The Contribution of an Exotic Fish, the Oscar, to the Sport Fishery of the Everglades Water Conservation Areas
An illegally introduced exotic fish species has now become a significant and extremely popular fishery in the Everglades Water Conservation Areas (WCA's). The oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) was accidentally introduced in the 1950s and became established in south Florida waterways. A gradual range expansion occurred; however, oscar populations remained low until the mid-1980s. For approximately 25 years, catches were infrequent and singular. Following an unexplained and accelerated population expansion, angler catches became more frequent and multiple. Recent peak season angler surveys in the...
