We controlled smallmouth bass!

Members of the Freshwater Biology Institute examine a smallmouth bass. It has red eyes and is a fierce, impressive fish (photo). The smallmouth bass is a piscivorous fish of the sunfish family, native to North America. Since 2005, the Department of the Environment has listed the smallmouth bass as a Specified Alien Species under the Invasive Alien Species Act, and unauthorized possession is prohibited. In addition, re-release is prohibited under the Nagano Prefectural Ordinance. The purpose of these laws is to minimize the impact on ecosystems and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and to contribute to the conservation of biological diversity and the development of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. The number of smallmouth bass in the Chikuma River and Shinano River systems has been increasing in recent years, and impact assessments and measures based on scientific knowledge are needed.