The Great Lakes have had many issues in the past with invasive species. Things like zebra mussels and lampreys have plagued the ecosystem of the lake and threatened native species. Now the race is on to prevent yet another invasive species from coming into the Great Lakes--and recent DNA evidence found in the lakes may reveal that they're already here.
Asian carp are large fish that can reproduce quickly. According to NPR, they were introduced to the U.S. as a measure against algae growth in catfish farms down in the South. Flooding allowed them access to the Mississippi River, and they've been making their way towards the Great Lakes since.
As the aforementioned article suggests, Asian carp could be a good deal for some fishing entrepreneurs. These fish are large and very edible--opening up the market in the Great Lakes states for a new type of fish. However, their rapid reproduction rates and excessive feeding may edge out native species like trout, bluegill and salmon. An article in the Sunday Morning Herald reported that "federal officials have warned that Asian carp--which have no natural predators--could have a "devastating effect on the Great Lakes ecosystem and a significant impact" on the seven-billion-dollar sport and commercial fishing industry." Established fishing businesses may no longer be able to catch species other than the carp without a lot of effort, bringing the price of native fish up. Some of Michigan's tourism is probably based around fishing, so the shortage of native species may be a turn off for visitors.
One thing for sure is that once they're here, they'll be hard to get rid of--and hard to prevent from travelling to all of the other Lakes. While the Asian carp may themselves present a possible economic opportunity, their presence will alter the Great Lakes ecosystem for the worse.
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The Michigan government sued Illinois a while ago to get them to close the shipping canal that connects the great lakes to the Mississippi river. The canal runs through Chicago and Michigan sued the state of Illinois stateing that the threat of Asian Carp would endanger the fishing industry. The supreme court ruled that Michigan could not force Illinois to close the canal. See this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100119/ts_csm/274761_1
ReplyDeleteThe last barrier between these fish and the great lakes is an electric barrier in the canal, and some experts fear it has already been breached. This is an example of something that a free market won't solve. Illinois uses the canal to ship goods, however its actions will hurt a third party's, Michigan's, economy.
E
I am a very big fisherman myself. The Asian carp is one of the biggest concerns to the Great Lakes right now. Other invasive species, such as zebra mussels, do in fact have an effect on the ecosystem, but there effects are good and bad. Zebra mussels actually create better water quality in the Great Lakes and filters out pollutants. The mussels reduce eutrophication and provide food for bottom feeders. Better water quality produced by the mussels over the years has helped the fishing industry because fish live better in cleaner water. Native species of mussels and clams to the Great Lakes have decreased due to the invasive species though.
ReplyDeleteThe Asian carp will probably have a very big impact on the ecosystem and fishing industry. Once they reproduce in a body of water they will out compete any other species of fish for food. The carp might open up a new fishing industry for themselves, but the fishing industry for salmon, perch, and walleye could be devastated. The native fish of the Great Lakes attract fishermen from all over as a source of tourism. Not only will we lose the native fishing industry, we could lose some tourism as well. (A)
Human impact on natural ecosystems is usually awful. We believe that we can change nature to better suit our needs, even though it frequently ends up being more detrimental and inconvenient than before.
ReplyDeleteI think that Asian carp would be more detrimental to the other markets of fish (trout, bluegill, salmon) than it would be beneficial by creating another market. The variety of fish markets is better for consumers than one monopoly market for a type of fish. T
Although the Asian carp will eventually make take over the Great Lakes if the evidence stated is correct, a new market will be created and it will replace other fish marketers. Since its going to be a big species and overpopulate the Lakes, the price of the fish is going to be much cheaper because it’s easily available, which will bring the price of other types of fish up.
ReplyDeleteNot only will the new species affect the price of other types of fishes but it will also affect the amount of tourism that Michigan gets from fishing. Closing the entrance that is located in Illinois will be a solution to this problem but it will also affect other markets that use that route for transportation. (E.A.)
Even if these fish create a new market it will harm the already existing fish markets in place. Since these carp are able to reproduce quickly the market price will be lower than if they were more of a delicacy. Therefore as Dulce said the other prices of fish will probably drop as well to stay competitive. As an avid angler, I also hate seeing an invasive species enter the Lakes. I'd much rather reel in a bass than a lazy old carp. A, E
ReplyDeleteI think for the sake of diversity and the tourism economy it would be valuable to remove the carp, but it seems that every time we attempt to remove one species we end up harming another. Trade may always make people better off, but not the fishies I suppose. A, E
ReplyDeleteI dont think this will be much of a problem. In my town fishing and hunting are huge. On opening day for gun season school practically closes and fishing on the several lakes around my town and make some kids' summers. I think the DNR will be able to set regulations on the fish in order to keep the benefits of the ecosystem we have now while adding benefits the asian carp have to offer. A
ReplyDeleteI never thought about fish and economy before... All I know is that the State of Michigan, most certainly, needs to take care of the Lakes, and the Ecosystem there. This State is known for those lakes, their beauty and life. They should be monitored and preserved, as an economic and environmental interest.
ReplyDelete