Climate Change Is Helping an Invasive Predator Wreak Havoc on Iconic Alaskan Fish

WILLOW, Alaska—Corey Ercolani pulled a northern pike from a gillnet and slit its belly with a knife. Inside its guts lay fresh evidence of a growing biological crime: a dead juvenile salmon. A coho, or silver salmon, to be exact.

First covered Jul 8, 2026 · 2:00 AM PT · 1 article

Coverage

17h Inside Climate News Climate Change Is Helping an Invasive Predator Wreak Havoc on Iconic Alaskan Fish — WILLOW, Alaska—Corey Ercolani pulled a northern pike from a gillnet and slit its belly with a knife.

Primary sources

adfg.alaska.gov Rc045 Ted Eischeid Mat Su Borough Sports Fish Economics 2007 2017 (adfg.alaska.gov)

dnr.alaska.gov Nancy Lake State Recreation Area

toolkit.climate.gov Alaska and the Arctic | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

More coverage from around the web

sciencedaily.com Warming waters are supercharging an invasive salmon predator in Alaska | ScienceDaily

adfg.alaska.gov Invasive Northern Pike, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

alaskabeacon.com Higher temperatures spur Alaska’s invasive pike to eat more, a bad sign for salmon | Alaska Beacon

alaskapublic.org Higher temperatures spur Alaska’s invasive pike to eat more, a bad sign for salmon

nationalfisherman.com Warmer waters boost appetite of invasive pike for salmon | National Fisherman

Appeared in: 2026-07-09 (#15)

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