Causes and Impacts of the Asian Carps in the Great Lakes

Introduction

The setting of the region of Black Lakes is filled with extensive areas of wilderness and forests, countless tributaries, agriculture land, more small lakes and widespread mineral deposits. The sand dunes of the region, as well as the wetlands, fens, forests, savannas, lake plain prairies, rocky shorelines, coastal marshes and some other landscapes have characteristics that are internationally unique and are represented in a best way within the basin of the Great lakes. It is essential to preserve and maintain the unique and beautiful features and characteristics of the Great Lakes and the surrounding areas. However, unfortunately, there are a lot of threat to the Great Lakes which have resulted in numerous problems including ocean pollution, extinct sea creatures etc. Currently, one of the major problems faced by the Great Lakes is the Asian Carp. The Asian carp is the species of heavy-bodied cyprinid fish which are a major threat to the Great Lakes due to their large size, productiveness and their capability for consuming major amount of food. This can become a cause for concern for the government. Despite the efforts to stop Asian carp, it has infested sections of the rivers Mississippi and Illinois, and South Chicago channels. Placing electrical barriers and location of DNA of the fish in waters outside the protective fence using a sophisticated test this year revived the dispute over the closure of channels claiming Michigan.

Background of the Problem

According to the Environmental Protection Agency U.S. (EPA), two species of Asian carp, bighead and silver, were imported from Asia by catfish farmers in the 1970s to clean their ponds matter and algal suspension. During the great floods of the 1990s, many of these ponds overflowed and carp were released into waterways of the Mississippi River basin. Using sophisticated genetic test that detects, it has been found that carp DNA in suspended particles are floating in river currents, scientists have determined that the fish is in the Illinois River, i.e., seven kilometers from Lake Michigan (toledoblade.com). There are three species of Asian carp known as the Black-headed, the silver and high-head. They all escaped from fish farms in Arkansas back in the 1970s. Since then the Mississippi River, the Missouri and Illinois are literally invaded by silver carp. Asian carp are called tents but are different from common carp. The Asian carp were imported by Arkansas farmers last thirty years to eat tons of algae that proliferated in the Mississippi River (Bloch, pp. A1).

Up to 1.20 meters long and 45 kilograms daily fish can destroy up to 40 percent of their body weight in plankton. They eat the smaller and less aggressive native fish, thus endangering the fisheries of the Great Lakes, which affects at least a seven-billion-dollar business. The Mississippi River and the Great Lakes are connected by 400 miles of waterways, a network of rivers and canals that were created over 100 years ago. It extends from Chicago to the southern tip of ...