Wildfire officials across Great Lakes to control spread of invasive carp
Date
11/19/2023 7:15:17 AM
(MENAFN) Wildlife officials across the Great Lakes are adopting unconventional strategies in a bid to curb the spread of invasive carp. Over the last five years, agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have implemented a unique seek-and-destroy approach that involves turning captured carp into informants. By implanting transmitters in these "turncoat" carp and releasing them, officials are able to track their movements through floating receivers, generating real-time notifications when the tagged fish pass by.
The invasive carp, including bighead, black, grass, and silver species, pose a significant threat to the aquatic ecosystems in the region. Imported to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s to control algae, weeds, and parasites in aquaculture farms, these carp escaped into water systems, using the Mississippi River as a conduit to spread northward into rivers and streams. With their voracious appetite—adult bigheads and silvers can consume up to 40 percent of their body weight in a day—these invasive species outcompete native fish, causing disruption in the delicate balance of aquatic ecosystems.
The innovative strategy involves using the tagged carp as "traitors" to lead agencies and commercial anglers to carp hotspots. In the spring and fall, when carp often gather in schools, officials leverage the location data from the transmitters to strategically deploy nets and remove multiple fish from the ecosystem. Kayla Stampfle, the invasive carp field lead for the Minnesota DNR, emphasized the goal of monitoring carp movements in the spring and utilizing the tagged fish to effectively manage and mitigate their presence.
Despite substantial efforts and considerable expenditure — USD607 million by state and federal agencies, with an anticipated USD1.5 billion over the next decade — completely eradicating invasive carp in the U.S. remains a formidable challenge. With no hard estimates of their population, which is believed to be in the millions, preventing the carp's entry into the Great Lakes is considered a significant achievement for protecting the region's USD7 billion fishing industry. Various defenses, such as electric barriers, bubble walls, and herding techniques using underwater speakers, have been employed, yet the invasive carp have still made their way into the northern reaches of the Mississippi and adjacent lakes, prompting ongoing efforts to counteract their encroachment.
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