That's a Bunch of Carp!

Author: David Lefere
Date: 04/07/2010

Picture yourself floating down a pristine tributary of Lake Michigan or trolling slowing along Lake Michigan’s shoreline on a beautiful summer’s day. Then picture yourself being attacked by a fish that can grow in excess of 100 lbs., jumping into your boat and striking your body! This is the scenario that could possibly play out if the Asian carp problem is not addressed immediately.
As most readers probably know due to the recent media attention, the big head and silver carp (commonly referred to as the Asian carp) are currently believed to be in the Illinois River in Chicago, which is a tributary to Lake Michigan. These strange, gluttonous fish have already ruined the ecosystem of the Mississippi River and some of its tributaries by devouring the basic food chain and starving out native fish. If Asian carp reach Lake Michigan and its tributaries, they could do the same to the Great Lakes.
Virtually everything that lives in the Great Lakes and its tributaries depend on the plankton that the Asian carp devour. For example, fresh water mussels filter plankton, baby fish of all species slurp plankton until they are big enough for adult fodder, and the big predatory fish that anglers love (such as salmon, steelhead and walleye) prey on smaller species that rely on this plankton. Asian carp consume 40 percent of their weight in plankton daily. For every adult carp, which can grow to 100 lbs. or more, that makes 30-40 lbs. of plankton unavailable to any other fish in the water, EVERY SINGLE DAY!
The purpose of this article is not to advise you of information that you already know, but instead to urge you to do whatever you can to support the movement to stop the invasion of the Asian carp. This can be done by simply writing letters to your congressperson or senator in your district or by supporting petitions that are being circulated by various groups.
It is my belief that people outside of the Midwest region do not understand the greatness and importance of the Great Lakes and its ecosystem. It is our job, the people who live in the Midwest, who have an understanding of the brilliance of these waters, to advocate on behalf of the Great Lakes and their tributaries.