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Background
Asian carp are a significant threat to the Great Lakes
because of their size, fecundity, and ability to consume
large amounts of food. Asian carp can grow to 100 pounds
and up to four feet. They are well-suited to the cold
water climate of the Great Lakes region, which is similar
to their native Eastern Hemisphere habitats. It is
expected that they would compete for food with the
valuable sport and commercial fish. If they entered the
system, they would likely become a dominant species in the
Great Lakes.
Two species of Asian carp-the silver and the bighead
carps-escaped into the Mississippi River from southern
aquaculture facilities in the early 1990s when the
facilities were flooded. Steadily, the carp have made
their way northward, becoming the most abundant species in
some areas of the Mississippi, out-competing native fish,
and causing severe hardship to the people who fish the
river. The Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal connects the
Mississippi River to the Great Lakes. Currently, the carp
are in the canal and have been sighted approximately 40
miles from Lake Michigan.Photos
More photos see
Wisconsin Sea Grant website
Video
- Preventing
a Hostile Takeover
- "Flying" Asian carp in the
Mississippi River: Illinois Natural History Survey.
Silver carp are easily startled. As this video
shows, a passing motor is often enough to cause the
skittish carp to leap out of the water. There have
been reports of boaters being injured by these
"flying" carp. (The clip is about 3MB in size
and requires real player.
There is approximately 6 seconds of lead time before the
clip begins.)
Useful Resources and Publications
Web Links
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