Have you ever seen those horror movies where a species invades a territory, reproduces and pretty much takes over? Could that be the scenario with the invasive Asian Carp? Not quite, however there is a big concern with the Asian Carp here in the United States and a potential problem with an invasion in our own Great Lakes. In July, 2007, all silver carp and large scale silver carp were declared by the U.S. Department of the Interior to be invasive species under the Lacey Act. You can help stop the invasive species from taking over by donating to organizations like the National Wildlife Federation or the Asian Carp Initiative.
How is a fish a threat to our environment? That is the same question I asked when I first started to research this topic. Originally they were brought here in the United States as food fish and to clean commercial ponds. Asian Carp are said to have escaped from the ponds and into our waterways during the floods in the 1990s making their way up the Mississippi river and now posing a threat to the Great Lakes. You can find Asian Carp even in the Missouri and Nodaway Rivers here in Missouri. With a rapid rate of reproduction the Asian Carp can lay millions of eggs at one time. An article i read by Bryan Walsh "Asain Carp in the Great Lakes? This Means War!" he stated "The problems with this migration stem from the fact that the carp can grow into 4-foot-long, 100-pound monsters who devour 40 percent of their body weight daily. They destroy ecosystems by gorging themselves, and starving out other species. The Asian Carp feed on vegetation such as plankton and algae, which are main sources of food for the bottom of the food chain. The Asian Carp can also be a danger to humans boating on the water. The Silver Carp are very easily startled by the boat engines and leap out of the water, up to 8-10 feet in the air, smashing into boats and humans. There have been numerous accounts of boaters being injured by these flying fish.
As you can see the invasive Asian Carp is a big concern here in the United States and pose a potential threat to the Great Lakes. We can do our part in helping with the invasion by donating to organizations that are working on ways to solve the problem with this invasive species. Or next time you out on the river and you catch yourself one of these fish, you can always throw one on the grill for a delicious meal.
Here is a video i found on YouTube that shows the Carp jumping out of the river
http://youtu.be/PdcQ56OpxNE
SOURCES
- · Asian Carp in the Great Lakes? This Means War! ” By Bryan Walsh
- · http://www.glfc.org/fishmgmt/carp.php
- · “Fish Out of Water” by Ian Frazier
