Asian Carp & the Great Lakes

New study suggests Asian carp "at the doorstep" of the Great Lakes

Steve Carmody — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:22:00 +0000

A new study claims there is evidence that a small number of Asian Carp have reached the Great Lakes.

Asian Carp is an invasive species that could potentially damage the Great Lakes environment and seven billion dollar fishing industry.

The paper released Thursday was written by scientists with the University of Notre Dame, The Nature Conservancy and Central Michigan University. It summarizes findings from a two-year search for the carp in and around the Great Lakes.

Federal judge dismisses asian carp suit, leaves room for further court action

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:53:40 +0000

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought by five Great Lakes states that would force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to erect physical barriers to prevent Asian Carp from entering Lake Michigan.

The suit claims that the Corps unwillingness to separate Chicago-area rivers and canals from the lake constitutes a public nuisance.

The AP has more:

19 potential ways aquatic invasive species can move between GL and the Mississippi basins

Mark Brush — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 19:01:53 +0000

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has released a draft of its study on how aquatic invasive species can move between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins - the boundary between the basins stretches for around 1,500 miles.

Not including the major pathway of the 'Chicago Area Waterway,' the USACE said there are a total of 18 potential pathways:

Asian Carp & the Great Lakes: Investing in Carp (Part 5)

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:00:00 +0000

by Adam Allington for the Environment Report

As the nation’s civic leaders search for a permanent solution to keep invasive Asian carp from spreading, other parts of the country are betting on the carp’s future. Across the Mississippi Valley, fishermen and exporters are teaming up to develop the market for carp, and carp products. Some people hope that selling carp might be the best method for checking their expansion.

When the French explorer Père Marquette traveled down the Illinois River in 1673, his journal tells of encounters with “monstrous fish” so large they nearly overturned his canoe.

In all likelihood the fish Marquette was talking about were channel catfish, but nearly 340 years later fisherman Josh Havens says it’s bighead carp... and silver carp which now harass boaters on the Illinois (silver carp are the jumpers).

“Oh everybody hates ‘em, except for people that shoot ‘em and stuff like that. I hate ‘em when I’m trying to tube with my kids, but then when we’re trying to shoot ‘em I like them. So it’s a love-hate thing.”

Stateside: Asian Carp and the Great Lakes

Stateside Staff — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:31:28 +0000

They've become YouTube stars: big fat Asian carp leaping into boats and sometimes breaking bones as they come flailing into the boat of some poor person who just wanted to enjoy some time on the water.

VIDEO: An 'apex hunter' rides to the rescue in Asian carp battle

Mark Brush — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:39:03 +0000

Shark Week, schmark week.

It's Asian Carp Week here at Michigan Radio!

All week long, The Environment Report has been bringing us stories about Asian Carp & the Great Lakes.

Asian Carp & the Great Lakes: What if the carp make a home here? (Part 4)

Rebecca Williams — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:00:00 +0000

You've probably seen those YouTube sensations: the jumping carp.

Silver carp are the jumpers. If there are a lot of them packed in shoulder to shoulder in a river channel... it can be dangerous.

Duane Chapman is a leading carp expert. He’s with the U.S. Geological Survey in Missouri.

“They’ve hurt a lot of people – I’ve been hurt by them – I’ve seen a couple of broken jaws, people have been knocked off boats.”

Asian carp were imported to the U.S. in the 1970’s and used in research ponds and fish farms. At some point, they escaped, and they’ve been making their way up the Mississippi River system ever since.

The question that's on a lot of people’s minds now, is what will happen if Asian carp get established in the Great Lakes.

Asian Carp & the Great Lakes: Other Pathways for Carp (Part 3)

Rebecca Williams — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Today, we continue our week-long series on Asian carp and the Great Lakes.

Most of the efforts to keep bighead and silver carp out of the Great Lakes are focused on the shipping canals in the Chicago area. But there are other ways the carp could get into the Great Lakes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking at more than a dozen other possible watery routes carp could take.

VIDEO: Keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes in Indiana

Mercedes Mejia — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:55:38 +0000

Many biologists, politicians, and other say the threat of Asian carp getting into the Great Lakes is cause for concern. The silver carp are especially a nuisance. Those are the ones that can jump as high as 10-feet out of the water. They flop onto boats, and can cause injuries to fishermen.

The Environment Report has been taking a closer look at the effects these fish could have on our rivers and lakes, in the series -- Asian Carp & the Great Lakes.

Rebecca Williams and I took a trip to Eagle Marsh, Indiana. The wetland preserve is located on the southwest border of Fort Wayne. There, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources built what is nearly a 1,200 foot long, 8 foot high chain link fence, designed to block potential advancement of Asian carp toward the Great Lakes.

Here's a video of our trip, plus footage of Asian carp in action, and interviews with experts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-co2fRFAsk&feature=youtu.be

Asian Carp & the Great Lakes: Industries worry about basin separation (Part 2)

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The issue of keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes has implications for a variety of industries. Midwest officials are weighing a range of options, including severing the connection between the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins. In the second part of our series on Asian carp, Adam Allington examines the potential economic implications for keeping the carp out of the lakes now, and in the future:

It’s a scorching hot day in East St. Louis, Illinois. Down by the Mississippi River a tugboat is pushing a flotilla of six light green barges. This 70-mile stretch of river is one of the busiest inland ports in America—a place where grain, aggregate and steel are loaded and shipped up and down the river.

“We operate about 200 barges in all parts of the inland waterways, anything that’s connected to the Mississippi.”

Mark Fletcher runs Ceres Barge Lines. At any point roughly a quarter of his business is tied up moving freight in and around the Chicago area. As far as he’s concerned, any carp mitigation strategy that closes or slows shipping on the Chicago canals would be a disaster for his business.

“It would affect us terrifically and it affects the whole industry terrifically because you’ve got so much tonnage that does move up the Illinois River trying to get into the steel mills of Burns Harbor, Indiana, Indiana Harbor, south of Chicago.”

Asian Carp in the Great Lakes

Issues & Ale — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:58:12 +0000

Issues & Ale: Asian Carp in the Great Lakes

Tues, Sept. 18, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Kirby House
2 Washington Ave.
Grand Haven, MI 49417

How much of a threat do Asian carp pose for the Great Lakes and what effect could they have on recreation and the fishing industry? Is harvesting the fish a way to solve the problem? What is being done now and what are the future options to keep this invasive species in check?

Rebecca Williams from Michigan Radio’s Environment Report hosted this panel discussion at the Kirby House in downtown Grand Haven. Panelists included Dr. Carl Ruetz-Grand Valley State University, Tammy Newcomb-Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Denny Grinold-Old Grin Sport Fishing.