Invasive Fish

As mentioned in a previous post, I’ve gained a lot of insight from watching the Discovery Channel program “When Fish Attack.” One of the attacks involved an invasive species of fish called the silver carp. Silver carp are native to north and northeast Asia. They were brought to the U.S. in the 1970s to help control algae growth in aquaculture and wastewater treatment facilities. Unfortunately, they escaped from their pens and spread into the Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri Rivers.

They have wreaked havoc on local fish populations because of their voracious appetites. They also reproduce much more rapidly than native fish species. Underwater cables that give off electrical pulses to deter silver carp have been stationed at the mouths of the Great Lakes because there is a fear that if the carp get into the Great Lakes they will destroy the environment and fish farm economy. The people of Bath, Illinois have a rather unique way of handling the silver carp problem, which I’ll detail in a later post. Remember, if you’re taking your boat out this weekend, make sure you have plenty of evinrude xd50 oil.