Asian Carp Moving Closer to the Great Lakes

This week, the invasive Asian Carp have been found farther up the Mississippi than ever before. Minnesota and Wisconsin officials confirmed that a silver carp was caught Tuesday, Dec 2, 2008, north of the Iowa border.

The silver carp was only one of the fish caught. A commercial fisher caught the fish near La Crosse, Wisconsin. In addition to the silver carp, there was a bighead, and two grass carp (which had been found there previously). Another unidentified carp was sent to market.

Minnesota has been discussing a barrier for a number of years, but nothing has been done for lack of funds. But Minnesota DNR invasive species prevention coordinator, Jay Rendall, commented that "if we hope to have any barrier in the Mississippi to stop their progress, we really need to do something soon.''

The problem is serious for many reasons. Bighead carp can reach 100 pounds or more. Silver carp, also known as flying carp, have been in the news more. These are the infamous leaping carp which have injured boaters on numerous occasions. Both types of fish eat huge quantities of food, and they forage at the bottom of the food chain, eating microscopic organisms. This quickly pushes native fish out of their natural niche.

Forty years ago four species of Asian carp, silver, bighead, black and grass carp, were brought here by Southern aquacultural interests to consume unwanted plants. But they eventually escaped into natural waters, and have been working their way north ever since. This is an alarming situation for states like Minnesota, the "Land of 10,000 Lakes, " and the land of a billion dollar sports fishing industry (Minnesota and Wisconsin combined).

"A common question is to ask what will be the impact of Asian carp to the river that we love," said the Mississippi River fisheries supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "The short answer today is it clearly isn't good."

The fish may have surged northward during recent floods. The high water could have aided them in bypassing dams and locks which serve as barriers. This is the first time that multiple carp have been caught in one location. This is another troubling fact because it might indicate that breeding populations have become established.

The carp have already moved up the Missouri River to South Dakota, and also up the Illinois River. The Illinois River connection threatens the Great Lakes. The only protection for the Lakes is an electrical barrier near Chicago in the canal which connects the two watersheds.