MARBURY, July 15, 2013 (AFP) – The snakehead is an invasive species of fish from Asia that is threatening the delicate ecosystem of the Potomac River that flows through Washington into the Atlantic Ocean. “It was delicious,” he said. “Very flaky, and it did not have any kind of unusual taste. I had it fried and broiled; I preferred the grilled. I would order it in an restaurant.”
It also tastes great with onions and butter, said sport fisherman Brett Miron after catching a total of 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of the otherwise slimy, hard-to-catch fish at the recent Potomac Snakehead Tournament.
The yearly contest in Maryland’s Smallwood State Park brings together anglers and bow fishermen — those who catch fish with a bow and arrow — from many miles around in hopes of bringing snakehead numbers down.
“It brings people together to have fun and to do something for the environment. It’s a winning formula,” said Austin Murphy, organizer of the tournament that this year reaped 165 fish weighing a combined total of 1,058 pounds.
Growing up to three feet (one meter) in length, the sharp-toothed snakehead first appeared in the Potomac and its tributaries about a decade ago, arousing concer