An 8-year-old boy fishing in a Pennsylvania lake reeled in a piranha, a catch that state officials are using to highlight the problem of exotic pets being released into local waterways. The unexpected discovery was made Saturday morning at a lake near Philadelphia.
Seamus Coffey was fishing with his father, Michael Coffey, when he felt a strong tug on his line. Thinking he had hooked a large bass, the younger Coffey began reeling it in. "I'm reeling it in, and I think there's a bass," Seamus said. His father recalled being surprised by the unusual appearance of the fish, which led to Seamus identifying it as a piranha, a fact confirmed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Mike Parker, a spokesperson for the commission, stated that the presence of a tropical fish native to South America in a Pennsylvania lake is indicative of exotic pets being abandoned by their owners. "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," Parker said. "But maybe they can't afford that or house it anymore, and they decide maybe this is someone else's problem."
Parker explained that such fish, unaccustomed to surviving in the wild, would likely not live long in Pennsylvania's climate and waters. "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," he 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 confirmed that the piranha was disposed of humanely. Parker affirmed that this was the correct course of action, as the fish could pose a danger to the public and disrupt the local ecosystem. He also noted that releasing non-native species into Pennsylvania waters is illegal and can result in fines and prosecution.
While Parker believes it is unlikely that other piranhas are present in the lake, he urged anyone who encounters or catches one to report it to the Fish and Boat Commission.