Catch for cash: Maryland offers gift cards to fisherman who catch northern snakeheads

BALTIMORE — Fishermen in Maryland have the opportunity to cash in if they net an invasive species, as a new program by the government is offering up to $200 for each northern snakehead caught.

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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to place blue or yellow tags on up to 500 northern snakeheads, the agency announced in a news release. Each tagged snake head caught and harvested until 2024 could earn the person who caught it a gift card of $10 or $200, depending on the tag.

The northern snakehead is native to Eastern Asia but was first discovered as an established population in 2002 in Maryland, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center. The fish began breeding after they were released from fish markets and pose a risk to other animals because they prey on and compete with native species.

“By measuring the amount of northern snakehead harvested, the agencies will learn if population benchmarks are being reached and help control the spread of the species,” the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said in a statement.

“We love catching them, chasing them, pursuing them,” Chris Walker, a fisherman, told WJZ-TV. “A bigger one … that bigger one is always out there. There’s a lot of money to be made.”

In order to qualify, after catching the fish the fisherman must call USFWS to report the tag number, and take a picture of the harvested and tagged fish. Only northern snakeheads with tags will qualify for gift cards.

Federal law forbids transporting live northern snakeheads in Maryland and surrounding states, and fishing in Maryland state waters is only legal for those 16 and older with a license, WTOP reported.

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