Nature lends a hand to control an invasion

Lat month we featured the story of a Colorado lake that had become overrun by invasive goldfish. Someone released three or four goldfish into a Colorado pond about two years ago and now there are 3,000 - 4,000 that threaten the ecology of the lake

In an interesting twist, officials recently visited the lake to plan a goldfish removal program only to find that pelicans had done the work for them. Apparently attracted by the brightly colored goldfish several pelicans discovered an easy meal and the lake was nearly void of the invaders. In fact, as workers watched pelicans swooped in to remove a few more of the remaining fish.

Although this is a fun story, I worry that it can help to feed a sense that nature will heal itself. There is no doubt that this is a unique situation that is not likely to ever occur anywhere else. The release of aquarium animals is never appropriate under any circumstances. Even though this story turned out OK, the next aquarium release could cause huge problems.

Previously Posted on Facebook

We review news stories on a daily basis and post stories of interest on Facebook as we find them. However, we know that many of you are not using Facebook so here are the links we posted during October on our Facebook pages.

Our Clean Angling Facebook page is where we post links that deal with fish, fishing, cleaning, boat inspections, and other issues of interest to anglers.

This summer, boaters in Grand Teton National Park will need to purchase two different decals before they will be allowed to boat on park waters

Sportfishing in the Great Lakes has seen steady declines as invasive species alter fish communities and significantly change fishing tactics. Will commercial fishing charters be able to survive?

Yellowstone Park has teamed with the states of Wyoming and Montana to develop a plan to remove non-native brook trout from the Soda Butte drainage. The Park is accepting public comment on the plan

Fishing in waters infested with zebra and quagga mussels presents challenges to anglers. Here is a point-by-point discussion of how to best fish for smallmouth bass in infested waters

Red tailed catfish are a predatory invader from South America that is becoming established in the US. They can grow to 4 feet in length with weights over 100 pounds. Read about the fish caught by a 5 year old

Are you interested in hunting for invasive species in California? Here is some info on the law

Snakeheads are vicious predatory invasive fish that have become established in some Eastern US waters. Although they are unwanted and we would eliminate them if possible, they make for good sport

After seeing a decline in invasive fish species, officials in Michigan are reporting that native fish populations in the Great Lakes are expanding rapidly

South Dakota has published a specially themed issue of the "South Dakota Conservation Digest" that is devoted to invasive species articles and advice

Salmon and Steelhead populations in the Columbia River have faced serious threats that have led to near extinction of some populations. Now there is a long-feared new threat - invasive northern pike

The discovery of Asian carp invasions in Alabama has officials warning that the invasive fish may have an impact on some popular bass fishing lakes

Outdoor recreationists have been identified as a primary vector for spreading weeds in Utah. In response, officials are asking all outdoor enthusiasts to make sure they are weed seed free

On our Invasive Species Action Network Facebook page we post all types of invasive species news including stories about all types of invaders, policy issues and other items of interest.

In Great Britain, researchers have proclaimed the harlequin ladybird beetle to be the fastest spreading invasive species

Recently, Minnesota officials have reported success in treating Christmas Lake for zebra mussels. However, new diving surveys show that adult mussels are still found in the lake

Earwigs are a common garden pest that can cause significant crop damage. However, most people are unaware that earwigs are invasive

China has done little to combat the introduction of invasive species. However, sightings of a bird sometimes called “feathered locusts” has led to a call for stricter regulations on imported species

The BLM is planning on creating fuel breaks along a 57 mile stretch of Interstate 84 near Boise Idaho.However, the project is being criticized for promoting the planting of an invasive grass species  

Minnesota is making the fight against invasives a local issue by providing direct grants to localities engaged in invasive species control and prevention. This is a new model of approaching the issue and we can expect to learn much  

Non-native parakeet populations are rapidly expanding in both North America and Europe. New research shows that all of these invaders are genetically identical and all came from a small area in South America

Fednav Limited, the largest Canadian operator of international ships in the Great Lakes, has announced that they are equipping their new ships with ballast water treatment systems to reduce invasive species transport 

Most people believe that earthworms are beneficial creatures that help to maintain healthy soils. This is far from true as, in fact, earthworms are invaders that have a significant impact on the environment

Our Forest Pest Fly Tying Project Facebook page provides information for anyone concerned about the spread of forest pest insects. Visit the page and join the conversation about the problem and our unique fly tying program.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock was on hand to greet and congratulate the student fly tiers who tied Asian longhorned beetle flies at the state Arbor Day Celebration

Pine forests in the Rockies have been hit hard by insect pests including the mountain pine beetle and the spruce bud worm. Now another pest is decimating forests in Colorado

  Those of you who are regular readers of this newsletter probably realize that there is a seasonality to the types of invasive species stories that we report. Originally, this newsletter was aimed primarily at an audience of anglers and our intent was to feature stories that relate directly to fishing. However, we quickly realized that we serve a much larger audience and we now cover all types of invasive species stories.

    I started by talking about the seasonality of stories and one place where we really see a lot of variation is stories related to fishing. Not surprisingly, the winter months are typically slow on these types of stories and as fishing seasons arrive the number of fishing related stories increases significantly. You will find that this issue of the newsletter has a number of articles that highlight the intersection of fishing and invasive species.

    At the same time, stories about research topics and our fly tying program fall off a lot in the summer. Consequently, we have an always changing mix of stories that we select from the hundreds of stories we review each month.

   If there is a particular type of story  you enjoy please let us know and we will try to include similarly themed stories when we can. I hope you will continue to review as many of the stories that we list as possible. It's rare that I promote a story that is not of special significance.

   As always, I hope you will get in touch with me if you have questions or have invasive species stories to share.

Bob Wiltshire
Executive Director ISAN

The Clean Angling News is published monthly by the Invasive Species Action Network. Please send comments, questions and complaints to newsletter@stopans.org.

This newsletter, the Clean Angling Pledge and all of our efforts to prevent the spread of invasives are financed by contributions. Please help us with a tax deductible PayPal donation of any amount.

Email address:

[          ]

[Subscribe]

Visit the Clean Angling Store where you'll find a variety of T shirts, hats and other items.