Sport fish have declined significantly in portions of the Upper Mississippi River infested with Asian carp, adding evidence to fears about the invader’s threat to native species, according to a new study.
invasive species
If Asian carp invade the Great Lakes, experts say the fish would have a devastating effect on the marine food chain and the region’s $7 billion fishing industry. We get a look at efforts to keep them out of Illinois waterways.
Asian carp will certainly survive and most likely thrive if they are able to make their way into Lake Michigan, according to a study released Monday by the University of Michigan.
“Our study indicates that the carp can survive and grow in much larger areas of the lake than previous studies suggested,” said Peter Alsip, lead author of the paper.
Regional leaders are scheduled to meet in Chicago next month to discuss a plan devised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for preventing invasive Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
The head of the Army Corps of Engineers has sent Congress a $778 million plan to fortify an Illinois waterway with noisemakers, electric cables and other devices in the hope that they will prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.
Officials say genetic material from Asian carp has been detected near Lake Michigan, but a follow-up search turned up none of the invasive fish.
If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em. That’s the apparent strategy behind a new state grant program that will provide funding to companies that harvest and sell Asian carp.
Michigan offered to give Illinois $8 million to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. But Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has a different idea about how to spend the money.
Additional engineering and design work has more than doubled the cost of a long-awaited plan to prevent invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, according to federal officials.
Researchers from Cornell University and the EPA are raising concerns about the potential impact of recently discovered non-invasive species on the overall health of the Great Lakes.
A new team led by biologist Andrew Casper will expand Shedd Aquarium’s research of animals that live in local waterways—and how to protect them.
Nearly a dozen U.S. senators, including Dick Durbin of Illinois, are speaking out about the latest delay over a plan to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.
The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers says the best place to stop Asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes is the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet. But the state says the plan is too expensive for Illinois taxpayers and the shipping industry.
Along Wolf Lake on Chicago’s Southeast Side lies the only Illinois state park within city limits, where visitors can find fishing spots, biking trails – and invasive species.
A plan to fortify a barrier against Asian carp was set to be released in February but has been stalled by the Trump administration.
