Have you ever seen someone get slapped in the face by a fish? Asian carp are known for doing this, as seen in many blooper-esque YouTube videos. But the environmental impact of Asian carp hurts much more than simply getting hit with one of them, which is one of many reasons why efforts are being made to restrict these fish from reaching the Great Lakes to protect Great Lakes Boaters and fishermen.
It’s been just under four months since President Trump signed into law the Energy and Water Development bill that in part allocates the federal budget for water projects. As part of this bill, the House of Representatives called for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to finally issue a finished report in February of 2019 of their research on how to prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes.
Regarding this report, Representative Dave Joyce said, “The sooner the final report is released, the sooner we can begin to implement methods and technologies that will keep the invasive Asian carp out of the Lakes.”
With February fast-approaching, the release of this report is a vital part of ongoing attempts to keep this invasive species away from the Great Lakes.
Potential Effect of Asian Carp
How would it affect Great Lakes Boaters if the Asian carp were to reach Lake Michigan? Currently, there is a large population of Asian carp that resides in the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and has had enormous negative effects on the fishing industry and recreational boaters.
As an invasive species, Asian carp eat almost half of their bodyweight daily, eliminating food supplies of native species, including trout and salmon, and they spawn many times a year and push out other fish. The large size of this invasive species combined with its rapid reproduction makes boat travel and swimming dangerous.
Current Prevention Methods
Before the U.S. Army Corp’s report is released, Asian carp are currently prevented from reaching the Great Lakes by an electric barrier.
As the Alliance for The Great Lakes says, “Once invasive species are established in the Great Lakes, it is nearly impossible to remove them. Preventing them from ever entering is the best way to protect the Great Lakes.”
It will be interesting to see what the findings of the report are next month and how representatives plan to act on those findings in order to protect the Great Lakes and its boaters.
