Snakehead too slippery for scientists

Search of Burnaby pond turns up only carp, bullheads, turtles, a coffee cup and lots of mud

The notorious snakehead fish said to be lurking in a Burnaby park eluded capture Wednesday.

Scientists and officials from the B. C. Ministry of Environment began the hunt for the fish in the lower pond of Burnaby’s Central Park.

They dragged large nets across the pond, hoping to corral the snakehead into a corner. An electroshock machine that sent mild electrical currents into the water to stun — not kill — nearby fish was also used. However, by midafternoon, scientists had only caught carp, bullheads, a couple of turtles, a coffee cup and a whole lot of mud.

The snakehead had yet to be seen, let alone captured.

Ministry spokesman Suntanu Dalal said earlier in the day “a significant amount of time” would be spent at the pond trying to figure out how best to catch the snakehead, which has a wide mouth with sharp teeth.

The aggressive invasive species has been known to eat waterfowl such as ducks and can survive for days on land.

If the team had captured the fish, they would likely have killed it.

Environment Minister Terry Lake said last week the snakehead is presumed to have come from someone who kept it as a pet but was unable to handle the animal and released it in the water.

He said the fish is a major concern for ministry staff because, if the alien species gets into the environment, it can cause a lot of damage. Lake said the province will monitor the situation carefully, and may consider asking the federal government for a ban.

Rob Kesson lives across the street from Central Park and came across the hunt while walking his dog.

“I hope they get it,” he said, “because all of these other fish that are in here, it’d be a shame to see them go.”

The first sighting of the creature was caught on video May 13 by Burnaby resident Rod Gonzales and has drawn national interest .

Last Thursday, another local, Bruce Causier, shot video of the snakehead because he wanted someone to get rid of it. Causier is also concerned for the welfare of fish in the lake if the snakehead starts breeding.

The ministry is expected to send out a release today detailing what was discovered in Wednesday’s hunt, as well as next steps.

RIC ERNST/ PNG Ministry of Environment biologists Matthias Herborg ( left) and Ron Ptolemy armed with nets and an electroshock machine, probe Burnaby’s Central Park Lower Pond for a reported snakehead fi sh on Wednesday. They failed to fi nd the non- native invader.