In many asian cultures, the carp is a symbol of prosperity and longevity. Grass carp have been found in lakes erie, michigan and ontario, although its uncertain how many there are or how widely they have spread, researchers. Asian carp are the biggest concern for the great lakes and mississippi basin panels. Even if you dont live on or near the 3,300 miles of great lakes shoreline in michigan, you have a stake in helping to stop the spread of voracious and potentially dangerous invasive asian carp. Faced with the threat that asian carp could enter the great lakes, michigan is turning to the public for new ideas and plans to offer a prize to whoever comes. Geological survey, nonindigenous aquatic species fact sheet on grass carp. Proposal to keep asian carp from lake michigan would cost. Bighead and silver carp were considered the most significant threat because of their overconsumption of plankton. Silver carp also grow very fast compared to most native fishes in the. Records of grass carp capture, as of may 24, 2012 source. In some areas of the mississippi basin asian carp comprise up to 97% of fish biomass. The fish and wildlife service leads the development of a national management and control plan for asian carp. A 19pound asian carp has been found near the shore of lake michigan, above a navigation lock that regional political leaders had been demanding the. Asian carp and the great lakes region digital library.
Officials say an asian carp found in a chicago waterway this summer apparently got past an electric barrier system. According to the great lakes fishery commission, asian carp pose a significant. Michigan take action now to keep invasive asian carp from devastating our great lakes. The bighead carp was formerly known as aristichthys nobilis but that is no longer its accepted. The plan will be the blueprint for interagency activities to prevent, manage, and control asian carp. Asian carp have never breached a body of freshwater the. The committee also noted, however, that carp are still farther than 76 miles from lake michigan and that several dams, as well as the army corps of. Faced with the threat that asian carp could enter the great lakes, michigan is turning to the public for new. Asian carp are moving toward michigan asian carp were brought to north america in the 1970s primarily to eat algae in aquaculture ponds. The maps below depict states with asian carp presence as of 2011.
Because asian carp havent invaded a body of freshwater the size of lake michigan, its difficult for scientists to say how they might disperse across its 22,000 square miles, roughly the size of west virginia. Where established their populations have been increasing with the fastest expansions occurring in the missouri and illinois rivers. Asian carp and the great lakes region congressional research service 2 figure 1. An asian carp found in a chicago waterway near lake michigan began its life far downstream and apparently got around a series of electric.
A live asian carp has been discovered about nine miles from lake michigan well beyond an electric barrier network designed to prevent the invasive fish from reaching the great lakes, officials. The bighead carp, named after its large scaleless noggin, is. Asian carp found near lake michigan got past barriers. Huc hydrologic unit code indicates to how much of a drainage basin the data apply. Asian carp fact sheet dnr fisheries division 2 bighead and silver carp are spreading throughout streams, rivers and lakes in the mississippi river and great lakes region. Asian carp were brought into the united states intentionally by humans to capitalize on the. Asian carp found close to lake michigan, past barriers. Asian carp invading the great lakes portland press herald. Asian carp near lake michigan must be a wakeup call, lawmakers say. Preventing establishment of asian carp in the great lakes.
The twoway an asian carp was found within 10 miles of lake michigan, raising fears that the invasive species would soon. Michigans asian carp problem, solved in his state of the state address last month, gov. Michigan asks for publics help in battle against invasive. Scientists feared that asian carp might enter lake michigan from the illinois river, a tributary of the mississippi river, through the chicago sanitary and ship canal and subsequently disturb the ecological dynamics of the great lakes. Survey, nonindigenous aquatic species fact sheet on grass carp. Snyder offered a million bucks really to whoever comes up with the best idea to stop the dreaded. They escaped from the ponds into the mississippi and illinois rivers and are migrating toward lake michigan. The silver carp found about 14 kilometres from lake michigan is among four types of asian carp threatening to invade the lakes. Gather population level data on asian carps at areas where they have been detected. The state is looking for any and all solutions to keep asian carp out of the great lakes.