Pennsylvania's Fish and Boat Commission has issued a strong advisory on an invasive fish throughout the state.
First detected in the Philadelphia area in a private pond in the late 1990s, snakehead fish have spread throughout water ways around Pennsylvania.
"Northern Snakeheads are voracious predators and may cause declines in important sport fisheries, such as bass and panfish, and may inhibit recovery efforts for species of conservation concern in the region such as American Shad and Chesapeake Logperch," said Sean Hartzell, PFBC Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator. "This is a critical time to protect the Susquehanna River from further expansion of invasive Northern Snakeheads by removing them to reduce adverse impacts."
While they are largely in the Susquahanna River, the fish has been spotted in western PA, including on in the Monongahela River.
It is strongly encouraged to harvest the fish and anglers in possession of a Northern Snakehead must immediately kill the fish onsite.
The northern snakehead can double its population in as little as 15 years and the females can lay about 100,000 eggs a year.