Usually, when there’s news about escapees from medical research facilities, freshwater fish are not the obvious fugitives.
But that was the case with the pike killifish when researchers released about 50 of the fish into agricultural canals in the late 1950s.
Now, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has identified up to 22 non-native fish in Florida's fresh waters.
The agency in May added new rules that will "help proactively protect Florida from invasive species becoming established in the state," according to a news release.
While no freshwater fish made the list this year, the agency is "currently examining fish that are on the federal Lacey Act but not regulated by the state to see if they pose a risk to the state," a spokesperson wrote in an email.
The act, established in 1900, bans illegal wildlife trafficking in the U.S.
The state is a hotbed for the tropical freshwater fish trade. The subtropical climate is optimal for raising hundreds of varieties of nonnative fish, and sometimes those fish establish populations in state waterways.
At one time, more than 800 species of tropical fish were cultured in Florida for the pet trade, a 2006 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission study says. These nonnative fish were released into state waterways in various ways: escapes from fisheries, releases from pet owners and intentional releases by state agencies.
“Of the 22 permanently established species (in Florida), 13 are in the widely distributed tropical-subtropical cichlid family and four are South American catfishes,” wrote Scott Hardin, the report’s author.
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Some nonnative fish are introduced by state agencies to control other nonnative populations.
Debbie Hanson, a freshwater fishing guide and founder of SheFishes2, said that one nonnative fish introduced by FWC plays a vital role in local ecosystems and economies.
FWC first introduced the butterfly peacock bass into the waters of Miami-Dade and Broward counties in the 1980s to cull other invasive fish populations.
“One of the things I try to impress upon people is that we need to catch and release the peacock bass,” Hanson said. “While there is a bag limit, I highly encourage anyone I know to practice catch and release.”
The peacock bass supports a multimillion-dollar sport fishery without adverse effects, the FWC’s website says. Peacock bass prey on small fish to keep invasive populations at bay.
“I would agree some data suggests that peacock bass has provided more pressure on the cichlids,” said Jeffrey Hill, a fisheries extension specialist for nonnative fish under the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “There’s a little bit of evidence that spotted tilapia has declined, and bass contribute to predation pressure.”
Hill provides science to industry leaders and state regulators. A valuable deterrent to the spread of nonnative species is prevention of them from entering the state or being inadvertently released into waterways, he said. There are socioeconomic benefits to the non-native aquaculture. Hill reported that the Florida aquaculture industry was valued at $93 million in 2003.
“We don’t want to forgo the benefits of these activities unless those negatives outweigh those benefits,” Hill said. “A lot goes into determining where that balance lies.”
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Educating the industry and potential pet owners about possible negative effects nonnative populations can have is one of the best ways “we can do a better job of not releasing (nonnatives) into the environment and cleaning up what’s already there,” Hill said. Adverse effects include non-natives killing off natives and eating native food sources.
Hanson said she has noticed a rise in the populations of nonnative fish. Derbies hosted by groups such as the Southwest Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) and Bass Pro Shops are coordinated to pull a good number of these nonnatives from Florida waters.
In April, the 2019 Invasive Fish Roundup from CISMA removed 2,013 pounds of non-natives such as redbellied pacu, Mayan cichlids and clown knifefish from Southwest Florida waterways.
Nonnatives were first introduced in the 1950s, Hill said. Over time, more and more fish accumulated. Aquaculture used to be the biggest pathway for nonnatives into Florida waters, but today hobbyists who release aquarium fish are the biggest pathway, he said.
FWC has put forth a variety of regulations and permits on nonnative freshwater fish species. Nonnative fish brought into the state must have a valid permit.
The agency hosts an Exotic Pet Amnesty Program where hobbyists can bring in unwanted pets free of charge. These roundups are held periodically throughout the state. The FWC has planned its Winter 2019 program at Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens. The date has yet to be released.
Karl Schneider is an environment reporter at Naples Daily News. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @karlstartswithk, email him at kschneider@gannett.com.
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