fish at home and opted to deposit his pets into the Potomac, where it spread like a virus, becoming a threat to native species, including trout and large-mouthed bass.

“We do know they eat a lot of the things that large-mouth bass do, so we want to try and reduce competition with some of the sport fish that folks are interested in fishing for,” says Love.

What’s the best way to do that?

“The best way to take care of them is to eat them,” says Love. “They are a tasty fish.”

As such, the Department of Natural Resources is having a Snakehead Derby along the C and O Canal in Potomac on Saturday. Prizes will be awarded to anglers who catch the toothy fish, and a $100 gift card will go to whoever nabs the largest snakehead.

Love says events like the Derby are designed to raise awareness about the Snakehead, including ways to fillet and prepare the pest. He’s hoping to compile a Frankenfish cookbook to encourage anglers to clean up the waters through better eating.

“I don’t think we’re going to eradicate Snakeheads, but we can minimize impacts to both our aquatic resources and to other anglers by encouraging harvesting – and I think that’s working.”

For more information on the Snakehead Derby, CLICK HERE.