Call to Save the Snakehead Takes Aim at Federal Policymakers

Washington Post ^ | Feb. 13, 2005 | Joshua Partlow

[FairOpinion]

Gardner, a Republican county commissioner from Utah, wants the snakehead off the most-wanted list and on the endangered species list. With officials from 12 other Western states, he has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save the snakehead.

When the Asian import surfaced in Crofton in 2002, the pond was poisoned. Potomac River fishermen have instructions to kill all snakeheads on sight. U.S. Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton once called the fish "something from a bad horror movie."

But why does Gardner, who lives in a sun-baked corner of southwest Utah, 2,300 miles from the Potomac, care about the snakehead?

It turns out that in Gardner's jurisdiction, Washington County, 60,000 acres of tortoise territory have been protected since 1996 inside the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The reserve, he said, devalued private property, kept out new subdivisions and golf courses and generally trampled the economy. All because the tortoise is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

So Gardner hopes to hit Washington policymakers where it hurts. All fresh water with any connection to the Potomac should be closed to boating, fishing or swimming to protect the snakehead, according to his petition.

[FairOpinion]

I guess he is making a point -- how ridiculous many of this endangered species determinations are and how they impact the people.

[GeronL]

kill it, kill it dead

[GeronL]

I meant the bureaucracy not the fish =o)

[Texas_Jarhead]

I like his moxie.

[mowowie]

It's easy, Send the turtle to China or whatever and kill the snakeheads.

[dread78645]

I thought this was about James Carville.

"Save the Snakehead? Why?"

[injin]

Snakeheads are actually very good eating...an Asian delicacy.
All Vietnamese, Thai , Lao, Cambodian , Malaysian ,and probably Indoesian value this as a food fish very highly.
However they are aggressive ,eel-like creatures that voraciously comb the bottom for the fry of other fish and eggs.Therein lies the problem I think. They are prolific
and will never be endangered once established unless purposely fished out.

[Cornpone]

environmental warfare ping....

[self_evident]

From the article...

But the strangest petition, he said, was not the snakehead. Three months ago, Maxim magazine, fearing the demise of macho men in a "metrosexual" world, petitioned to put males on the endangered species list.

Heh.

[sgtbono2002]

I did too. James Carville is the "Snakehead" Ugly monster.

[SirLurkedalot]

Same here LOL! (Thanks for serving, dread)

[Nathan Zachary]

If they ate lefties to the point of extinction I'd say put them on the list...

[infidel29]

Ugly little cuss isn't it?

[farmfriend]

Thanks for the ping. My ping list is down right now do to computer problems but I will pass this on.

[dog breath]

With the bunch of stiffs in Washington, I wonder if they will appreciate the humor? I love good satire and I think that this is a brilliant way of making a point. This is better then a thousand long winded speeches about the subject.

[Samurai_Jack]

It's real life environmental warfare.

For decades the blueblood, pointyheaded, ivorytower intellectual NUMBSKULLS have lorded over the western states with these endangered species acts... Klamath Falls is a perfect example where entire towns have been decimated by the Endangered Species Act.

Well... Now the western states have decided they had enough and have filed an ESA to protect the Snakehead. "and we thought this could really let people in the East know how the [ESA] works and how it affects the lives of everyday people," is what Alan Gardner says.

Here's the Washington Times take on the Snakehead ESA petition