Giant, leaping Asian carp threaten US Great Lakes

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 1/19/10 | Mira Oberman

[NormsRevenge]

CHICAGO (AFP) – Huge Asian carp, which act like "aquatic vacuum cleaners" and leap into the air when spooked by motorboats, may have invaded the US Great Lakes despite a massive effort to block them, officials said Tuesday.

Researchers analyzing water samples have discovered fragments of Asian carp DNA in Lake Michigan, although there is still no evidence that that fast-breeding fish have breached electric barriers set up along Chicago-area waterways.

"Clearly this is not good news," said Major General John Peabody, commanding general of the US Army Corps of Engineers' Great Lakes and Ohio River division.

The Corps is one of a host of state and federal agencies working to stop the spread of the voracious carp which can grow up to seven feet long (2.1 meters) and weigh 150 pounds (68 kilos).

Federal officials have warned that Asian carp - which have no natural predators - could have a "devastating effect on the Great Lakes ecosystem and a significant economic impact" on the seven-billion-dollar sport and commercial fishing industry.

"From what we have seen in other parts of the country, Asian carp could out-compete our native, sport and commercial fish in southern Lake Michigan," Charlie Wooley, deputy regional director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), said in a statement.

"We call them an aquatic vacuum cleaner because they filter important food resources out of the water and turn it into carp biomass."

It's possible that the DNA discovered in two different samples could come from a decomposed carp which was carried through the electric barriers, officials said.

Or it could come from eggs that were transported on the belly of a bird. Another possibility is that flooding may have allowed the carp may to swim around the barriers.

[boomop1]

Go out in your boat with a 12 gauge and yell pull.

[C19fan]

How about putting a bounty on these carp. We are pretty good at causing extinction.

[Ethrane]

They’re already a nuisance here in the rivers of Missouri....things have been jumping into boats and striking people...and they get HUGE!

[NormsRevenge]

[NormsRevenge]

some good pics here.
http://www.riverbills.com/asian_carp.html
Be careful out there.

[randog]

You beat me to it!

[NormsRevenge]

Asian Carp Invasion Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ChwJiKKBdA

[cripplecreek]

Lord Obozo faces a major fight over this one. There’s a 6 billion dollar industry at stake in Michigan alone and he’s going to side with the Chicago machine after giving the Great Lakes czar (also from chicago) billions to clean up the great lakes. 5 other states and Canada are considing legal action.

Michigan AG Mike Cox is collecting signatures from people around the great lakes to force closure of the channel till we find a means of making sure the carp don’t overrun the lakes.

http://stopasiancarp.com/

[doc1019]

Are they good to eat? If so, make and industry out of them and they will be under control before long or a great boon for the fishing industry.

[dr_who]

Sounds like something to shoot at when it isn’t deer season!

[blondee123]

Funny, they did a “fish kill” a few weeks ago, south of Chicago & found NO Asian carp!!

[padre35]

Boy one of those Benelli automatic shotguns would make for a fun afternoon...

The only real way to remove them is to put out seine nets, and then use some sort of posion to kill everything in that section of water.

Sooner or later, some roe will wash down the river and into the Great Lakes.

[NormsRevenge]

Minnesota officials are turning to new ideas in their fight to keep the bighead and other Asian carp out of the Upper Mississippi. The Department of Natural Resources is considering a wall of bubbles and noise to keep the carp from migrating up the river. The bubble and noise barrier could be installed near locks and dams along the river, including one in far southeastern Minnesota. The DNR is rejecting an earlier idea of using an electric fence because it's expensive. The Asian carp can grow to more than 100 pounds, and some species are dangerous to people because they fly out of the water when disturbed. They also affect native species of fish because they eat much of the food in the river. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Lee Pfannmuller, the DNR's Director of Ecological Service. (03/17/2004)

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Fargo II .. a scene..

Deputy: What kil't him, Sheriff?
Sheriff: Asian Carp,, look at the fin marks..
and it must have been a big 'un.

[NormsRevenge]

Asian Carp Management
http://www.asiancarp.org/multimedia.asp

[Right Wing Assault]

Chicago’s fault.

[familyop]

If those are no less edible than American carp, they’re fine canned. Get some canning supplies. And get after it. ;-)

[Hot Tabasco]

Lord Obozo faces a major fight over this one.

Obama is siding with his Illinois homies on this one while throwing Stabenow, Levin and GRanholm under the bus................

This is a real major threat to the great lakes and these carp could very well destroy the entire fishing industry here.

Not just the great lakes but when these fish and their eggs are eaten by shore birds and seagulls, they in turn poop into the isolated ponds and lakes throughout the state and those eggs hatch...........

Keep in mind that Obama's loyalty is with his Illinois thugs and the current new Great Lakes Czar is also a homie of Obama..............

[X-FID]

The Great Lakes environment will take care of this funny carp, but we must have a Major General and a deputy regional director of FWS to lead the way, what a joke.

[JoeProBono]