Trout Lake, in Canada, has received reports that there are snakehead fish in the lake. Normally, the lake is filled with rainbow trout, a native species to the area. Fishing brings a lot of money to the town through tourism. Sadly, snakeheads have moved in and have started taking over the lake. This invasive species has a long history in North America of wiping out local fish and other lake wildlife populations. Even worse, early research shows that the snakeheads have started to breed and are threatening to take over the lake.
You work for a fishing equipment company in the area. Your client is the city council of the town of Trout Lake. Your team must convince the City Council that Option 1 is the best approach to remove the fish from the lake and safely replace the native trout in the ecosystem.
Option 1: The Nature Lover’s Option
Allow fishing licenses only for snakehead fish. Don’t allow people to fish for trout until the snakeheads are taken out of the lake completely. Have a scientist measure the fish population until the snakeheads are removed. This will ideally ensure that the ecosystem is not harmed while people fish for the snakeheads and remove them from the lake.
The City Council will also hear from a group with very different ideas from yours.
Option 2: The Nuclear Option
Rotenone is a poison that kills fish by cutting off their oxygen supply. Its advantage is that it acts very quickly and effectively. Yes, it will kill everything in the lake, but it will do it quickly. Also, it is no longer toxic after around 2 days, meaning you can re-stock the lake with trout almost right away and the city won’t lose those precious tourist dollars from the annual trout fishermen.