Stopping the Asian carp invasion
Fisheries and Oceans taking aim at the Asian carp
POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Two hours. That’s the time it takes Fisheries and Oceans Canada aquatic science biologists to determine if an invasive Asian carp is fertile or sterile.
And those results dictate the level of response from the federal agency, said Becky Cudmore, manager of its Asian carp program.
“It changes our level of emergency. If a fertile fish is found, our emergency level goes up and we put boats on the water,” said Cudmore from the shore of the Grand River in Dunnville during a recent Asian carp exercise.
The on-water exercise, which involved federal and provincial agencies, was a demonstration of techniques used to search for and capture Asian carp.
“This is the first on-water exercise we know of in Canada for invasive species.
“What we are specifically looking for and dealing with are Asian carp, which are priority for the government of Canada and province of Ontario. We are practising for an emergency situation so we are well prepared should we detect any in Canadian waters,” said Cudmore.
She said the federal agency has been tested in the past, and has implemented an emergency response to the invasive species of carp, of which there are four types — grass, bighead, silver and black.
The exercise, observed by Grand River Conservation Authority, was an opportunity to be ready for the field season, Cudmore said.
With three grass carp caught in the Dunnville area over the past number of years, she said that species is the one being targeted by Fisheries and Oceans.
One grass carp caught in the area in 2013 was 104 centimetres long and weighed 14 kilograms. Testing at the time confirmed the carp was sterile.
“The grass carp do a great job, almost too good of a job, at eating aquatic plants that form part of the wetland habitat.”
Native fish depend on those habitats and if they were to disappear, there would be a decline in native fish populations, Cudmore said.
“A lot of those species we rely on for recreational and commercial uses.
“And those wetlands are really valuable for waterfowl.
“The loss of wetlands would be devastating for the Great Lakes ecosystem.”
Cudmore said the grass carp are at a stage in the invasion process that “we weren’t aware of.”
“We knew that they had been arriving and showing up here and there,” she said, adding a fertile grass carp was found in the Canadian waters of Lake Ontario in 2015.
“Invasions go through stages. First the fish show up here and there, then they show up more frequently and that becomes arrival, and then they start to reproduce and establish the next generation and start to spread and have an impact.”
She said grass carp are at the arrival stage now, and the federal agency must work to ensure the fish don’t reproduce and establish themselves in the ecosystem.
Part of the exercise, she said, was about the various agencies working together to co-ordinate efforts to stop the invasion.
“We have to be more in emergency mode now and respond and remove them.”
The capture of the grass carp in Lake Ontario was a surprise, Cudmore said, as the agency had made Lake Erie its priority. It now works on both lakes. “We’ve captured more over time, but we’re out looking more. It’s hard to say if there are more out there or we’re just better at catching them now.”
Cudmore said with a shoreline full of areas with vegetation and woody areas, from fallen trees, the Grand River is one body of water that needs to be watched.
She said grass carp like really big rivers and like to hide in the vegetation and woody areas.
Other factors that influence where the invasive carp species may include the depth and flow of a body of water, the number of sunny days and water temperature.
All of those factors are plugged into a computer model that can give an idea of where the fish may be found, and Fisheries and Oceans staff can go and check those areas to see if the model is correct. The community is invited to a Mother’s Day Walk in Fort Erie on May 7, the first of its kind, according to organizers at the Bell Tower Community Arts and Entertainment Complex. “We all honour our mothers in different ways,” says Chris Biasucci, one of the event co-ordinators. “A simple hug perhaps, a card, some flowers or ‘I love you, Mom.’ But for those whose mothers have passed away, we have only memories.” Sunday’s walk will raise money for the Breast Cancer Society of Canada and is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is at the arts and entertainment complex at 575 Central Ave. The walk is five kilometres through the historic Bridgeburg district. Participants can register at www. mothersdaywalk.ca, or stop in at the Bell Tower for more information. Anyone interested can also call 289-320-9968 or visit www. thebelltowercommunity.com. Organizers hope people will register as soon as possible. Police took three suspected impaired drivers off the street after stopping vehicles in Thorold Saturday. Niagara Regional Police say they made all three arrests within just more than 45 minutes of setting up a RIDE checkpoint. Police also issued three-day licence suspensions to two drivers, and nine were required to provide breath samples for analysis. Police earlier stopped about 450 vehicles in the Chippawa area, and although no impaired driving arrests were made, several drivers were ticketed for various Highway Traffic Act offences. Niagara Regional Police have arrested two Port Colborne residents after seizing approximately $3,500 in stolen property from a Welland Street residence. On Friday police investigated information about stolen property,
The agency is now up to 36 early detection sites that it visits at least once a year to check for the invasive fish, and there are other sites it visits more frequently, as many as three to four times a year.
Cudmore said some people argue nothing should be done with the invasive species, that they should be allowed to establish themselves and they’ll eventually level out, much like the common carp did.
“The common carp species has been here 200 years and the population has levelled out,” she said, adding that species caused damage over time when introduced to the Great Lakes system.
“Are we willing to live with the consequences of what would occur over the next 200 years?
“We’re not, we’re going to ensure the carp don’t get a hold in the system.” dajohnson@postmedia.com Twitter: @DaveJTheTrib
Fort Erie Mother’s Day walk for breast cancer
which led them to the residence. With a search warrant, they subsequently found the stolen items. The two residents of the home, Jeffery Boston, 33, and Angela Airhardt, 33, have both been charged with two counts each of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and possession of break-in instruments. Boston has additionally been charged with breach of probation and Airhardt has also been charged with breach of an officer in charge undertaking. Police have identified, but not disclosed, the owners of the stolen property.
3 arrested for impaired driving in Thorold Thousands in stolen property seized from Port Colborne home Police crack down on pot businesses
Five people have been charged following a police crackdown on businesses offering marijuana products in St. Catharines. The Niagara Regional Police guns, gangs and grows unit has been investigating two alleged marijuana storefronts: the Sacred Garden at 182 Pelham Rd. and The Green North at 243 Welland Ave. On Thursday police executed search warrants at both places. Police say they seized close to $40,000 worth of drugs, thousands of dollars in marijuana products and more than $4,700 in cash. From the Sacred Garden store two people were arrested and charged. Branden Finora, 33 of St. Catharines, is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking in marijuana and Stephan Botsford, 26 of St. Catharines, is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking in marijuana and possession of the proceeds of crime. From The Green North store three people were arrested and charged. Michael Bisson, 24, of Welland, is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime; Tijana Kovinic, 28, of Niagara Falls, and Tyler Snowden, 22, of St. Catharines, are both charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking in marijuana. Police are reminding the public that locations advertising the sale of marijuana and marijuana derivatives are doing so illegally. Storefronts are not authorized by Health Canada and people buying from them may be arrested, say police.