HARRISBURG – The PA Fish & Boat Commission issued a strong advisory to encourage anglers who catch invasive Northern Snakeheads in the lower Susquehanna River, and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, to report and immediately kill them onsite. The advisory follows multiple Northern Snakehead captures in the Conowingo Reservoir by anglers and natural resource agency biologists this summer, including the first evidence of Northern Snakehead reproduction in the reservoir. The Commission and partner natural resource agencies have been conducting surveillance monitoring for Northern Snakeheads in the lower Susquehanna River since May 2020 when 21 fish passed the Conowingo Dam during fish lift operations for native migratory fish passage. While Northern Snakehead abundance currently appears to be low in Conowingo Reservoir, documentation of reproduction is concerning. The Northern Snakehead is an invasive species and are voracious predators causing declines in important sport fish, 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.
