Teen catches ‘aggressive’ creature in WA pond. It’s a ‘serious threat,’ officials say
A teen reeled in an invasive and “aggressive” creature from a pond on a northwestern Washington island, officials said.
Now wildlife officials are warning the public about the northern pike, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife said in a March 3 Facebook post.
Evan Hiatt caught the fish in a pond at the Land Bank’s Limekiln Preserve on San Juan Island at the end of February, according to a news release from the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank.
He took a photo of it and shared it with his parents, and they sent it to a wildlife biologist who reported it.
Northern pike are invasive fish that are considered a “serious threat to native fish and other wildlife” such as birds, mammals and amphibians, officials said.
They have long bodies with a duck-bill mouth, a dorsal fin near the tail and dark green to gray coloring with “pale oval spots.”
“Their voracious appetite for other fish and prolific spawning habits represent a potential for great ecological and economic damage, not just in northeast Washington but throughout the region,” wildlife officials said.
These fish have been documented in Box Canyon Reservoir on the Pend Oreille River.
The northern pike, a prohibited species, was introduced in violation of state law. The law bans the transport, sale or introduction of prohibited species into state waters.
Anyone caught doing so can face a maximum of one year in jail and $5,000 in fines.
What to do if you catch a northern pike
Wildlife officials are working to determine how many fish are in the area and to remove them “as soon as possible before they can spread to other waterways.”
If someone catches a northern pike on San Juan Island or in any other area in Washington, they should take a photo and report it by calling 1-888-933-9247 or emailing ais@dfw.wa.gov.
A report can also be made by submitting a form to the Washington Invasive Species Council.
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Teen catches ‘aggressive’ creature in WA pond. It’s a ‘serious threat,’ officials say."
