T.J. Cowell, Alestle Sports Reporter
By: T.J. Cowell, Alestle Sports Reporter
Over the past few years, Asian Carp have all but overrun Illinois waterways. For many boaters and fisherman alike, sportsmen have been directly affected by the presence of the invasive species.
I could sit here and type all day about what Asian Carp are, what they eat, and why we don’t want them in our waterways but I am sure we have all heard about them before.
A big conservative issue in today’s society is the threat of these invasive species reaching Lake Michigan and spreading throughout the entire Great Lakes region. Perhaps the last hope for keeping the Asian Carp is the electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which connects the Illinois River to the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.
Many think the money going into researching the Asian carp invasion should be used for other reasons. Currently there is a Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) virus that has been loitering in the Great Lakes since 2003. The VHS virus is a deadly fish disease that affects over 50 species of freshwater and marine fish in the northern hemisphere.
Since VHS has not yet been identified to affect humans, there is argument that current funding used for anti-Asian Carp efforts should be redirected in order for more research to be done on the VHS virus. If utilized properly, there is belief that VHS can be used as an ally in fighting the invasive species.
Overall, I believe the efforts are right in trying to stop the invasion of Asian Carp in the Great Lakes, but I do not there is any stopping them now. This situation has reached too far and eventually they will get through the barricades and nets of biologists trying to prevent them from where they are going.
Although the efforts of preventing Asian carp (bighead and silver carp to be more exact) out of the Great Lakes still appear effective, the species have now taken over most Illinois River systems. Since it is all but too late to stop Asian Carp in these places, population control can now be described as: “If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em”.
One of the few positives of having Asian carp around is the profitable fish market that is becoming due to their arrival. Asian carp can reach weights up to 80 or 100 pounds and eat about 40 percent of their body weight in plankton every day. There is about 14 cents to be made for every pound of fish caught.
If Asian carp do get past the electric barriers located just south of Chicago, there is little that can be done to stop the invasive species from passing through the Chicago River and entering Lake Michigan. Although the preventative efforts are in good-heart and seeming effective for now, it is just a matter of time before the species reaches the Great Lakes. Although it would bring another profitable fishing market, it would kill another industry that is sport fishing. Here’s to hoping that I am wrong.
“The two best times to fish is when it’s rainin’ and when it ain’t,” ~Patrick F. McManus
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