37°Scientist: Asian carp would thrive in Lake Erie
Jan 23
2012
If the Asian carp reaches Lake Erie in large numbers, it may be coming to stay.
A new research article co-authored by a government fish scientist in Erie County predicts the Asian carp would be able to reproduce in large numbers in Lake Erie and its tributaries.
The study sounds the alarm about what might happen if the invasive fish makes it into Lake Erie, said Patrick Kocovsky, a research fishery biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Lake Erie Biological Station at NASA Plum Brook Station.
"No one can say with certainty what can happen or will happen," Kocovsky said. "I just don't want to find out."
The Asian carp isn't native to North America, but has overrun much of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Some scientists fear it will make it into the Great Lakes.
Kocovsky said that while it's difficult to predict how crowds of Asian carp could affect desirable Lake Erie species such as yellow perch and walleye, he is concerned about it.
The Asian carp eats plankton voraciously, and plankton are a major food source for the yellow perch. It also feeds on the fish that walleye eat, he said. So the Asian carp potentially could cause a cascading effect through the food web.
Kocovsky and two other scientists, Duane Chapman and James McKenna, examined whether the Asian carp could successfully spawn in the rivers that feed into Lake Erie, taking into consideration whether the water is warm enough and other factors.
They concluded that the carp could indeed reproduce.
Conditions for the Asian carp seem good in the Maumee, Sandusky and Grand rivers, the new article concludes. Conditions seem less favorable for the Asian carp in the Black, Huron, Portage and Vermilion rivers.
This contradicts the conclusions that have been reached by Konrad Dabrowski, a scientist at The Ohio State University.
Dabrowski has argued that while Asian carp certainly could survive in Lake Erie, they would not be able to spawn and thus do not pose a threat.
He said Tuesday that while he has a copy of Kocovsky's research, he has not had time to study it and do his own calculations.
"It is not a matter of belief. It is a matter of evidence," said Dabrowski, who added that the overwhelming weight of the evidence suggests that Asian carp would not build up a big population in Lake Erie.
Kocovsky said that his co-author, Chapman, a fish biologist in Columbia, Mo., has studied the Asian carp for years and is considered the national expert.
Chapman said it's an exaggeration to say that all the other fish in Lake Erie will disappear if the carp invades, but he's also concerned about the carp's possible impact.
"I suspect that walleye and yellow perch would be hurt," he said.
Environmentalists said Kocovsky's research highlights the need for decisive action.
"The study confirms that if the administration and the U.S. Congress fail to confront the Asian carp crisis, there will be dire consequences for the Great Lakes, people and wildlife," said Andy Buchsbaum, regional executive director for the Ann Arbor, Mich., Great Lakes office of the National Wildlife Federation.
"This needs to light a fire under federal public officials so that they move forward on the only permanent solution to this crisis -- building a physical barrier to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to protect our economy, environment and way of life."
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12:54 AM
Great Lakes Fis... says
The comments by the National Wildlife Federation show a total lack of understanding regarding the Asian Carp issue.
First, the Executive Branch has been actively engaged in this issue and Congress has appropriated funding to support all their action plans and measures to impede Asian Carp migration. To date, no Asian Carp have been found in the Great Lakes other than those in Lake Erie from 1995 to 2002.
Second, physical barriers will NOT stop Asian Carp migration. Minnessota learned that lesson the hard way.
Minnesota was confident the Coon Rapids Dam would stop the Carp migration up the Upper Mississippi River because the dam is a substantial structure with no locks for fish to bypass the dam. They were mistaken. Last month evidence of Asian Carp was found above the dam and Minnesota was caught with no plan to control the Carp population because they were led to believe physical barriers would stop invasive species. Now they fear the Carp will migrate to the head waters of the Mississippi and to all the fishing lakes connected to the River system. Now they are scrambling for a solution but it may be too late.
What we learned in Minnessota is 19th century solutions such as physical barriers will not stop invasive species migration. For instance, Asian Carp are found in lakes isolated by natural and made land bridges and dams throughout the Midwest.
Relying on physical barriers at the head waters of the Maumee River or in Chicago's waterways would only be making the same tragic mistake that was made in Minnessota. Not to mention that putting physical barriers in either location would cause massive flooding in both Fort Wayne, Indiana and Chicago. In Chicago's case. taking such action is also simply not economically feasible.
Scientists are telling us that the best way to control invasive species such as Asian Carp is by population control rather than by migration control. Long term that is the only 21st century solution that will be effective in controlling the effect Asian Carp may have on all our lakes and rivers.
The National Wildlife Federation needs to put aside their political bias regarding Chicago's waterways and face the scientific, strategic, and economic realities regarding controlling Asian Carp.
By continuing to promote solutions that will not be effective and that are economically unjustifiable, the National Wildlife Federation will only continue to be part of the Asian Carp problem rather than part of the solution.
09:26 PM
origen says
Just what we need, More bottom feeders from chicago.
09:01 PM
FruGalSpender says
i bet that fish is tasty when baked of smoked in a smoke house. can i get a grant to start up a business to harvest those fish?
06:26 PM
SarahTonin says
"Scientists: Asian carp would do well in Lake Erie"
They do well at Walmart too!
02:02 PM
frizzlefrap says
got news for all those scientists ....... THOSE CARP WOULD EVENTUALLY SCREW UP LAKE ERIE, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOREVER! ..... most of the carp we have now are not domestic ... they were released into sandusky bay, in the late 1800's, to raise for a profit by selling to jewish people mostly in NYC. better hope that those silver carp never thrive around here ... those are the dangerous ones that jump out of the water, when disturbed by outboard motor noises, and slap their 40 pound bodies against your noggin'!
12:49 PM
kURTje says
The mouth of Goof
12:08 PM
SummerSomewhere says
@savantpm - Be careful who you call gullible, Asian Carp and Tilapia are not the same fish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_carp / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia.
11:37 AM
goofus says
Kate, I don't think I can open my mouth large enough to smoke that fish!!
When smoking fish, how do you keep it lit!!!
11:16 AM
katelih says
I wonder if we can SMOKE them there fish...lol
10:24 AM
goofus says
Say goodbye to great lakes shipping. The moonbat eco tree huggers will never allow the carp jumping and doinking their heads on the tall steel freighters.
10:10 AM
goofus says
Confused Brutus or another bad day when the boss hounded you for more McMuffins. Republicans aren't on welfare!!!! Just the fine voting bloc of the democratic party.
10:09 AM
savantpm says
So many Americans believe they're being really trendy by eating tilapia. These Asian carp are tilapia, bottom feeder fish from Southesat Asia that only the poor in those populations will eat. Americans can be so gullible.
10:05 AM
The Big Dog's back says
Looks like a Repub feeding at the public trough.
10:02 AM
Licorice Schtick says
Who cares if we ruin the entire Great Lakes ecosystem? We gotta keep running barges down the Chicago river. Money rules!09:52 AM
Unassumer says
Damn ugly fish. Probably overweight too.
09:12 AM
Kimo says
Only a matter of time.
Millions will be spent.
Carp will win.
09:09 AM
SitandSpin says
She's got a real perty mouth...