Bighead and silver carp are collectively known as Asian carp. These fish are very large, reaching up to 90 pounds. Because Asian carp are filter-feeders, scientists are concerned that the massive fish may deplete the Great Lake zooplankton populations. Zooplankton is the main food source for many native species, including mussels, larval fish, and some adult fish. The Asian carp’s niche may also overlap with salmon and perch, species with high recreational and commercial value, and may out-compete these species and endanger the fishery. |
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It
is thought that the Asian carp escaped from catfish farms in the
southern U.S.. They have
spread throughout the Mississippi River system in less than a decade,
and they have been caught less than 25 miles from the entrance to
Lake Michigan in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. If they invade
the Great
Lakes, they will likely reproduce quickly and have immediate ecologic
and economic effects. |
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In an effort to prevent their movement
into the Great Lakes, the Army Corps of Engineers has constructed a barrier
that acts as an electric fence, driving back fish from both directions. |
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