Transcript Asian Carps in America

Protecting the Great
Lakes from Asian Carp
Qiyue Chen
5/6/2014
What are Asian Carp?
• Asian carp is a catchall name for species of silver, bighead, grass, and black
carp from Southeast Asia. The huge, hard-headed silver carp also pose a
threat to boaters. Asian carp are fast-growing, aggressive and adaptable fish
that are outcompeting native fish species for food and habitat in much of
the mid-section of the United States. Asian carp were introduced into
Southern fish farm ponds in the 1970s and quickly spread across the United
States. They are now on the verge of invading the Great Lakes.
Why are they here？
• Asian carp were imported into the U.S. in the 1970s to filter pond water in
fish farms in Arkansas. Flooding allowed them to escape and establish
reproducing populations in the wild by the early 1980s. At present, bighead
carp have been found in the open waters of 23 states and silver carp in 17
states. Asian carp represent over 97% of the biomass in portions of the
Illinois and Mississippi Rivers and are swiftly spreading northward up the
Illinois River in the direction of the Great Lakes.
https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife
/Threats-to-Wildlife/InvasiveSpecies/Asian-Carp.aspx
Why are they a problem?
• Asian carp have harmed the ecosystem, the economy, property, and boaters in the
Mississippi River system. The diet of Asian carp overlaps with the diet of native
fishes in the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, meaning the carp compete directly with
native fish for food.
• In addition to causing ecological harm, the silver variety of the Asian carp has
caused direct harm to people. The silver carp is skittish and easily startled by the
sound of a boat motor. The sound can cause the fish to leap as high as ten feet out
of the water, earning them the nickname "the flying fish." Some of these fish weigh
more than twenty pounds. They land in boats, damage property, and injure people.
https://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=qfG
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http://www.dispatch.co
m/content/stories/insig
ht/2014/02/23/insightgreat-lakes-carp-artgmnr18bd-1.html
Threat to Great Lakes
• Asian Carp is putting Great Lakes wildlife at serious risk, along with boaters’
safety and the future of a $7-billion sport fishing industry.
Is it possible to eradicate Asian carp if they
were to enter the Great Lakes?
• Eradication of any established population of Asian carp might be difficult
and expensive, if possible at all. Ability to eradicate depends partly on the
area that has been invaded. Asian carp are thought to have exacting spawning
requirements, requiring long rivers for the development of the eggs and
larvae. If the invaded water is a reservoir or lake with no such river tributary,
then Asian carp would probably eventually die out (although this may take
more than 20 years). It may also be possible to deny carp access to those
rivers by erecting barriers prohibiting upstream movement to spawn.
Actions to protect Great Lake
Not enough time
• The Chicago waterways are connected to the Illinois River, where a large
carp population has advanced to within 55 miles of Lake Michigan. The
Corps says an electric barrier 37 miles from the lake is preventing any
individuals from slipping through.
• cost more than $18 billion and take 25 years to complete.
Another method
• Aside from doing nothing new, the cheapest approach would step up use of
existing measures such as netting carp and treating the water with chemicals,
at a cost of $68 million a year.
• A silver bullet to kill Asian carps.
Regulation
• Asian carp could also get into the Great Lakes through live bait, or if fish
processors, fish markets or retail food wholesalers transport live Asian carp
to markets within the Great Lakes basin, resulting in accidental or intentional
release of carp into the Great Lakes. To address these issues, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service is enforcing the new listing of bighead carp as injurious
under the Lacey Act and is working with state natural resource agencies to
undertake carp inspections at bait shops, fish processors, fish markets and
retail food establishments.
References
https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species/Asian-Carp.aspx
https://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Protect-Wildlife/Invasive-Species/Asian-Carp.aspx
https://www.nwf.org/pdf/Great-Lakes/Asian-Carp-Factsheet-6-10.pdf
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/01/12/action_is_needed_to_block_asian_carp_fr
om_great_lakes_editorial.html
Questions？