The Missouri Department of Conservation asks anglers to kill — not release — any northern snakehead they catch, because the air-breathing species can survive out of water. Officials recommend three reliable disposal methods: decapitate, remove internal organs, or seal the fish in a plastic bag and throw it away. Snakeheads are spreading from Arkansas, have been found in two Missouri rivers, and pose a threat to native and sport fish. Anglers should photograph and report all catches to the MDC.
Missouri Tells Anglers: Decapitate, Gut or Bag It — Stop The Invasive Northern Snakehead
Northern snakehead fish swim in a tank at the Academy of Natural Sciences April 28, 2005 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is asking recreational anglers to help halt the spread of the invasive northern snakehead by killing — not releasing — any specimens they catch. Officials say the species’ ability to breathe air makes ordinary disposal methods, like tossing the fish on the bank, unreliable.
What Officials Are Asking
The MDC advises anglers who catch a northern snakehead to ensure the animal cannot survive and be returned to a waterway. The agency recommends one of three disposal methods: sever the head, remove the internal organs, or place the fish in a sealed plastic bag and discard it in the trash. These steps are meant to prevent live animals from being reintroduced to rivers or streams.
Why Standard Disposal May Fail
Northern snakeheads can breathe air and may survive for days out of water if their skin stays moist. The MDC warns that a snakehead left on a riverbank, in a cooler, or in other damp conditions may still live long enough to escape or be returned to the water, allowing the species to spread.
Big Picture Risks
"We anticipate negative effects to our aquatic systems, as the invasive fish competes with our existing fish populations for resources," MDC Invasive Species Ecologist Angela Sokolowski said. "Snakeheads are predatory fish and will likely prey upon our native and sport fish, such as smallmouth bass, potentially causing direct negative impacts to populations."
Missouri officials say the snakehead appears to be moving north from Arkansas and has been detected in two state rivers so far. The MDC considers the species a threat to native and sport fish and is working to prevent further establishment in Missouri waterways.
Legal And Reporting Guidance
It is already illegal in Missouri to import, sell, buy, or possess northern snakehead. Anglers who catch one should not attempt to relocate or keep it. The MDC asks that anglers photograph any captured snakehead and report the catch through the Missouri Department of Conservation website so biologists can track occurrences and respond as needed.
Source: Information provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Story reported from Orlando.
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