Also read Laine's Fish Factor column
May 24th
It's the time of year to be on the lookout for alien invadersIncreased worldwide trade and travel are a plus, but they've also spawned a big problem - invasive species, which are often introduced into world waters in the ballast of ships. others come about by human error or ignorance. No matter how they arrive, they cost billions of dollars in damages and threaten the lives of native species. In Chicago for example, federal engineers are building the nation's biggest electric barrier to try and keep huge Asian carp out of the great lakes, the world's largest fresh water ecosystem and home to a four billion dollar fishing industry. the project was put on hold when an electric current strayed and threatened to ignite nearby boats. Alaska is no exception to the alien invasion, such as northern pike.
Fish and Game's Bob Piorkowski - "Fishermen have moved these around to the South Central region.they've eaten many rainbow trout and salmon."
Yellow perch have also been found in the Kenai region. As have crayfish.
Crayfish are often bought in pet stores or brought up for the live food market. They're like vacuum cleaners and eat everything on the bottom.
Green crab and mitten crab are slowly making their way up the coast from California, posing a big threat to dungeness populations. and tiny mud snails the size of a pin head are already here, often arriving on the bottom of visitors boots or other gear.
Piorkowski - "If anyone is coming in from out of state - make sure your wading gear, especially with felt liners - have been in the freezer for five or six hours. It will kill the New Zealand mud snails."
The invasive species that tops the list for Alaska worries? Atlantic salmon. In the past decade nearly 500 Atlantic salmon have been found in Alaska waters. That's prompted the state to give them their own fish ticket number. - 666, the sign of Satan.
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