DNR Fisheries Service To Post Signs Advising Anglers To Kill And Report Northern Snakehead Fish Caught

Action necessary after another snakehead caught May 12

WHO: Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service

WHAT: DNR Fisheries Service staff will be posting signs to instruct anglers to kill all northern Snakehead fish that are caught, retain the fish, and report them to DNR. This action is necessary to assess the number of northern snakehead fish in the Potomac, and the corresponding threat level to the ecosystem.

WHERE: Fort Washington Marina, Ft. Washington, Md., Prince George’s County

WHEN: FRIDAY, MAY 14, 7 A.M.

WHY: An unidentified angler caught a 12-inch northern snakehead fish on the Maryland side of the Potomac River on Wednesday, May 12. This fish, an immature female hatched in 2003, is approximately the same size as the northern snakehead caught by an angler on May 7 in Little Hunting Creek, a Virginia tributary just across the river.

Northern snakehead fish are not a typical aquarium species; they are usually associated with a live food market. They are considered highly invasive with the potential to quickly affect native ecosystems. Once established, eradication of invasive species may be impossible.

DIRECTIONS:
Fort Washington Marina
13600 King Charles Terrace
Fort Washington, MD 20744
301-292-7700

From Baltimore/Washington D.C.: Take I-95 to the Capital Beltway South towards Richmond. Take Exit 3A onto Indian Head Highway, MD 210 for 6.6 miles, to Old Fort Road. Turn right, and travel for approximately 1.4 miles to Washington Drive. Turn left, then soon after turn right onto L’Enfant Drive. Turn Left on Kings Lane, then left on Reid Lane, turn left on Warburton Drive. Warburton Drive becomes King Charles Terrace.

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