ODNR takes precaution against Asian Carp

In Ohio, the Asian carp of greatest concern are bighead and silver carp. Those are filter feeders, according to Travis Hartman, fish biologist and Lake Erie program administrator with ODNR.

Species of Asian carp, including bighead carp, silver carp, grass carp, and black carp, were intentionally introduced into the United States for different purposes, but each pose a threat to Ohio’s aquatic ecosystems including Lake Erie.

Grass carp were imported into Alabama and Arkansas aquaculture facilities in 1963 to control vegetation in rearing ponds and black carp were brought to the United States to control snail populations in aquaculture facilities and escaped from Missouri holding ponds during 1994.

Bighead carp, introduced in 1972, and silver carp, introduced in 1973, were brought to the United States as aquaculture products, to control plankton and improve water quality in aquaculture and wastewater treatment facilities, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

In Ohio, the Asian carp of greatest concern are bighead and silver carp. Those are filter feeders, according to Travis Hartman, fish biologist and Lake Erie program administrator with ODNR.

“They eat at a lower end of the food chain,” he said. “They feed primarily on zooplankton and phytoplankton and are considered a detriment to aquatic food webs in Ohio waters and potential competitors with native fishes.”

Silver carp also poses a threat to boaters because they are known to jump out of the water at high speeds, which can injure boaters and damage boating equipment. Silver carp can get as large as 110 pounds, though the average size is around 30 to 40 pounds.

Hartman said there is some confusion on Asian carp when it comes to grass carp. People tend to think grass carp is something new like bighead and silver carp.

“There is evidence dating back to the 1980s that show grass carp in Lake Erie,” he said. “It is an invasive specie because it eats vegetation, but they pose a different threat than bighead and silver carp. They are not new to Lake Erie”

While no bighead and silver carp have been found in Lake Erie, ODNR takes precautions because of their presence in the Mississippi River watersheds.

By the early 1980s, both species had escaped into the Mississippi River during floods.

Ohio is bordered on the south by the Ohio River which is a tributary of the Mississippi River, the largest river system in North America, according to ODNR.

These species are spread because they can jump — especially silver carp — over barriers and low dams, flooding because it can connect water bodies that aren’t normally connected and human action.

“The release of live bait containing young carp has introduced these fish to numerous water bodies,” Hartman said. “Watercraft that use the Mississippi locks allow carp to move upstream when the locks are opened to allow boats through. And, boats that aren’t drained after use can carry young carp or eggs that may be released into the water the next time the boat is used.”

Most people don’t think of the transfer, but they must do their part to keep Asian carp away from Lake Erie.”

If Asian carp were to be found in Lake Erie, they would not be able to be removed, Hartman said.

“There are very few real options to remove them because Lake Erie is so large,” he said.

According to the Ohio Environmental Council, bighead and silver carp DNA has been located throughout the Chicago Area Waterway System and as close as one city block from Lake Michigan.

In order to protect the Great Lakes from the carp, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would need to permanently separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds, which will take many years.

“We have measures to keep bighead and silver carp at bay,” Hartman said. “We are determining all connections that could potentially spread these species in Lake Erie.”

ODNR released a 20142020 Asian Carp Tactical Plan laying out precautions the state will take to control the spread.

The potential for bighead and silver carp to cause significant economic effects in Lake Erie and the Great Lakes as a whole is high because of the value of commercial and recreational fisheries.

The Great Lakes recreation and tourism commerce are valued at $15 billion annually, $1.5 billion of which is direct expenditures on recreational fishing trips and $7.1 billion in economic impact from the region’s recreational fisheries, according to ODNR.