RIDLEY PARK, Pa. — An 8-year-old boy’s unexpected catch at a lake near Philadelphia has drawn attention to the issue of exotic pets being released into local waterways.
During a Saturday morning fishing trip, Seamus Coffey was reeling in what he thought might be a large bass when he realized he had hooked something unusual.
“I’m reeling it in, and I think there’s a bass,” Seamus said.
His father, Michael Coffey, recalled saying: “I was like, ‘Slow down dude, you might lose it.’ This looks like something we haven’t caught before.”
But what they found on the other end of the line caught them by surprise.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this is a bluegill, I don’t know what this is,'” recalled Michael. “And he said, ‘It’s a piranha!'”
When asked how he knew, Seamus replied, “Because I watch YouTube!”
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission later confirmed the identification.
“Our biologists have confirmed that this is some species of piranha,” said Mike Parker, a spokesperson for the agency.
While the catch made for one heck of a story for the father-son fishing duo, Parker said the presence of a tropical fish native to South America in a Pennsylvania lake points to a larger issue: people releasing exotic pets when they can no longer care for them.
“I think a lot of times people do, you know, they have a dream: I want to own an exotic fish or a snake or an alligator, and it’s cute when it’s small. But maybe they can’t afford that or house it anymore, and they decide maybe this is someone else’s problem,” Parker said.
Parker said the piranha wouldn’t have survived in Pennsylvania waters for very long, out of its natural habitat, and likely unaccustomed to the survival skills needed for the wild after living as a pet.
“It’s a lifelong responsibility for many of these species that do live fairly long lives and are expensive to take care of, require a special habitat, special food, a lot of care,” Parker said. “And people quickly tire of that and decide the best thing to do for this animal would be to go throw it in the river, go throw it in a pond. That is probably the worst thing you can do for an animal that’s been a pet.”
Michael Coffey said he disposed of the fish properly.
“So we ended up getting rid of it, humanely,” he said.
Parker said that was the right decision, noting the fish posed a danger to the public and could have disrupted the ecosystem. He added that releasing exotic species into Pennsylvania waters is illegal.
“Even if the law says that you’re allowed to own an exotic pet, whether that be a fish or a reptile, you’re not allowed to introduce that species into the wilds of Pennsylvania. So that is unlawful. You can be fined, prosecuted,” Parker said.
As for our fearless fisherman Seamus, he says he wasn’t scared of the razor-toothed predator at all, and his number one hobby remains unchanged.
“Fishing is my favorite thing,” he said.
“We’ve had some crazy fishing experiences, but that’s definitely number one,” Michael added.
Parker said it is unlikely more piranhas are in the lake, but anyone who sees or catches one should report it to the Fish and Boat Commission.
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