ENVS 605

Article 2

Article 1

Articles

What is it?

A long-bodied predatory freshwater fish with a pointed snout and large teeth, of both North America and Eurasia.

 

 

Why is it a problem?

The Northern Pike has been shown to significantly reduce prey density and has the potential to cause large-scale changes in fish communities that can result in species elimination. Controlling the non-native northern pike is important because they can harm protected Gunnison valley trout and salmon populations that traditionally call these waters home. If left to multiply, northern pike will eat many of the native fish until there are only northern pike left. At that point, they will begin to cannibalize themselves. The northern pike is considered a trophy fish that every fisherman wants the thrill to catch, however,  allowing this species to spawn out of control, will result in no fish being available to catch.

 

 

Management Techniques:

• Use of experimental control measures involving the use of net barriers, electrofishing, detonation cord, and encircling nets in combination with other management activities. Barrier nets could be used to contain numbers of adult, juvenile, and larval pike for removal by electrofishing and by concussion from detonation cord during spring and early summer.

• The installation of tributary barriers. Physical barriers could be placed in the tributaries during spring thaw to prevent spawning and the establishment of stream populations of pike.

• Blocking spawning areas. At spring thaw, block nets could be used to trap spawning pike in portions of the lake or rivers for elimination.

• Reducing pike food supplies and stock brown trout as a predator species. Increase predation on smaller pike.

• Encourage pike fishing in ways (including derbies) that do not promote angler interest. Depending on the status of the pike population, assist the local community in holding organized fishing events to remove pike. Local guides promote the northern pike as a sportfish to bring out anglers to the Gunnison river and Blue Mesa. This minorly helps with population control.

• Use dragnets to catch juvenile pike to additively reduce the pike population.

• Take various actions relating to the dam including 1) Installation of an upstream containment barrier, 2) Installation of an electric barrier, 3) Modification of the discharge orifice, 4) Maintenance of the lake level to avoid a spill, and 5) Retention of the fish grate at the outflow wall.

• Increase enforcement activities.

• Improve public education.

 

 

What can we do?

Go fishing! The only way to reduce the Northern Pike is to get them out of the water. This is one of the fish you do not want to catch and release. In fact, it is highly recommended that after capture the fish be killed and removed from the water.

 

General Information on Northern Pike:

Colorado River Recovery

• This website outlines and discusses how the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), Nonnative and Invasive Aquatic Species Prevention and Control Strategy (Basinwide Strategy) was developed for the Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (Recovery Program).

 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife

• Colorado River Fishery Project

  • This webpage discusses the Colorado River Fishery Project and how they manage invasive fish.

• Fish Recovery Program

  • This news release by the USFW discusses how to save endangered fish in the Colorado River when having to share waters with the Northern Pike.

 

United States Geological Survey

• This is a link to the USGS webpage that lists Northern Pike statistics in the upper Gunnison.

 

National Park Service

• This PDF is an NPS call to action on how to handle invasive species in Colorado rivers.

 

Steamboat Today

• This article highlights the difficulty of managing the Northern Pike when anglers consider it the ultimate sportfish.

 

Northern Pike - Esox Lucius