There's been another snakehead sighting at Burnaby's Central Park pond, confirming the presence of the so-called "frankenfish."
Burnaby resident Bruce Causier shot video of the aggressive invasive species on Thursday, May 17. Causier had heard about the snakehead and set out to catch the fish on videotape. He wasn't surprised when he spotted it.
"It's a really cool looking fish, but that fish definitely shouldn't be in there. It's so aggressive, especially if it's not the only one in there. If they start breeding, they are going to wipe out all of the fish in that pond," he said. "It would be nice if someone did catch it."
Causier said he's sure what he saw was a snakehead.
"Oh, I'm positive, just by the look of it. It wasn't a koi, it wasn't a carp, it wasn't a catfish. That's usually what you see in there. It was about 18 inches long," Causier said.
The first video shows the snakehead floating just beneath the water's surface. In the other video, someone tries to catch the snakehead with a fishing line. The creature snapped but didn't take the bait.
The first snakehead sighting - caught on video on Sunday, May 13 by Burnaby resident Rod Gonzales - has drawn widespread media attention, including stories with the London Free Press and Huffington Post Canada.
Snakeheads are considered voracious predators that can wreak havoc in an ecosystem when introduced to non-native environment. They feed on fish and frogs and the occasional small mammal. They can breathe atmospheric air and wriggle on land, surviving for days out of water, provided it's wet. Snakeheads can be sold as pets or food, so it's likely someone dumped the fish in Central Park.
(There are two ponds in the park, and the snakehead has been spotted at the southern pond, closest to the pitch and putt and Imperial Drive.)
Provincial government staff members are assembling a team in hopes of finding and removing the fish. They may use nets or electrofishing, which involves using a light current to stun the fish but not kill them, so they float to the surface.
This isn't the first time Causier's videos have made headlines. Last summer, the amateur nature videographer shot footage of a rather bold coyote stalking an elderly woman and her small dog in Burnaby, which sparked news stories and concerns about encroaching urban wildlife.
To see Causier's new snakehead videos, go to Jennifer Moreau's blog at www.burnabynow.com.
