Reports, S. (2020, August 21). Managers work to control spread of northern pike at Lake Roosevelt. Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/aug/24/managers-work-to-control-spread-of-northern-pike-a/

The Spokane Tribe and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have been forced to come up with creative solutions due to the invasive presence of northern pike in Washington lakes, most notably Lake Roosevelt and Lake Spokane. These pike are especially dangerous to native salmon and steelhead populations, due to their aggressive nature and voracious predation habits. Fish biologists are moderating the situation and trying a multitude of diverse approaches to best combat this invasive species. One of the biggest setbacks they face lie in the tendencies of the pike in question: they can live for more than 20 years, can consume more than 75% of their body length, they populate exceptionally quickly, and a female can produce nearly 250,000 eggs. These characteristics make the pike especially difficult to manage, but Washington biologists are still working to eradicate the species, even under the pressure of Covid-19 restrictions.

This article quickly brought up some setbacks these biologists are facing in relation to the current pandemic, something unique to many other invasive species articles. The lead fish biologist for Colville Tribe Fish and Wildlife Department, Holly McLellan, explains how “the field crews started suppression four months late due to the COVID-19 pandemic [and] we began limited sampling in June… catch rates have been low this year with only 265 northern pike removed. However, we have had a positive angler response with 390 heads turned in for the $10 reward so far this year. We will continue suppression work through November.” Even under these pressures, there have been some effective measures that I found especially interesting. On top of listing the northern pike as a prohibited species and generally prohibiting its transportation, the department also has not only removed all fishing limits on pike fishing but actually encourages fisherman to catch as many as they can. They’ve also implemented certain suppression programs in heavily-affected lake watersheds, and currently offer a high bounty of $10 for each fish head turned in. Once again, there’s an emphasis on community and local engagement here. I think it’s very informative to see how policies and regulations are directly tied in to the surrounding community—the use of monetary incentives and removal of fishing daily harvest limits are all good examples of this.