August 14, 2018 — An Interior Appropriations bill passed in the U.S. Senate aims to help scientists curtail the spread of invasive Asian Carp, particularly into the Great Lakes.
Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., announced Tuesday the bill contains $11 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s ongoing effort to halt Asian carp movement along the Mississippi and Ohio river basins and prevent it from entering the Great Lakes.
“The invasive and destructive Asian carp are no friend of the Great Lakes, and we need to do all we can to keep them out and protect our wildlife and Great Lakes,” Sen. Schumer said in a statement.
Fish and Wildlife Service scientists have spent decades researching and deploying various tools to impede Asian carp from traveling into new waters and outcompeting native fish.
Todd J. Turner, Midwest assistant regional director of fisheries for the service, said people imported Asian carp to eat the algae in their catfish ponds, but flooding and accidental releases, sent the non-native fish into the Mississippi River system. It has since spread to other river systems. Some populations have reached as close as 50 to 100 miles from Lake Michigan, although Mr. Turner said that hasn’t changed much in the recent decade.
As adept filter feeders, Mr. Turner said Asian carp can outcompete juvenile native fish species like bass and catfish for food like microplankton and zoo plankton. The silver carp, which has sensitive hearing, also threatens boaters because it jumps in the air when startled by loud noises and can strike someone in the head.