The small, round fish with frog-like eyes doesn’t seem like much of a threat.
But environmentalists say the round goby fish, which has been spotted as far south as Poughkeepsie and north in the Erie Canal, is an invasive species that could do ecological and economic harm to the Hudson River.
New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation is endeavoring to have a comprehensive plan in place by May to block the invasive species from spreading in the Hudson River. Efforts are currently underway to prevent the round goby from entering Lake Champlain through the New York canal system.
But it’s an uphill battle.
“There’s no block on its spread,” said Dan Shapley of Riverkeeper. “It will also spread into the tributaries of the river as far as it can. There’s no reason that I know of not to expect that it will spread throughout the river, and may have already spread further south than Poughkeepsie.”
‘Voracious feeders’
The DEC captured four round goby fish in the Hudson in 2021 during a routine fish sampling in the upper estuary south of the Troy Dam. That finding set off an alarm among environmentalists. The fish has since been captured some 70 miles south of Troy in Poughkeepsie, which indicates the invader is well established and widespread in the Hudson River.
A nonindigenous aquatic species tracker created by the U.S. Geological Survey indicates six spottings of the round goby in the Hudson River along Columbia County, and at least seven spottings along Dutchess County.
Round gobies are described as voracious feeders who outcompete native species for food and spawning habitat. They also eat the eggs of native species and popular sportfish like smallmouth bass and walleye, as well as the eggs of forage fish that many sportfish rely on, like river herring.
To further compound the havoc it wreaks, round goby carry and spread Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, which can lead to large fish kills in New York State.
The bottom-dwelling fish is native to the Black and Caspian Sea regions. Once a species invades, it can only be managed and contained, but in most cases the effects are permanent. If the round goby takes over, it could lead to a decline in striped bass because the species will consume the eggs of what striped bass usually eat, which in turn leads to a compromised ecosystem and less recreational fishing.
“As people right now are going out and fishing for striped bass, we really want to get their attention,” said Shapley. “This issue is going to protect what you love about the Hudson River.”
The round goby was first inadvertently introduced to the Great Lakes in 1990; it colonized all Great Lakes within five years and entered the Erie Canal by 2014. The invader was monitored by scientists, but never halted by government intervention, which Riverkeeper has encouraged.
Government action to stop this invasive species and others
Experts say the spread of the invasive species could be controlled by closing small portions of the Erie and Champlain canals, while maintaining recreational boating access, to wash and winterize boats.
“In this case, because we have a physical canal that is the connection that provides the vulnerability, and we have an ability to prevent their spread through that canal, it’s a rare opportunity to a surgical, definitive protection against future invasions,” said Shapley. “We know those invasions will come.”
Usually, stopping the spread of invasive species involves policing boaters, anglers and others enjoying the outdoors, who may inadvertently allow the spread of an invasive species like the round goby. Creating a barrier would not limit a boater’s availability to pass through using a boat lift system like at a marina.
Riverkeeper warns that the round goby won’t be the last invasive species to use the Erie and Champlain canals to spread into new ecosystems.
“The really important lesson we want to learn from this is that it’s not just stopping the goby from further spread, it’s stopping the next invasion of the next fish or aquatic species through the Erie Canal, because that is our greatest vulnerability,” said Shapley.
For example, species of Asian carp that are moving through the Mississippi River are threatening the Great Lakes.
The DEC, in partnership with the Canal Corporation, will conduct a full evaluation of the potential ecological and economic impacts of aquatic invasive species, including the round goby. The agencies will develop and implement a plan before the opening of the canal system on May 20, including continuing field research on the Champlain Canal, implementing immediate risk reduction strategies in select locks on the Champlain Canal, launching a public education campaign, and more.
“Our skepticism and attention is really keeping that spotlight on the Erie Canal and making sure this comprehensive plan addresses that threat and that route of transport,” said Shapley. The Reimagine the Canals Task Force submitted recommendations in 2020, urging the state to come up with a plan to combat invasive species.
“We want to make sure this comprehensive plan doesn’t leave all that work on the table and start at zero again. We want to pick up where we are at.”
Aside from government action, if you catch a round goby while fishing, it is highly encouraged that you do not return it to the river and instead dispose of it ashore, dead. Photograph the fish from different angles, record the date and location and email the information to isinfo@dec.ny.gov.
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