The fishing trips are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. June 10-12, with those interested asked to meet at the Budgetel, 12801 South Cicero, Alsip, Illinois (located at corner of 127th Street and Cicero Avenue). Participants must provide their own boat, fishing gear and bait (worms on small hooks are recommended). Anglers will be asked to provide information on the amount of time fished, and whether they catch any round goby.
The round goby has known populations in Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie, and has made its way into the Illinois Waterway, a series of man-made canals and natural rivers connecting the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to the Great Lakes. The round goby, a bottom-feeding species, is known for its aggressive feeding and defensive behavior. The round goby is a soft-bodied fish, identified by it fused pelvic fins. Despite its small size, most commonly ranging from 3- to 6-inches in length but capable of growing to 10 inches, its rapid reproduction and aggressive feeding behavior threaten the populations of native fish. It has received national attention since increasing populations could seriously impact the sportfishing industries of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin, as well as upset the natural balance of the ecosystem.
Pam Thiel, a fishery project leader for the Service, said, We certainly appreciate any help we can get from people in determining the current Chicago Waterway distribution of this invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species which crowds out native fish, taking over their habitat and food supply. We are hopeful that information collected through sampling and events such as the roundup will help us locate the downstream leading edge of this species as we work toward controlling its spread.
The round goby was first collected in North American waters in 1990, in Michigans St. Clair River. This soft-bodied fish is native to the Black and Caspian Seas, and is believed to have been introduced via ballast water discharged from ships.
In the Fall of 1996, the Service surveyed and found the round goby in the Calumet River of the Illinois Waterway, about 12 miles from Lake Michigan. This movement, similar to earlier invaders such as zebra mussels, indicates a spread toward the Mississippi River. A national team, the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, is considering plans to contain the round goby primarily through the use of electrical barriers. The team is chaired by the Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and includes five other federal agencies and 10 nongovernmental agencies.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
