- Seamus Coffey was fishing with his dad, Michael, at Ridley Park Lake when he reeled in a surprising catch, a piranha, instead of the expected bass or catfish.
- Initially, Seamus thought he had caught a bass, but his dad, Michael, advised him to slow down, noting the fish looked unfamiliar.
- Seamus identified the fish as a piranha, which was later confirmed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as a species of piranha.
- Michael initially returned the fish to the water but later decided to dispose of it humanely after reconsideration.
- Mike Parker, a spokesperson for the commission, stated that removing the fish was the right decision as non-native fish can pose risks to people and disrupt the local ecosystem.
- A similar incident occurred in July 2016 at North Park Lake near Pittsburgh, where a red-bellied piranha was caught.
- Officials at that time suspected someone had released an unwanted aquarium fish, and noted that Pennsylvania's cold weather would eventually take care of the problem.
Seamus Coffey, an 8-year-old boy, made an unexpected catch while fishing at Ridley Park Lake in Pennsylvania, reeling in a 9.5-inch, 2-pound piranha. Seamus was fishing for bass and catfish with his father, Michael, when he felt a strong tug on his line.1234
"I'm reeling it in, and I think there's a bass," Seamus recalled. His father, initially skeptical, urged caution, saying, "Slow down dude, you might lose it. This looks like something we haven't caught before," before they both realized it was a piranha.
After confirming the species through Google, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission verified the catch, raising alarms about the implications of exotic pets being released into local waters. Mike Parker, a spokesperson for the commission, noted that such releases can disrupt local ecosystems and pose risks to public safety.568
"That is probably the worst thing you can do for an animal that's been a pet," Parker stated, emphasizing the challenges of caring for exotic species. Pennsylvania law prohibits releasing non-native species into the wild, with violators facing potential fines or prosecution. Michael initially returned the fish to the lake but later decided to dispose of it humanely, recognizing the risks involved. Parker remarked that the piranha likely wouldn't have survived long in the wild, especially after being kept as a pet.7
This incident echoes a similar occurrence in July 2016, when a woman and her son caught a red-bellied piranha at North Park Lake near Pittsburgh, suggesting a pattern of unwanted aquarium fish being released into Pennsylvania waters.9
“The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission confirmed the 9.5-inch, 2-pound fish was a piranha, likely released from an aquarium. Spokesperson Mike Parker warned that releasing exotic pets is illegal and can harm local ecosystems, noting the fish probably wouldn't have survived long in the wild.”
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