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Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat
Research Document - 2005/075
Risk Assessment for Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) in Canada
By Cudmore, B., and N.E. Mandrak
Abstract
There are at least 29 species in the snakehead (Channidae) family and are found
in cold temperate to tropical areas. The cold temperate snakehead, northern
snakehead (Channa argus), is found in areas in Russia, China, and Korea.
Northern snakehead is highly favoured as a food fish and is commercially fished
and exported. Historically, it has been found in the live food trade in the
United States, and is currently only imported into North America into British
Columbia. This species has a broad range of environmental tolerances and is
extremely hardy. Its voracious predation on other fish species, ability to
migrate over land and ability to withstand freezing and no water is well known.
Concern for this species to enter Canadian natural waters prompted the
provincial government of Ontario to ban live possession of this species. The
Canadian federal government conducted a biological risk assessment to determine
the risk of northern snakehead in Canada. This assessment included evaluating
the risk of survival, reproduction and spread of these species, as well as their
pathogens, parasites or fellow travelers (e.g. other invasive species) should
northern snakehead be introduced into Canada. These components were assessed
using best available information on its biology, potential vectors of
introduction, and impacts in both native and introduced ranges. The potential
distribution in North America was also modeled as part of the risk assessment.
The biological risk assessment concluded that the risk of impact was high in, at
least, some parts of Canada, including the southern Great Lakes basin by
northern snakehead.
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