With razor-sharp teeth and dark, slimy skin, snakehead fish imported from Asia make for some pretty exotic pets. And some foodies say their tender, white flesh make for some tasty filets.
But if they are ever released into the Canadian wild and start reproducing, experts warn, the predatory fish — which have been dubbed the “fish from hell” and “fishzilla” — could wreak havoc on our lakes and waterways, destroying native plants and fish populations.
It’s why environment, fisheries and law enforcement officials are ramping up efforts to prevent the import and sale of these and other invasive fish species.
“This is high on the radar screen for concern,” said Becky Cudmore, a senior science advisor on aquatic invasive species with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. “We want to remain on the front-end of an invasion. We want to prevent them from reaching Canadian waters.”
A Toronto-area pet shop owner this month was fined tens of thousands of dollars — even ordered to spend 60 days in jail — following a joint U.S.-Canada investigation, dubbed “Operation Serpent,” into the illegal export and sale of snakeheads from Ontario into New York state.
Ontario banned the sale and possession of snakeheads and other fish species several years ago.
Officials with the environment ministry in B.C., where informal surveys have found snakeheads for sale at some pet stores and food markets, say they are working on adopting similar regulations.
“Considering the potential danger they pose to local ecosystems it remains our priority to institute a regulatory ban as soon as possible,” said ministry spokesman Stuart Bertrand.
The province was spurred into action after a half-meter long blotched snakehead was captured this spring in a pond east of Vancouver and euthanized. The fish is now in the possession of the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria.
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