In a river in CA they are killing Northern Pikes with poison because they eat the Trout?

Question

i think that is ridiculous, Northern Pikes are edible and poison is poison and pollution ...has the world gone completely retarded?

Answer 1

It's not a river, but a lake that is both fed and emptied by a river. The Pike are eating all the other fish in the lake, which is causing other problems with the economy there. The poison dissipates quickly, and doesn't affect other life there. The pike there are inedible, unlike other species in the lake. It is a very aggressive fish.

The poisoning is controversial, but is accepted by most in the area. It does seem environmentally wrong, but so was the addition of pike to this lake where they do not live naturally, which has been done illegally, twice. I'm not sure what else could be done about this problem, especially before it became an even bigger challenge downstream.

Answer 2

What does Pikes being edible have to do with anything?

I don't believe Northern Pikes are a native species to California.

Their introduction into the California ecosystem is probably wreaking havoc on native California species. Native birds that once fed on smaller trout may be starving because of it.

You can't just replace one 'edible' fish for another and not consider the affect it will have on other species.