Invasion time: the Asian carp

Invasive species are never welcome, that's why they're called invasive species. However, many times people don't introduce animals into a new environment on purpose, unless lots of research has been done. Most time it's a simple accident. This is the same case in Mississippi's and Illinois' rivers. Asian carp are devastating these rivers, destroying eco-systems and ruining the fishing industry. Asian carp can grow to more than 110 pounds and eat 20% of their body wieght in plankton a day. However, although they are so big, they have bony bodies. This allows them to escape the fishing industry. All those pounds are often times put to good use. Asian carp are capable of jumping out of the water and getting hit by one can be compared to getting hit by a brick. They have hurt many people and tourists in the area as well as damaged fishing vessels. The Asian carp were first inported from Asia in the 1970's and raised in aquatic farms. Many speculate that a flood at some point allowed the carp to escape and then begin ravaging the area. Worried that the Asian carp might follow the river current and make their way to the Great Lakes, scared cries from nearly all the states around the Great Lakes erupted. The Supreme Court stepped in and appointed a team of engineers to stop the carp. Their solution was a type of water electric field. The electrical fields send out bursts of electricity, forcing the carp to retreat. These contraptions rest at the bottom of lakes and rivers, allowing boats and sewage to pass by easily. This solution has worked out so far but some people have found the Asian carp in the Great Lakes. Again, people say that flooding has allowed some carp to bypass the electrical fields. Now, some people take their boats out and hunt the carp as a game to aid the process. The only way to stop the invasive carp seems to be the closing of the waterways that connect the Great Lakes to the rivers of Illinois.

Ecosystems is a common topic in biology. Throughout history, if there is one think people should of have learned, it would be don't bring different animals to a new environment. However, as the saying goes, history repeats itself. The Asian carp could potentially disrupt the ecosystem in Mississippi, Illinois, and the already fragile ecosystem of the Great Lakes. To make it even worse, female carps can lay nearly a million eggs at once. The Asian carp just so happen to target the very bottom of the food chain as well, plankton. If the plankton are wiped out, the ecosystems might not just disrupt them but lead to a complete collapse.

The Asian carp have the potential to cause billions of dollars worth of damage to the fishing and commercial industries. In our already bad economy, this could lead to many job losses. Those job losses could in turn come around and make our bad economy become a horrible economy. Not only that, this issue was bad enough to catch Obama's attention and he directed 80 million dollars worth of funds towards stopped the carp. A lot of people say that even more money will be needed and money is something most people don't have.
Time Volume 176, Number 8. 2010