If you’re going fishing in Kansas anytime soon, you may want to double check what kind of fish you’re catching before you decide to throw them back.
That’s because your catch could be one of Kansas’ many invasive species that the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is trying to eradicate.
“[Invasive species are] usually either causing harm or has the potential to cause harm, whether that’s ecologically, environmentally or economically,” said Michael Parr, an aquatic invasive species biologist with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
If there are invasive species known in any body of water, there will be signs posted with additional information.
“Those alert signs will have a picture of whatever species are present there,” Parr said.
The department’s eradication efforts depend on the species, Parr said. For some, employees manually remove as many of them as possible. The department has also held fishing events in the past for anglers to help remove invasive species.
Here’s what to know about invasive aquatic species in Kansas and what you can do to help.
What are some of the most common invasive fish in Kansas?
Common carps, bighead carps, silver carps, rusty crayfish and white perches are some of the fish you may see around Kansas that are actually invasive.
Of those, Parr said the common carp is probably the most common.
While this species is not native to Kansas, it has become so widespread that they’ve become “naturalized.” But just because they’re common doesn’t mean they’re any less invasive, Parr said.
“People do like to fish for them … but yet they still are invasive,” Parr said. “So if you do see one, it’s good practice if you catch one, not to release it back of the water and either consume it or dispose of it.”
Adult common carps are usually gold or dark brown and have reddish fins. They also have whisker-like barbels around the mouth.
What other invasive species live in Kansas waters?
One of the most invasive species in Kansas are zebra mussels, a kind of mollusk the size of a fingernail with a zig-zagged pattern on their shells. These are native to waters in Eurasia , according to the United States Geological Survey.
This is a species that is especially hard to contain, Parr said.
“The single female mussel that’s fertilized can lay up to a million eggs per spawning season. And usually there’s two spawning seasons a year, depending on temperature,” Parr said. “Once they get established in a water body, I mean, they just take off within five years.”
What should I do if I come across an invasive species in Kansas?
If you catch an invasive fish or other aquatic species, do not throw it back into the water, Parr said.
“You would have to euthanize it or dispose of it,” Parr said.
The easiest way to help prevent the spread of invasive species is to wash your boat before bringing it on another body of water. This prevents the spread of smaller aquatic organisms from one body of water to the next.
“It’s really important to drain all the water before transporting your boat … and allowing for dry time or using a high pressure, hot water pressure washer to wash your boat trailer,” Parr said.
“Every water body that someone’s at … before they leave that water body, they should be cleaning their boat and trailer, cleaning off any mud, animals or vegetation that might be stuck on there.”
For those who don’t have access to a power washer, Parr said the wildlife department has boat cleaning stations available at several of their reservoirs around Kansas.
“We’re trying to at least have some of those available for the public to use to help that ‘Clean, drain, dry’ initiative help stop spreading those invasive species,” Parr said.
