Fish Pesticide May Control Unwanted Round Goby

[SinDale]

Scientists have discovered that certain chemicals may be useful in slowing the spread of the round goby, an invasive fish species that is threatening parts of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. When released near the bottom of a river or lake, two fish pesticides are effective in controlling this bottom-dwelling invader, particularly where dissolved oxygen is low, while leaving native species unharmed.

"Selective removal of round gobies may be possible with bottom-release pesticides," said Theresa Schreier, lead author of this research, published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research. "This work shows the value of understanding how an invasive species differs from native populations in the way that it lives in an ecosystem and basing control measures on a unique vulnerability of the invader."

Read the rest of the article:

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2014

[GAMBLER]

The gobies are a good food source for lots of species. Most of the perch I caught the past week were loaded with small gobies. The 14" perch I caught had 3 in it's stomach.

[jjfishes]

PESTICIDES IN WATER?

Are we not trying to keep pesticides out of water. What are the long term effects on EVERYTHING. Something that is going to limit the spread of gobies, They are freeking everywhere, what is limiting them going to do? As with any pesticide there will be some that are not effected by it and will breed and the offspring will be immune. Then we just have the chemicals to consume. How about we do the best thing and research how to keep them from getting into the great lakes or any body of water that they are not native. Limit ballast water and all other means of transportation of invasives. Don't ask me how., im not a researcher. Adding chemicals to our water supply does not make any sense to me.

JMO

Jay

[slimjim]

Someone told me a few weeks back that the DEC or some state unit was trying to control the weeds in one of the finger lakes with herbicide pellets. One fisherman caught a laker with these pellets in it's stomach. The pesticides will end up in the predator fish as well.

[ray koziatek]

how does that food chain thing work?? shure would be interesting to know what happened to the millions of smelt that used to be in seneca lake... i ant no expert but prior to mid 80's there used to be lots of big lamphry eels and millions of smelt now there is lots of small lamphry's and not 1 smelt ,smelt were introduced to seneca lake around 1904 and have thrived to the point that it was not uncommon for anyone with a net to bring garbage cans full of smelt home and it was not just a few but most everyone who went after them. then in the 80,s when the lampracide treatments started the smelt dissapeared , oh well probly just global warming.... do we really want to experment on lake Ontario?

[LongLine]

Ray - Here's how the invassive food chain works. The creature on top eats/ate the creature below it.

You can see what happens to the guy on top.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

p.s wish more birds would eat gobies.

[GAMBLER]

I'm in agreenance with a lot of you guys. Pesticides??? Seriously??

As Gambler stated above they are an excellent food source for perch, as well as bass, and they eat zebra and quaga mussle larvea. I do know of some guys that are very successfull bass fisherman, and commented to me on the size of some of the bass they caught this year. I think they should just leave it alone, and let nature figure it out.

quote]

Over the past couple seasons, I have found gobies in pike, perch, browns, lakers, coho, and smallmouth. Jolly II, I could not agree with you more. I don't like the sounds of pesticides. nature always has a way of figuring things out.

[SinDale]

I think the benefit/loss comparison works out as a wash as well, and using more pestisides can't come without side effects.

Besides being annoying when bottom fishing, are they really effecting fish populations as was feared when they first showed up? I know there's alot of whining about it being slow out there this year, but it seems more to do with the temp conditions all over the board as compared to previous years.

Gambler, I haven't caught anything in the lake or St.Lawrence this year that didn't have gobies in its gut either. Perhaps the biggest change gobies brought was a change in eating habits. The picture I saw last time I was out (9/13) was alot of activity on the bottom.