No-poaching signs posted after catfish killings along James

The illegal killing of big catfish in the James River has touched a nerve with Richmonders and prompted the posting of no-poaching signs.

Three signs went up late last month, and two more are planned, said Ralph White, manager of the city's James River Park.

White and others say people have been targeting the big catfish with homemade spears, spear guns, nets and gear resembling small grappling hooks.

In many cases, the killers cut the best meat from the fish and left the rest to rot along the river. "I've seen carcasses all over the place," White said.

One of the hardest-hit spots was Catfish Alley, a roughly 3-foot-deep pool near Shockoe Slip in which dozens of big catfish became trapped when the James got low this summer.

The fish made easy targets in the shallow, nearly clear water.

White said he also has heard reports of poaching just upriver from the rocks at Pony Pasture Rapids in South Richmond and farther upriver near the Z dam by Williams Island. There have been no arrests.

Many people were horrified by reports of the killings. "Something must be done to save these gentle giants," Kathy Wood of Richmond said in an e-mail.

But a few people pointed out that flathead catfish, the main victims, are not native to the James. They were placed in the river by state workers in the 1970s, apparently as part of an unofficial program to improve fishing.

"We must retain a little perspective," said Don French, a New Kent County angler. In an e-mail, he said the "voracious" flathead catfish were "fully capable of decimating native fish."

Julia Dixon, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said many fish that are popular with James River anglers are not native, including smallmouth bass.

People are free to fish, she said, adding: "We just want them to do it in a legal manner."

It is illegal to spear catfish, snag them with hooks or leave their carcasses behind, game officials say. Punishments can reach as high as six months in jail and a $1,250 fine for the spearing and snagging. Netting, depending on the type of net, also can be illegal.

Some of the signs being put along the James say "No Net Casting or Spear Fishing." Others warn that big catfish can contain PCBs and mercury, which are toxic pollutants. Most of the signs are near Catfish Alley.

The poaching appears to have dropped off over the past several days, White said.

The killings were sad, he said, because people enjoy swimming and snorkeling with the big cats.

"Here is a fish half as big as you, or as big as your leg, and you can come face to face with it. You can even touch it. This is a big thing for kids, to bring them closer to nature."

Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or .