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Effects of Asian Carps on Michigan

Asian carp pose a serious risk to the Great Lakes surrounding Michigan. Though they haven't appeared in great numbers yet, they have been spotted, and they have already infested the Illinois River, which has a canal connecting it to Lake Michigan. They were introduced to North America in the1970s as a farm fish, used mainly for food and cleaning algae from fish farms and water treatment lagoons. Some escaped these confines and multiplied rapidly in the Mississippi and other rivers. The fish pose several ecological and economical risks for the lakes.

Overpopulation
- Asian carp, having no natural predator in the United States, quickly become a destructive forces in any ecosystem they inhabit. They are large fish, averaging around 30 to 40 lbs., and they reproduce rapidly. In the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, the catch of big head carp, only one of the Asian varieties, grew from 5.5 tons to 55 tons between 1994 and 1997. It's estimated that in some areas in these rivers, Asian carp make up 95 percent of the living matter by mass. They have not yet reached the Great Lakes in such great numbers, but the effects could be devastating.
Damage to the Food Web
- Asian carp eat tiny plants and animals that comprise the base of the food chain. Native species such as ciscos or yellow perch also feed on these organisms, and larger fish such as lake trout and walleye, important species to the Great Lakes' ecosystem and fishermen, feed off the smaller fish. Some lake areas provide an environment where the carp could breed and possibly outnumber other species. There are many endangered species in the Great Lakes that could lose their already fragile ecosystem and be at a real risk for extinction.
Economic Effects
- The commercial and sport fishing industries in the Great Lakes region could be greatly damaged by an Asian carp invasion. It has been estimated that the fishing industry is worth more than $7 billion a year for the state, and if Asian carp invade and drive out the more valuable native fish, fishing spots could be abandoned.. This has happened in the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, and the local economies built around these fishing spots were damaged.
Injuries from Jumping Fish
- Though it may seem like a false concern, jumping Asian carp have caused serious injuries and property damage in some areas. The fish can jump 10 feet in the air and are easily startled by motorboat engines or other commotion in the water. They have been known to jump into boats causing damage to windshields and electronics and many people have been injured. Particular risks associated with activities like water skiing or tubing make those activities dangerous in carp-infested areas.

Animals & Science