State looks to poison in losing battle with Lake Davis pike (CA)

[struggle4progress]

Posted on Sat, Sep. 02, 2006
Associated Press

PORTOLA, Calif. - .. The <state Department of Fish and Game> proposes to drain Lake Davis in Plumas County to about a fifth of its current size, then poison the remaining water along with the lake's tributary streams, springs, and ponds.

A final decision is expected in January so that the department can begin draining the lake. The poisoning would take place next September ..

The department fears the pike could escape into the Sacramento River system, devouring salmon and other fragile species all the way to San Francisco Bay ..

The state has spent about $20 million on pike eradication efforts in Plumas County since 1989, when the fish were discovered and successfully removed from Frenchman Reservoir, east of Lake Davis ..

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/15427264.htm

[truedelphi]

1. This is so horrible for people who live in the area

If this area has inhabitants then hopefully they will band together and stop this.

Nevver understood the argument against the pike.

I used to spend summers along the Lake of The Woods in Minnesota.

pike everywhere there -a nd dozens if not hundreds of other fish as well.

They make the pike out to be some type of monster. It is just a fish. Why not just encourge fishermen to fish for them. I remember as a child catching one and my folks saying that it didn't taste as good as the other fish - but I was so proud of that catch I thought it tasted fine.

[struggle4progress]

2. The argument against the pike is that it is a non-native species,

artificially introduced at some time, that out-competes the native species and thus destroys the original ecosystem.

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. WE ARE ALL Non-native species - natives get reservations . . .

.
.
.

and have successfully "out-competed" the "native species" before us white men invaded.

WE killed their livelihood/food supply/housing by slaughtering millions of Buffalo that provided them food, shelter and tools

just for the tongue . .

WE left the carcases to rot -

WE did it so well that Buffalo is now a protected species, there's not enough of them around to even support a small band anymore

But don't worry about it - just sit back, have a beer, and watch Homer Simpson or FoxNews.

If you are thinking "what's my point" ?

You'll NEVER "get" the answer . .

So don't ask.

[pansypoo53219]

5. our family lake

was a good walleye, perch bass, rock bass lake, and then somebody planted shit fish like the fuckomg pike in and disturbed the balance. hard to catch perch. don't mind the crappies and sunfish and blue gills, but pike suck. i keep telling my uncle should feed them to the coons instead of throwing them back if it ain;t non-native, it should be destroyed.
before it's too late.

[freethought]

4. Pike are reviled in some states.

Here in Maine, Northern Pike have turned up in lakes in the Sebago Region. Even the sportsmen are not happy about it. Pike are agressive, tough, ravenous and surprisingly resiliant even in some adverse conditions. Sportsmen and state officials are worried about the impact of the Pike on landlocked salmon and freshwater smelt, both of which are favorites of the sportsmen.

A number of years ago my father and I took a trip to the Kenai Penninsula in Alaska. It only took us a day to find out that Pike had been artificially introduced in some of the local lakes and rivers. This had trout fisherman in an uproar. Pike can down a pretty large fish through that toothy mouth of theirs. It was communicated to us in no uncertain terms by the lodge manager and the guides "If you catch a pike, kill it on the spot." Up in that part of the country trout are slow growing and the lodge operators, sportsmen, bush pilots, and guides don't want to see slow-growing rainbow or dolly varden trout gobbled up by Northern Pike.

However you look at it these pike are turning up where they have never been and this can really upset certain balances.