In the 1970s two species of Asian carp, bighead and silver, were introduced to farm ponds in Arkansas to help reduce high levels of algae in the water. When large floods plagued the area in the 1990s, the fish invaded the Mississippi River, and haven’t looked back since. The fish have infiltrated northward and are now on the brink of entering Lake Michigan via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. With an estimated 4,000 fish per mile along the Illinois River, they are now dubbed an invasive species, and for good reason. The fish don’t have stomachs – only elongated digestive tracks, allowing them to eat up to 40% of their body weight. The supply of cadophilia algae in the Great Lakes is ample, and would more then adequately support the fishes’ appetite. Both fish reproduce three times per year, which would overpopulate native species natural to the lake ecosystem.
Originally, the US Corps of Army Engineers placed an electric grid under the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in attempt to prevent the fish from advancing towards the Great Lakes. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service preformed a “fish kill” operation, dumping over 2,000 gallons of toxins into the canal while maintenance on the electric grid was occurring. Afterwards, among over 200,000 pounds of dead fish, a lone Asian carp carcass was found 40 miles from the Lake. The Governor of Michigan as well as numerous environmental groups have threatened to sue the US Corps of Army Engineers if three shipping locks along the canal are not closed to prevent further penetration by the fish.
Obviously the fish poses a threat to the $7 billion dollar fishing industry that is the Great Lakes, but is poisoning them the solution? The reason the shipping locks were not closed instantly is because it would disrupt the shipment of coal and wheat into the area. The closing of the locks would be ideal, but not feasible, as the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is the only connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. The poison will have a detrimental effect on the environment of the lakes as well, however the negative effects of the invasive Asian Carp far out weigh a drop in the bucket in terms of pollution.
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I agree that the Asian carp need to be eliminated, but I don't think poisoning them is the right solution. What kind of poison are they planning on using? It seems to me that it would be better to have invasive fish species than an environment that is unable to house any species at all.
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ReplyDeleteRotenone was used to kill these fish. It is an odorless chemical that is used as a broad-spectrum insecticide, piscicide, and pesticide. It actually occurs naturally in the roots and stems of several plants. When it is injected into rats it can cause Parkinson's disease symptoms. Rontenone most likely was used because it is very poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of humans. It is lethal to fish because it enters through their blood stream through the gills. Since this posion is so hard to be absorbed by humans I think that this might have been the best option because of the huge losses to the fishing industry and ecosystem of the Great Lakes. If these fish do make it to the Great Lakes hopefully sccientists will figure out a way to deal with them. One option in the future maybe a biobullet. This is a speicalized poison pill that could be used to target only the Asian carp. It is still being developed now by private companies and government agencies.
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