NY DEC Wants You To Kill This Fish if You Catch One

This week is New York Invasive Species Awareness Week and the NY Department of Conservation is putting the word out that if you are fishing in the Empire State and you catch a Round Goby you should kill it.

The Round Goby is an invasive and destructive fish species from the Black and Caspian Seas. It's believed that these fish first started to invade the United States through the Michigan Great Lakes. There's speculation that they hitched a ride in the ballast water on a cargo ship.

Get our free mobile app

The Round Goby was first found in the great lakes in 1990 and since then has continued to migrate throughout our waterways. Recently, it's been found in rivers and lakes around the Captial Region, including the Hudson River.

So why is this fish so horrible? Gobies take over native fish's spawning site and consume smaller fish and eggs. In addition, they've been linked to an outbreak of botulism on Lakes Erie and Ontario and that could spread to the Empire State. Last, but not least, the Round Goby is a nuisance fish that is really good at stealing your bait.

The New York Department of Conservation is even having fisherman join them for a Goby Roundup to try to eradicate this invasive fish.

The NY DEC recommends if you're fishing in New York and you happen to catch a Round Goby, you should kill it and leave it on land far from water. Some people have been catching them and using them for bait, but the DRC doesn't recommend using them for bait.

If you do catch one the DEC asks that you take photos and note the location, then email DEC at isinfo@dec.ny.gov.