Word: snakeheads
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...gangmaster" of the cocklers, had misjudged the ferocious speed of the bay's tides. Each of the Chinese - almost all of them from Fujian province, which has seen its natives emigrate all over the world for generations - would have pledged some $30,000 to one of China's notorious snakehead gangs for the promise of a better life. Instead, they were sent to fill bags with cockles on a sandbank far from shore. Of the pittance they would have earned that night, much would have gone to repay their debts to the snakeheads. Lin's trial revealed the culture...
...they? Federal breathlessness notwithstanding, plenty of fish experts are wondering what all the fuss is about. Is it the snakehead that's out of control or simply the hype? And in making an example of this one nonindigenous species, is the government letting other, more menacing ones walk? Says Paul Shafland, a director with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: "This has been more Hollywood than science...
...denies that the snakehead has flourished in the little Crofton pond. It was only two years ago that a private owner dumped a pair there, and in that time, nearly 100 spawn have been spotted, with plenty more probably lurking...
...alarmists, we've got cause to worry. The snakehead can exceed 3 ft. in length and will eat pretty much anything that can fit into its jaws. What's more, the Patuxent River is only 75 yds. away, and the fish--with an air sac in its digestive system that allows it to absorb oxygen, and the ability to flop its way across small stretches of muddy land--could soon wriggle into the nation's waterways...
...zero-tolerance approach the federal and state governments seem to be taking does not bode well for the snakehead. Maryland officials continue to puzzle out how best to clear the Crofton pond (poison, electrocution and concussion bombs are current options), and Washington is preparing to impose prison terms of up to six months and fines of up to $10,000 for any future snakehead importers. "Predators of this kind have historically been among our most damaging species," says Simberloff. In most cases, unfortunately, that damage may be impossible to undo...