A single male of the feared and loathed invasive Asian carp was caught 6 miles from Lake Michigan. Great Lakes conservationists are dreading the worst: a massive carp invasion.
To keep out invasive species, including the Asian carp, officials set up electric barriers along the canals connecting to Lake Michigan.
But somehow, this conniving carp still sneaked into the Chicago watershed, reports an article in the Associated Press.
Asian carp are gigantic fish that plow through aquatic environments, inhaling algae and other vegetation and driving away native species.
There are four different Asian carp species attacking the American waterways: the bighead carp, the black carp, the silver carp, and the grass carp. The freshly caught invader in Chicago was a 3 feet long, 20 pound bighead.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Asian carp were imported into the United States to control algae populations. The fish did their job a little too well and during flood events they spread from rivers in various southern states to the Mississippi River -- and now to the Great Lakes.
A sure solution to stopping an invasion is to cut the the only pathway between between the Mississippi river and Lake Michigan: a man-made canal used to flush out Chicago’s sewage.
Before the canal is barricaded, Chicago would first need to develop a new sewage system -- a laborious, costly task that city officials have been putting off for years.
Earlier this year, Great Lakes senators sent a letter to their colleagues about the grave Asian carp situation. They pleaded for support in building a hydrological separation between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan.
Until now, reaction to the proposal has been mute. But hopefully the bighead sighting will trigger swift government action.
Tags: Animal Behavior, Animals, Fish, Wildlife Conservation
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