Carp land attack: Highway to Canada

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Carp WatchThe Chicago River waterway gets much of the attention as the route Asian carp could use to enter the Great Lakes by way of Lake Michigan.

But Canadian authorities say Lake Ontario is also a vulnerable entry point. The Northumberland News recently reported that Canadian border officials have stopped six truckloads of the voracious eaters in the past two years.

The average truckload contained about 6,000 pounds of the fish which many fear could disrupt the Great Lakes ecosystem. Two of the six cases have been prosecuted, the Ontario publication reported. The most recent resulted in a $60,000 fine.

“The fear is a truckload of live Asian carp could roll off a highway and dump live carp into our waterways, which would be devastating,” John Cooper, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, told the Northumberland News.

The province in 2005 outlawed the sale of Asian carp which are sometimes sold live at fish markets.

The publication reports that Canadian officials recently announced $17.5 million to be used over the next five years to help protect the Great Lakes from the threat.

Update: There are increased signs of Asian carp advancing past the Sanitary/Ship Canal electric barrier.

2 thoughts on “Carp land attack: Highway to Canada

  1. As concerns stopping the transport of live Asian carp by truck into the Great Lakes basin, it’s going to take more than just fines. Provisions in the law should be made for exporters, transporters and importers to spend some time in jail, on top of he fines.

  2. The Chinese like them alive, they also think it’s good luck to release one alive. If a person believes letting one go will change thier luck, I don’t see how you can stop them. Just came out a 10 fold increase in Asian Carp EDNA hits above the barrier, Regardless of where you stand on EDNA, I would remind all of you, that Dr. David Jude only found one Goby in 1990. Also Duane Chapman Asian Carp expert says ” Asian Carp are the most efficent freshwater filter feeders in the world” not hard to see what’s going to happen.

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