A northern pike is seen swimming in this undated photo. Northern pike are native to much of Alaska, but not to the Southcentral region south of the Alaska Range. Illegal introductions that started in the 1950s have spread the predatory fish, which can wreak havoc on populations of salmon and other native species. (Photo provided by the National Park Service)
In the fall of 2018, officials with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and their partners celebrated what they thought was a milestone: an end to the infestation of invasive northern pike in the Kenai Peninsula.
Their laborious program – they thought – had ridden the peninsula of the salmon-gobbling species that has wreaked havoc on the natural runs that are important to commercial and sport fishers, as well as to the overall ecological system…