Snakehead fish found in Georgia: Why it is dangerous

New York: Some people were taken aback by reports that officials in Georgia have asked anyone coming across snakehead fish to kill it immediately .

The calls came after an angler in Georgia was reported to have caught a northern snakehead. It was the first time that the invasive fish species was found in the state.

Matt Thomas, chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Resources Division confirmed the presence of the snakehead fish in a pond in Gwinnett County.

“We are now taking steps to determine if they have spread from this water body and, hopefully, keep it from spreading to other Georgia waters,” he was quoted by CNN as saying.

Considered “injurious wildlife by US Department of Agriculture, the fish can breathe air and survive on land.

People were wondering whether the fish can inflict physical injuries on harm human beings and whether it can be eaten.

Since northern snakehead fish is an invasive species, it means that it is not native to the area where it was found.

While they are valuable fish food and not capable of inflicting injuries to people like wild animals, it has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.