Description: Illegal stocking of northern pike is reducing fishing quality in Southcentral Alaska by threatening both wild and stocked fisheries.The northern pike is native to most of Alaska, but it does not naturally occur south and east of the Alaska Mountain Range except for a small, remnant population near Yakutat. Pike are top-level predators in aquatic food chains and are highly piscivorous (fish eating). Outside their native range, trout, salmon and other fish have not had time to adapt defenses against pike's predatory tactics. Pike prefer vegetated, low flow, shallow habitats where they can hide and ambush prey. Areas like these are plentiful throughout Southcentral, and pike tend to thrive in these locations, often to the detriment of native species. For this reason, in Southcentral, the northern pike is an invasive species. Invasive species are plants or animals that do not naturally occur in an area and can negatively affect the environment, the economy, and/or recreational activities. In Southcentral Alaska, northern pike are doing just that. Pike were first illegally introduced into area waters by people, and are now spreading through open waterways and decimating salmon and trout populations. This causes ecological damage and also negatively affects the economy by reducing recreational fishing opportunities.Where northern pike naturally occur in Alaska, they are highly valued as a subsistence and sport fish. In these waters, there can be many other fish species, such as whitefish, sheefish, suckers, Alaska blackfish, stickleback, and char. In their native range, pike are simply another member of the fish community, living in a balanced ecosystem with other species.In Southcentral, illegally-introduced pike can change the balance of an aquatic ecosystem by preying on native fish while having few predators of their own. Some lakes and streams that once supported healthy numbers of coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and rainbow trout now have only small northern pike. This is how illegally-stocked pike have lessened the quality of fishing and threaten wild and stocked fisheries in Southcentral Alaska
Description: Illegal stocking of northern pike is reducing fishing quality in Southcentral Alaska by threatening both wild and stocked fisheries.The northern pike is native to most of Alaska, but it does not naturally occur south and east of the Alaska Mountain Range except for a small, remnant population near Yakutat. Pike are top-level predators in aquatic food chains and are highly piscivorous (fish eating). Outside their native range, trout, salmon and other fish have not had time to adapt defenses against pike's predatory tactics. Pike prefer vegetated, low flow, shallow habitats where they can hide and ambush prey. Areas like these are plentiful throughout Southcentral, and pike tend to thrive in these locations, often to the detriment of native species. For this reason, in Southcentral, the northern pike is an invasive species. Invasive species are plants or animals that do not naturally occur in an area and can negatively affect the environment, the economy, and/or recreational activities. In Southcentral Alaska, northern pike are doing just that. Pike were first illegally introduced into area waters by people, and are now spreading through open waterways and decimating salmon and trout populations. This causes ecological damage and also negatively affects the economy by reducing recreational fishing opportunities.Where northern pike naturally occur in Alaska, they are highly valued as a subsistence and sport fish. In these waters, there can be many other fish species, such as whitefish, sheefish, suckers, Alaska blackfish, stickleback, and char. In their native range, pike are simply another member of the fish community, living in a balanced ecosystem with other species.In Southcentral, illegally-introduced pike can change the balance of an aquatic ecosystem by preying on native fish while having few predators of their own. Some lakes and streams that once supported healthy numbers of coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and rainbow trout now have only small northern pike. This is how illegally-stocked pike have lessened the quality of fishing and threaten wild and stocked fisheries in Southcentral Alaska