Aquatic Nuisance Species: Threats to Great Lakes Fisheries
Asian Carp Dilemma

It sounds like science fiction: oversized carp with an alarming ability to leap in the air are making their way toward the Great Lakes.
Unfortunately the story is real.

Two species of Asian carp, the silver and bighead carp, are migrating northward up the Mississippi River. In 2002, the carp were spotted approximately 50 miles from Lake Michigan, according to natural resource agencies. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal connects the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes.

Natural resource managers fear that if Asian carp enter the Great Lakes they could become a dominant species due to their mobility, reproductive capacity and voracious appetites. They will compete with commercial and recreational fish species.

"As phytoplankton and zooplankton feeders, bighead and silver carp have the potential to significantly disrupt the food web of the Great Lakes ecosystem," writes Mike Conlin of the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources in the Summer/Fall 2002 ANS Update.
"Also threatened is the commercial fishing industry, as invading Asian carp clog fishing nets and scare away commercial catch."

Native to China, Asian carp can grow up to 100 pounds and reach lengths of four feet. The fish escaped from southern aquaculture facilities into the Mississippi River and spread rapidly during flooding in the 1990s. The carp have been steadily migrating northward, becoming the most abundant species in some portions of the river.

Currently, an electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is the only technology in place to prevent the carp from entering the Great Lakes. In November 2002, three federal agencies, the International Joint Commission, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission joined forces to provide emergency funding for back-up power hardware to ensure continuous operation of the electric barrier.

Links:
www.glfc.org/fishmgmt/carp.asp
www.ijc.org/ijcweb-e.html
www.iisgcp.org/newevnt/news/elecbarr.htm