Invasive crayfish in Wis. ponds targeted

GERMANTOWN, Wis., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- State officials said nearly 4,000 gallons of bleach will be used to kill an invasive crayfish species living in ponds in Germantown, Wis.

Randy Schumacher, Department of Natural Resources regional fisheries coordinator in Milwaukee, said the chemical should eliminate the aggressive Louisiana red swamp crayfish from the Esquire Estates storm water pond and a smaller Germantown pond, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Saturday.

Schumacher said the crayfish species was illegally released in Germantown this year and their size and aggressive nature makes them a threat to the native crayfish population.

It remains unknown who released the Louisiana crayfish in Germantown, Schumacher said.

"No one should be releasing any animal outdoors without a permit from the DNR," said the DNR official, who added the bleach dispersal will take place Thursday or Friday.

The Journal Sentinel said the invasive crayfish species was also discovered in a Sam Poerio Park fishing pond in Kenosha, Wis. As a precaution, a fabric fence was erected on the pond's shoreline to keep the crayfish from moving to other bodies of water.