Asian carp: How deadly would it be to Great Lakes?

[marmar]

from the Detroit Free Press:




This is the second installment in a six-part series


• Part 1: The truth about Asian carp


The question of how deadly an Asian carp invasion would be to the Great Lakes has led to a fierce debate among researchers, environmental groups and governments, who disagree on the answer.

The issue has become urgent as researchers have found that, while much of the public's attention has been focused on the Chicago canal where an electric fence so far is keeping the fish away from Lake Michigan, there are at least 13 other lesser-known pathways for the fish to get into the lakes. Most allow carp to breach wetlands during floods, dumping them into rivers leading to the lakes.

In Indiana's Wabash River, spawning carp actually are closer to Lake Erie than spawning populations near Chicago are to Lake Michigan.

If they do get in, Duane Chapman, a leading Asian carp expert, said the fish probably could survive in all the Great Lakes, including cold Superior, because they feed in the top layers of water, where the temperatures are warmer. But spawning might not happen in all of them. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20110718/NEWS05/107180327/Part-2-How-deadly-would-Asian-carp-Great-Lakes-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[MichiganVote]

1. I can't believe people are not paying more attention this. Its really serious.

And Obama is absolutely stupid on this. Disgusted.

[Fledermaus]

2. Don't people eat carp in Asia?