SPOKANE, Wash. – A solution to the spread of the invasive northern pike fish, which have recently spread to several water bodies within the state, was released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on Thursday.
WDFW’s draft Interagency Northern Pike Rapid Response Plan intends to guide coordination and resources for species management, prevent the spread of northern pike to new areas in Washington and develop long-term management plans for the non-native species of fish.
“This plan is important to conservation in our state as it maps out the response of WDFW and coordinating partners to a number of situations that could arise with the spread of northern pike,” said Justin Bush, aquatic invasive species policy coordinator with WDFW. “It will help to speed our response when timing is critical as partnering agencies and groups will already know their role and be prepared to respond.”
Northern pike have been present in Washington’s waters since the 1950s when illegal stocking occurred in Montana rivers. Two decades later, the Coeur d’Alene river system also received an illegal stocking of the fish.
Since being established in the upper Columbia River Basin, the pike have steadily spread downstream, reaching the Pend Oreille River, Spokane River and the Columbia River upstream of Grand Coulee Dam.
Outside of rivers, the pike have appeared in King County’s Lake Washington, and one was recently found in a pond on San Juan Island.
“Given their population dynamics and physiology, it is likely that northern pike will eventually expand into waters throughout the entire state,” said Chris Donley, WDFW Eastern Region (Region 1) Fish Program manager. “Preventative work done now will help to minimize the environmental, economic, and cultural resource impacts of northern pike later.”
The species, which can live over 20 years and grow to more than 45 pounds, produce a large number of young and consume a large amount of native and Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed salmonids that are particularly vulnerable to predation.
The response plan is divided into three parts: Prevention and Early Detection, Rapid Response Activities and Extended Response Activities.
“Partnering with other groups and governments to fight the spread of northern pike will allows us to be more efficient and make more progress using fewer resources than if each agency worked individually,” said Chad Jackson, WDFW North Central Region (Region 2) Fish Program manager.
The WDFW collaborated with several organizations in developing the plan, including the Washington Invasive Species Council, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Department of Agriculture, and Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT) and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC).
While the plan undergoes a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review, the WDFW is requesting public input.
Comments can be submitted online, through email by emailing NPikePlan@PublicInput.com and my mail at the following address: Lisa Wood, SEPA/NEPA Coordinator, WDFW Habitat Program, Protection Division, P.O. Box 43200, Olympia, WA 98504.
Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 to be considered.
