Like a Greek tragic comedy, the Asian carp were brought to America to help, but have now become a seemingly unstoppable force of destruction. The carp were brought to America in the 1970's to eat algae on catfish farms. After large floods in the 1990’s, the farms overflowed and allowed the Asian carp to escape into the Mississippi River. The carp flourished along the river and in highly infested areas along the Mississippi, Asian carp make up 97% of the weight of the fish population. Knowing the projected route, Michigan went so far as to try to close the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in order to protect the Great Lakes from the invasive carp. This attempt was denied by the Supreme Court. Recent DNA of the Asian carp has been found in the Great Lakes and experts seem confident that the fish have breached the defenses. As it stands, a non-native species of fish with no natural predators is predicted to take over the Great Lakes.
Apart from the lack of diversity that would follow, this would be devastating to the economy of the Great Lakes. Some attempts have already been made to keep the invasive Asian carp out, such as by connecting a $9 million electric fence. Although this may sound like a lot to spend to protect from a carp attack, the fishing industry of the Great Lakes is estimated to be $7 billion annually. The carp will affect every state and province which relies on the Lakes. There will be some adapting that can be done to harness all benefits from the carp, but changes will cost money. This will forever change the lifeline of the Great Lakes economy for the worse, and there doesn’t seem to be a cure in sight for an already troubled region.
--Ed Plato
