Study shows that invasive Asian carp, as feared, are muscling out prized native fish in the upper Mississippi River, including the yellow perch, bluegill, and black and white crappie.
FILE - In this June 13, 2012, file photo, Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jump from the Illinois River near Havana, Ill. Sport fish have declined significantly in portions of the Upper Mississippi River infested with Asian carp, apparently confirming fears about the invaders' threat to native species, according to a newly released study.
Analysis of nearly 20 years of population data suggests the carp are out-competing fish prized by anglers, such as yellow perch, bluegill, and black and white crappie, the report said. Four varieties of Asian carp were imported in the late 1960s and early 1970s to clear algae and weeds from sewage ponds and fish farms. They escaped into the Mississippi and have migrated northward.
In their paper, Chick and colleagues there’s rarely enough data to document how invasive species harm natives. Meanwhile, sport fish numbers grew nearly 35 percent in three sections of the Mississippi farther upstream that the carp hadn’t reached.The study focused on silver carp, notorious for leaping from the water when startled, because they’re more abundant in the Upper Mississippi than bighead carp.
The region has drawn less attention in the carp battle than the Great Lakes, researchers said, but its outdoor recreation economy is valued at about $2.2 billion.
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