Fisheries technicians Chad Sexton (standing) and Justin Bythwood remove flathead catfish through electro-fishing.
How Control of Invasive Exotic Species Benefits Sportsmen
Invasive species are a serious threat to the habitat of wildlife because they shade out and replace
native vegetation.
Invasive species can alter species composition and natural community structure of an area.
Fruits and leaves of some invasive species such as Chinese Tallow can be toxic to fish and wildlife.
Illegal introduction of flathead catfish into the Satilla River resulted in declines in populations of the prized
redbreast sunfish.
Removal of invasive species will help to restore our waterways, fields and forests, and improve opportunities for hunting and fishing in Georgia.
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There are an estimated 50,000 nonnative species in the U.S. and the number is steadily increasing. Many of these invasive species represent serious threats to agriculture, horticulture or forestry — and to wildlife habitat. Many native species are declining due to increasing competition or habitat degradation caused by invasive species. Feral hogs, red shiners, and flathead catfish are examples of animals that can cause serious impacts to natural communities and native species. Exotic plants such as hydrilla, autumn olive, coastal bermudagrass, cogongrass and Chinese privet also pose serious threats to Georgia's natural communities. The hemlock wooly adelgid is decimating hemlocks which often shade trout streams in North Georgia. The result is a rise in temperatures of trout streams and a decline in trout populations.
As one of the priorities of the State Wildlife Action Plan, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will combat the problem of invasive species by developing standard methods for assessment of threats from invasive exotic species on public lands and other conservation lands, providing better technical and informational resources to land managers to facilitate exotic species control, and promoting appropriate use of native plant species by public and private land managers. To accomplish these objectives DNR will partner with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, and others.
Exotic fish often have negative impacts on native fish. Such is the case with invasive flathead catfish which were illegally introduced into the Satilla River in the 1990's. The Satilla, in Southeast Georgia, historically has been one of the premier sunfish angling destinations in the state, with redbreast sunfish being one of the most sought after species. Since the introduction of flathead catfish the populations of redbreast sunfish and other native fish have been declining.
In March 2007 DNR began a tagging study of flatheads to obtain important baseline information about movement, growth, population size and total mortality. A target number of flatheads were caught by electro-fishing methods, tagged and released. Anglers who caught the tagged fish were asked to report information to the DNR to be used in their study. After tagging was completed DNR began an aggressive program of removal through electro-fishing methods and removed 4,399 flatheads last year. The effort has begun again as DNR has started its second year of tagging and removal.
Sportsmen in South Georgia can help combat invasive species by reporting outbreaks of cogongrass, an invasive grass that is extremely detrimental to native plants and wildlife. Cogongrass is now found in twelve South Georgia counties and has become a major problem for landowners, land managers and foresters. Once established, it is extremely difficult to control. It thrives in shade just as well as in direct sunlight and can be found growing in a wide variety of habitats including forests, pastures, roadsides and ditches — just about anywhere except in wetlands. Spreading rapidly, it forms thick mats, excluding all other vegetation and reducing wildlife habitat. Cogongrass is extremely flammable and can be a
wildfire hazard.
How to identify cogongrass: The Georgia Forestry Commission needs the help of sportsmen and others who spend time outdoors to identify and report infestations of cogongrass. Cogongrass has some distinctive vegetative features that aid in identification. You will rarely see a single plant but rather patches or infestations, often circular in outline. Plants within a patch vary in height, from 1 to 5 feet. Leaves are yellowish green and are 12 to 30 inches long and ½ to 1 inch wide. The leaves sometimes turn reddish in the fall. In late March through mid June cogongrass produces fluffy, white, plume-like seed heads. This is contrary to most summer grasses which flower later in the season. Seed heads range from 2 to 8 inches long and many contain as many as 3,000 seeds.
In an effort to minimize the impacts of cogongrass, Georgia Wildlife Federation has joined forces with the Georgia Forestry Commission, DNR, the University of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Jones Ecological Center and others to educate the public and encourage them to report infestations of cogongrass.
If you think you have found a stand of cogongrass, make note of the location and fill out a GA Forestry Commission report form at www.gfc.state.ga.us/forestmanagement/cogongrassreport.cfm or call
1-800-GATREES. The Georgia Forestry Commission will make a field visit to identify the plant and will treat infestations at no cost to landowners. Do not mow, disk, grade or burn near the area. Thoroughly clean any equipment that has been used in or near the infestation site. If you walk through cogongrass, wash your clothes and clean your boots as soon as possible to prevent spreading to other areas.
The Sportsman's Connection, July 2008, V16, N2
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