The invasive northern snakehead fish has been bedeviling Maryland waterways since it was first discovered here more than 20 years ago. State lawmakers think an appetizing new name can help fix the problem, and on Thursday both the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates approved bills that would give the snakehead a new name in the state.
The northern snakehead is native to East Asia. But in 2002, one was caught in a pond in Crofton, Maryland. Two years later, snakeheads were discovered in the Potomac River. Ever since, they’ve wreaked havoc on the natural ecosystems of Maryland despite numerous attempts to eradicate them — including dumping a pesticide into the pond in Crofton where the first ones were discovered to kill them. Northern snakeheads eat fish and other native aquatic life while reproducing rapidly — though an initial fear that they could slither out of water and move across land proved to be unfounded.
With snakeheads here to stay in Maryland waterways, officials are pushing one way to fight back against the fish — getting more people to eat them. But there’s one problem with that. “I don’t think anyone here will go to a restaurant and raise their hand and say ‘I want snake fish please!’,” Delegate Todd Morgan (R- Calvert & St. Mary’s) told a hearing of the House Environment and Transportation Committee January 31st.
Morgan is the chief sponsor of HB19 that would change the fish’s name to something more appetizing. Initially, it was going to be the Patuxent Fish. But after long deliberation, Morgan says they agreed upon something else — Chesapeake Channa. “Chesapeake to reflect the Bay, and channa to reflect its native name — recognizing that this is an exotic fish, and we want to make it so that people will go to a restaurant and pay good money to eat an exotic fish,” Morgan told the committee.
On Thursday, the House of Delegates approved HB19 on a 136-1 vote, while the Senate approved its own version SB207 on a 44-2 vote. Each chamber must approve the other’s version of the bill, which will send it to Governor Wes Moore for his signature.
Changes could also be coming for northern snakehead fishing too
A name change isn’t the only move lawmakers are looking at regarding northern snakeheads. They are close to making it easier to fish for them too.
The House of Delegates on Thursday gave unanimous approval to HB237, following the Senate which already gave unanimous support to its own version SB302 on February 6th. The bills remove buffer zones that those fishing for snakeheads with a bow and arrow had to follow. They included not fishing within 100 yards of a person, vessel, swimming area or diver down flag. If approved, the bow and arrow fishers with commercial northern snakehead licenses (which would be renamed if the name change is approved) would instead have to follow all Department of Natural Resources regulations governing the use of their gear.