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Montana Wildlife Officials Want Invasive Northern Pike Gone
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4/12/2011
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has released an environmental assessment of its plan to remove predatory northern pike from parts of the Missouri River and its forks.
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has released an environmental assessment of its plan to remove predatory northern pike from parts of the Missouri River and its forks.
Wildlife officials say the nonnative pike that can reach 40 pounds pose a threat to the Missouri River's trout populations.
The agency released the assessment on Friday and proposes spending $20,000 to remove the fish using nets, angler harvest, and installing barriers.
Biologists would also look for spawning pike in shallow waters and remove them.
Anglers are already allowed to keep an unlimited number of pike in the upper Missouri River Basin.
Officials say it's unclear how northern pike entered the basin.
