Asian Carp Confirmed Above Chicago Electrical Barrier

[craigdritchie]

I guess we all knew it was just a matter of time - pasted below is a news wire report issued an hour ago confirming the presence of adult Asian carp upstream of the electrical barrier designed to keep them out of the Great Lakes. The fish was electroshocked in Lake Calumet, which flows directly into Lake Michigan near Chicago, IL.

 

Craig

 

 

 

 

Asian Carp Found Above Great Lakes Electric Barrier

 

 

A bighead Asian carp has been found in Lake Calumet, the first confirmed above the electric barrier system designed by the Army Corps of Engineers to prevent the fish from entering the Great Lakes.

 

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee announced the finding and said it plans to follow up with more sampling, then with efforts that include netting and electrofishing in the next several weeks.

 

The 34.6-inch, 19.6-pound bighead carp was discovered about six miles between Lake Michigan and the T.J. O'Brien Lock and Dam during regular samplings taken by an Illinois Department of Natural Resources contracted commercial fisherman.

 

Within the Chicago Area Waterway System, this was just the second Asian carp discovered.

 

Silver and bighead are the two most aggressive types of Asian carp. A common weight for either of them is 60 pounds and they can consume up to half of their body weight in a day. If they establish sustainable populations in the Great Lakes, they could devastate these ecosystems.

 

In addition, Asian carp in the Mississippi and Illinois rivers have physically injured boaters by leaping out of the water when disturbed.

 

"We commend the IDNR for their ongoing vigilance in catching this fish and identifying evidence that the Asian carp has now been above the barrier. The Great Lakes Boating Federation advises the less-frequent use of the Chicago-area locks," said Ned Dikmen, chairman of the Great Lakes Boating Federation.

[LegitFish]

"physically injured boaters, by leaping out of the water when disturbed"

 

we are screwed

[TC1OZ]

Holy Carp!

 

That kinda sucks, I enjoy carp fishing, but I enjoy fishing for other species as well...

 

[ohhenrygsr]

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="

name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="

type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> Edited June 24, 2010 by Henry Nguyen

[alexcba]

that's just scary

[troutologist]

Dear Pres. Obama,

 

Thank you for ignoring the problem, your promise to clean and preserve the Great Lakes has obviously been kept. Putting faith in a barrier that was continually proven not to work was a great plan. I suggest you take up waterskiiing in the Chicago area, for a chance to fully address this issue.

[Guest gbfisher]

time for "Great Lakes Bowfishing Tours" "Flying Carp Adventures"

 

[craigdritchie]

time for "Great Lakes Bowfishing Tours" "Flying Carp Adventures"

 

Forget skeet shooting - this looks like it could be way more fun

 

Joking aside, this has serious implications for everything from walleye and perch to steelhead and salmon.

[canadadude]

Dear Pres. Obama,

 

Thank you for ignoring the problem, your promise to clean and preserve the Great Lakes has obviously been kept. Putting faith in a barrier that was continually proven not to work was a great plan. I suggest you take up waterskiiing in the Chicago area, for a chance to fully address this issue.

Putting faith in Obama is a joke. what a let down he turned out to be, all he does is and nothing gets done

He should know better he is from there

Edited June 24, 2010 by canadadude

[Guest gbfisher]

Forget skeet shooting - this looks like it could be way more fun

 

Joking aside, this has serious implications for everything from walleye and perch to steelhead and salmon.

 

 

There's obviously no means of stopping them.

How's that saying go ? Can't beat em......

[bushart]

They should poison that lake for the greater good

[canadadude]

They could have closed down the canals like they were told to do.

[MJL]

Maybe it’s time to go hog-wild with the rotenone and antimycin

 

Are there anymore locks between Lake Calumet and Lake Michigan? Looking at Google Maps, it appears to be clear swimming for the carp to the Great Lakes

[livinisfishin]

They are just like immigrants, they have their place.

[perchslayer666]

They are just like immigrants, they have their place.

 

 

What do you mean by this? Are you comparing Asain Carp to people? Please Explain.

[discophish]

<pinching myself> ... is it true? You mean my dream of actually catching a fish has come closer to a reality? I never thought I would need a baseball glove to catch my first fish.

[MJL]

<pinching myself> ... is it true? You mean my dream of actually catching a fish has come closer to a reality? I never thought I would need a baseball glove to catch my first fish.

 

A protective cup might also come in handy as well

 

These are the big leagues!

[TJQ]

That video is disturbing.

[l2p]

You guys think that video was disturbing check these ones out... we really cant let it get to this..

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/IlliniGus#p/a/u/1/PdcQ56OpxNE

 

looks like the folks down south have managed to deal with them...

 

[splashhopper]

They are just like immigrants, they have their place.

 

As a guy that is happily married to an IMMIGRANT for the last 16 years I have learned that REDNECK'S have their place too

[Dave Bailey]

For those who say they can't be eradicated I have two words - passenger pigeon.

[timmeh]

Well this may be the first confirmed catch, but I suspect they've been in the lake for much longer. Just like the case of cougars in Ontario, the MNR has just confirmed what many have known for years.

 

This certainly is bad news but I will hold out hope that this will not be the end of the great lakes. Keep in mind that both zebra mussels and gobies were supposed to destroy the lakes as well. Large ecosystems such as the great lakes are resilient. Not good, but I'm not going to sell the fishing gear yet.

[livinisfishin]

All I meant was that as humans we can be accepted to wherever we move to or travel. What's so bad about nature taking its course and seeing how it plays out. Sorry splashhopper I shouldn't have used the word immigrant, and I should have gone more in depth at the very beginning. Yes I am comparing this species of fish to humans.

[bare foot wader]

it's not nature taking its course...it's a non native invasive species that was introduced....unlike other introduced species which have worked out very well we know it won't be that way with asian carp.....we don't need to see how it will play out....we know how it will play out, ie: Mississippi river...

 

read up on it...do you really want to chance the great lakes ending up like that?

[Terry]

All I meant was that as humans we can be accepted to wherever we move to or travel. What's so bad about nature taking its course and seeing how it plays out. Sorry splashhopper I shouldn't have used the word immigrant, and I should have gone more in depth at the very beginning. Yes I am comparing this species of fish to humans.

 

I didn't read anything negative into your comment...

 

in this day of political correctness, I am afraid people with a personal agenda or bias will take almost anything one says to be racist or just misinterprets everything as racist

 

 

it sucks to just talk without check each word or phrase for political correctness