Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020 - 58

CURRENTS
Anglers Urged to Report, Dispose of Invasive
Northern Snakeheads if Caught in Lower Susquehanna River

photo-Geoff Smith

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)
is urging anglers to report and dispose of any invasive
Northern Snakehead fish that may be caught in the lower
Susquehanna River.
This advisory follows the documented movement
of 21 Northern Snakeheads past the Conowingo Dam
into the Conowingo Pool, a 14-mile-long section of the
Susquehanna River located between the Conowingo
Dam in Maryland and the Holtwood Dam in
Pennsylvania. Fisheries management of this river section
is shared between the PFBC and Maryland Department
of Natural Resources.
In late March, operators of the fish passage systems
used at the Conowingo, Holtwood, and Safe Harbor dams
to assist migrating American Shad during their spring
spawning runs indicated that due to restrictions associated
with COVID-19, fish passage operations had been delayed
from the original start date of April 1.
Fish passage operations commenced on the afternoon
of May 12 at Conowingo Dam's east fish lift. Historically
by this date, nearly 70% of the annual American
Shad spawning migration would have already passed
Conowingo Dam during a typical spring. Over the
course of four days, lift operators observed 35 Northern
Snakeheads within the east fish lift; 14 of the invasive fish
were able to be netted and removed, while another 21

entered the Conowingo Pool. During this same time, only
485 American Shad were counted at the east fish lift. Due
to the concern over increased invasive species passage
and the lateness of the season for successful American
Shad passage, the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish
Restoration Cooperative (SRAFRC) recommended that
fish passage operations be immediately ceased to prevent
further passage of snakeheads. Fish passage operations
at the Holtwood and Safe Harbor dams upriver were
also ceased immediately, although no snakeheads were
observed at either location. During two days of operations,
21 American Shad passed the Holtwood Dam, while one
shad was observed passing the Safe Harbor Dam fish lift.
"Further introduction of an invasive species such as the
Northern Snakehead to the Susquehanna River watershed
in Pennsylvania is something we take very seriously," said
Joshua Tryninewski, Fisheries Biologist with the PFBC's
Anadromous Fish Restoration Unit. "Unfortunately, a late
start to fish passage operations followed by an increasing
occurrence of the unwanted fish presented unfavorable
conditions for successful shad passage and have posed a
serious threat to the Commonwealth's aquatic resources."
Northern Snakeheads, native to parts of China, Russia,
and Korea, first drew attention in the mid-Atlantic region
in 2002 when a pair were discovered in a Maryland
pond. Snakeheads were first confirmed in Pennsylvania
in July 2004 in Meadow Lake,
Philadelphia County, and are present
in the connecting lower Schuylkill
and Delaware rivers. In summer
2018, anglers began catching
snakeheads in Octoraro Creek,
Lancaster County, a tributary that
enters the Susquehanna River below
the Conowingo Dam; however,
snakeheads are not known to occur
in the upper Octoraro Creek basin
above the dam at Pine Grove. In
September 2019, an angler reported
catching of a single snakehead in the
Monongahela River near Braddock,
PA, and the specimen was verified
by PFBC biologists.
In response to the known
presence of Northern Snakeheads
in the Conowingo Pool, the
PFBC began conducting
surveillance operations utilizing
boat electrofishing to locate and
PFBC non-game Fisheries Biologist Doug Fischer holding a Northern
remove snakeheads. On May 21,
Snakehead collected from the Conowingo Pool, lower Susquehanna River on
while targeting likely habitat areas
May 21, 2020.

58

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2020

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