Introduction
In the 1970s, a new program was introduced to try and reduce the overall amounts of weeds and fungi in the water. It involved taking carp that were known for their aggressiveness in Asia and introducing them to the United States (i.e. the Asian carp). These are a series of fish which have lived for over 1,000 years in parts of China and Vietnam. The most notable include: bighead carp, the black carp, the grass carp and the silver carp. (“Asian Carp Overview”)
The result is that they have been able to take over entire ecosystems. This is because they are more aggressive and will multiply in large quantities. These traits give them the natural ability to drive fish out of different environments. This is creating havoc in fresh water streams, lakes and ponds. In these situations, the Asian carp will eat other fish and destroy their food supply. This forces the remaining fish to flee in order to survive. (“Asian Carp Overview”)
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In many areas, they are having devastating impacts on fishing industries and river life. For instance, the Mississippi River was known for having an assortment of fish and carp. In the 1980s, the Asian carp began appearing and has since aggressively pushed its way upstream. The result is that different towns up and down the river are adversely affected with no commercial or recreational fishing available. The big fear is that they will migrate up to the Great Lakes and have a similar impact on the area. (“Asian Carp Overview”)
These issues are problematic, as they are showing how an entirely new fish has the potential to adversely impact fresh water ecosystems. To fully understand the long term effects requires focusing on the problem, the science and new policies that could influence the outcome. These different elements will highlight what is happening and the impact of specific solutions over the long term. (“Asian Carp Overview”)
A Description of the Asian Carp Problem in the US
Asian carp are a major problem inside the United States. This is because they can spread fast and are known for destroying the native species which are often more desirable. At the same time, they will consume 40% of their body weight in plankton every day. This is destroying the beginning of the food chain and it is making harder for other fish to have a feeding ground. The result is that they are forced to move onto other locations or be unable to sustain themselves. Once they have taken over an area, is when the Asian carp will move further out into other locations. This creates a multiplication effect with the total number of fish and the areas they dominate becoming larger. They have no known natural enemy and females will lay 500 thousand eggs at one time. This is twice as many as the average fish. (Garrison)
A good example of the threat they pose to the ecosystem can be seen with insights from the Scientific American. They determined that the Asian carp are very hardy. At the same time, they can lay hundreds of thousands of eggs at one time. This helps them to spread into new habitats quickly and easily. They were originally in sent to the Southeastern US to control weeds and parasites in aquaculture operations. However, these fish quickly went up the Mississippi River. This is where they are crowding out native populations, who are not used to competing with such aggressive invaders. (“Invasion USA”)
These larger numbers are compromising water quality and it is killing off sensitive species (i.e. freshwater mussels). In many cases, they can jump over barriers such as low dams. At the same time, flooding has allowed the fish expand into different bodies of water. These abilities are one reason why they continue to spread to different areas. (Buck) (Pepper)
In many cases, humans are contributing to the problem. This is because the Asian carp is being used as bait. These actions allow eggs to be transplanted into other areas. Furthermore, many people have released them into locations where they have never been. This allows them to build up a significant population in these areas. (Buck) (Pepper)
The size of the Asian carp is a problem for many people who use the rivers and streams. This is because they are known for jumping out of the water when a boat is speeding by. Over the course of time, this damages property and it increase the total number of accidents. (Buck) (Pepper)
However, the biggest threat is to the fishing industry. This is because there are concerns that they will eventually destroy other stocks of fish and their way of life with it. The result is that there is a concentrated effort to prevent them from going into other ecosystems. For instance, the City of Chicago placed an electrical fence on the source of its rivers. This is because of fears that the Asian carp could use this as an avenue to Lake Michigan. (Buck) (Pepper)
These issues are becoming increasingly common inside many regions which do not want them there. They are fearful that the arrival of these fish have the potential to destroy their way of life and standard of living. This has already occurred in many town and cities throughout the South. They were known for having a strong fishing industry.
However, once the Asian carp arrived is the point, there was a shift in lifestyle with the destroying the ecosystem of the river. The result is that they are left with no other choice, than to find alternative means of support. The biggest threats are from the adverse environmental and economic impacts of the Asian carp. (Buck) (Pepper)
- “Asian Carp Overview.” NPS, 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
- “Invasion USA.” Scientific American, 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
- Buck, Eugene. Asian Carp and the Great Lakes. New York: Diane Publishing, 2011. Print.
- Garrison, Ronnie. “Invasion of the Asian Carp.” About.com, 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
- Pepper, Darrell. Water and Society. Hoboken: Wiley, 2012. Print.
