Officials launch emergency effort to fight destructive fish invasion: 'We're trying to protect'

The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is requiring fishers to kill any chain pickerel and smallmouth bass they catch, according to Cottage Life. 

The move is an attempt to curb ballooning populations of the invasive species. The mandatory retention order covers the entire Canadian province for chain pickerel, while smallmouth bass must be humanely euthanized in the northeast of Nova Scotia. 

"We're trying to protect sportfishing in the province," said Jason LeBlanc, director of the Inland Fisheries Division, per Cottage Life. "Our highest priority is protecting remaining native populations of brook trout and Atlantic salmon."

While the open season is good news for anglers, sportfishing is exactly what brought smallmouth bass to the area in the first place. They were introduced to Nova Scotia in 1942 and had 13 authorized introductions until 1984. Alongside the chain pickerel, it has been predating and outcompeting native species. 

This is a common occurrence for invasive species of all types. They're frequently introduced to new areas by human activity. Without the usual checks and balances of their native habitats, invasive species quickly propagate. By monopolizing local resources, invasives force out native species, resulting in a decline in biodiversity and a loss of vital ecosystem services. One report estimates that invasive species worldwide are responsible for $400 billion in economic costs annually. 

Regulators are hopeful that the retention order will curb chain pickerel and smallmouth bass populations in Nova Scotia. Anyone caught putting either of these fish back in the water faces a $180 fine, while introducing invasives to new areas will result in at least a $100,000 fine. 

"The negative impacts can be quite drastic and are, more often than not, irreversible," LeBlanc said, per Cottage Life. "It goes beyond just fish and fisheries to broader biological and ecological impacts."

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