More Than You Wanted to Know About Asian Carp

By now you’ve probably heard the Department of Natural Resources found Asian carp DNA in Sturgeon Bay, and that scientists started more testing on Monday, Nov. 11.

But as we said in this story, that doesn’t mean the fish are actually here.

“We are unsure if the DNA came from a live fish,” said Bob Wakeman, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the DNR. “It is possible that it washed off from a boat, came from droppings from a bird that ate a silver carp, or from some other temporary source.”

Silver carp leaping from the water. Photo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

So, no need to panic (yet). There still hasn’t been a live Asian carp found in the Great Lakes. Until we meet that dire fate, here’s some background on these invaders:

When people say “Asian carp” they’re talking about grass, bighead and silver carp. Those species were brought to the southern U.S. in the 1970s to clean fish farms and wastewater treatment plants housed on rivers. When those rivers flooded, the fish escaped and started making their way up the Mississippi River.

They’re now poised to enter the Great Lakes through the Chicago River, and were found reproducing in Ohio’s Great Lakes tributaries.

The Scales of Justice. Graphic from Great Lakes Echo.

Asian carp are voracious eaters and compete with native fish for food, changing the natural ecosystems and threatening our fishing industry. Silver carp can jump 10 feet out of the water, injuring boaters and making for some horrifying but hilarious footage.

So while scientists have released study after study about the potential impact of Asian carp on the Great Lakes ecosystem, not much has been done about it. (Not that we haven’t tried.)

In the meantime, we Midwesterners have attempted to stay lighthearted about the impending environmental doom. We’re even trying to learn to love them (on our plates at least). It turns out Asian carp are pretty snarky – check out this one’s Twitter account (“These plastic bits in L. Michigan exfoliate my insides better than Taco Bell ever could. Keep ’em coming!”), and like to take center stage. They’ve photobombed the U.S. Supreme Court, downtown Chicago and a Sarah Palin media moment. Asian carp have even been known to make or break a relationship.