Asian Carp and the Great Lakes
About two weeks ago a live 8 pound, 28 inch long silver carp was caught beyond the Lake Michigan barriers off the coast of Chicago according to a Detroit Free Press article.
That silver carp capture was only the second time since 2010 that an Asian carp was caught beyond the electronic barriers
Silver carp as well as bighead carp, are known collectively as Asian carp.
That capture set off a chain of invents including two weeks of what they are calling “intensive” fishing in and around the Chicago waterways. That fishing failed to find or catch anymore Asian carp.
The concern about Asian carp as many may know is they will destroy the habitat for our native Great Lakes fish.
There is a consortium of local, state and federal agencies called “The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee” in a statement they stated that despite some 365 electro-fishing runs and more than 91 hours of efforts, no additional silver or bighead carp were detected.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes, an environmental group, was quoted in the Detroit Free Press article stating:
that while federal, state and local agencies "appeared to be breathing a sign of relief" that no other Asian carp were found beyond the barriers, the earlier find remains "incredibly disturbing news
The situation should be a wake-up call for agencies that have become complacent while Asian carp populations march steadily toward Lake Michigan. Instead, it appears to be met by government agencies and administration officials with a collective yawn
This is good news but we must still all attempt to keep this invasive fish species out of our Great Lakes.
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