Invasive carp species threaten U.S. Great Lakes
@ :: Fishing News General ::
Jul 04 2004, 20:50 (UTC+0) |
Keywords :Invasive carp species threaten U.S. Great Lakes | |
aaron writes: A 6.8 million dollar electrical barrier has been installed in the Illinois River to keep three asian carp species from reaching the Great Lakes.
The three species of asian carp, Black, Bighead and Silver, threaten native fish by quickly consuming large quantities of phytoplankton which is critical to the stability of the ecosystem.
According to reports, the carp made their way North of the Illinois River after escaping from farms during massive flooding along the Mississippi River more than 10 years ago.
Another danger of the Silver cap besides out-competing native fish is their curious habit of jumping high out of the water when a boat approaches. Motor noise from boats spurs the Silver carp to jump.
"A lot of boat operators have been hit by these fish with some sustaining injuries." Commercial fishermen on the Illinois River are using garbage can lids as shields when they drive their boats now. |
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