Asian carp.

Watching a news program this morning I heard something about Asian carp and how they had made an appearance in the Great Lakes and to be honest didn't think much of it. Then, this afternoon while skimming new articles on the Internet I saw Group: Congress must lead on Asian carp and decided to see what this was all about. The article is brief and says that it seems the fish have made it past the electric barriers set up to prevent it entering the Great Lakes and the group the Great Lakes Alliance does not seem thrilled. Then, it states why; the group is afraid (along with others) that the Asian carp could potentially ruin the $7 billion a year fishing industry of the Great Lakes.

Now I am extremely interested in these fish. How did they get here and what makes them so dangerous to the fishing industry?

The EPA website says Asian carp were imported to the United States around 1970 by catfish farmers. They imported the carp to help keep their ponds clean (algae, etc.). When floods occurred the ponds would overflow and the fish were introduced to the Mississippi River.

Now, exactly why they are so dangerous? Apparently they are so feared because of their tremendous size and appetite. An AP article (which has a picture of the carp caught that started this big new story) says they can grow to be 4 feet in length and weigh up to 100 pounds.

I think these groups and fishermen have great reason to fear these fish. A $7 billion a year fishing industry is no joke. If the fish can do as much harm as they think it can it could really sabotage an industry and tons of peoples lives. As Andy Buchsbaum says in the AP article (president of National Wildlife Federation's office of the Great Lakes), "If the capture of this live fish doesn't confirm the urgency of this problem, nothing will." This is a big deal to the people up there who make their living off of the Great Lakes in one way or another. Something definitely needs to be done about these fish to save an industry. Hopefully they find out the problem and the seriousness of the matter and can get it taken care of before it worsens.