Yesterday I got an email from my Senator which gave an update about what he is doing in support of the Great Lakes and the Asian carp problem. I have not exactly understood what Asian carp are and why they are a threat – so I spent some time reading and researching about this issue.
Originally from Asia, they’re about 3 ft. long and weigh up to 100 lb, and are known to be difficult to capture. They eat a lot and grow quickly into giant fish. Asian carp arrived in the lower area of the Mississippi River in the 1970s, and recently they are about to enter the Great Lakes. The states that border the Great Lakes are working together to try to keep the fish out.
Asian carp include the bighead carp and silver carp and are considered a invasive species, an animal or plant that moves into a new environment, often disrupting it. We are seeing more invasive species because of international trade bringing new species into new areas and because of climate change, which prompts species to migrate to better environments, often at the expense of those that already live there.
How did they get here? Asian carp have been cultivated for aquaculture for more than 1,000 years, often raised in submerged rice paddies in China. Catfish farmers in the U.S. imported Asian carp decades ago to eat up the algae in their ponds. The fish slowly escaped into the wild and have been making their way up the Mississippi River. The fish eat a lot, grow incredibly fast, and reproduce rapidly often called, “eating machines.”
The Asian carp eat plankton which then eliminates the bottom layer of the food chain. If the fish make it to the Great Lakes and start breeding, they could disrupt the existing ecosystem, potentially starving out the trout and other native fish that make the Great Lakes a popular tourism hot spot.
The silver carp also pose a direct threat to people in boats. When startled, the fish project themselves out of the water, turning into 40-lb. missiles that can cause injuries to boaters.
No one is certain that Asian carp have made it into the Great Lakes. The Army Corps of Engineers put an electric barrier in the canal to prevent the carp from infiltrating Lake Michigan. No live fish have been found yet, but scientists discovered Asian carp DNA in the lake.
Currently there is a “Stop Asian Carp Act” in Congress introduced this year which would direct the Army Corps of Engineers to study the watersheds of the Illinois, Chicago, and Calumet rivers to determine the feasibility and best way to separate the rivers from the Great Lakes. The study would address flooding, wastewater, stormwater, and safety concerns. It also would direct the U.S. Geological Survey and the Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor and survey the waters of the Great Lakes basin to identify additional threats from Asian Carp, and to identify means of prevention.
Image Source:
www.JasonLindsey.com
Links:
Stop Asian Carp Website and Petition
Animal Planet: Asian Carp Invasion