Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/asian-carp/page/4/)
We took some of the best reader contributions to our carp bomb feature and assembled them into their own gallery. And yes, we realize that this invasive species is a serious threat to the Great Lakes. We also think it’s OK to lighten up once and awhile. So enjoy.
Some Great Lakes biologists forecast a mostly cloudy future for the Asian carp. The open waters of the Great Lakes are too cold for silver carp to digest food and reproduce, said Gerald Smith, professor emeritus with the University of Michigan’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department and author of the Guide to Great Lakes Fishes. That’s good news for the part of the $7 billion Great Lakes sports fishery supported by deep water fishing for salmon and trout. If the carp thrived, they could pull the rug out from under the deep-water food web. But the bad news is that the lakes’ warmer near-shore area and tributary rivers, as well as the western basin of Lake Erie, are more likely to support an Asian carp invasion.
Frank Dutiri sends us this carp bomb, which perpetuates a few themes that have emerged from our submissions so far: Asian carp (click for news) are big, and have a taste for human young. But this big boy strikes another sinister, unsettling tone with me. We’re so worried about all the plankton that’s going to get sucked into those big mouths. But if they’re executing beach landings like this, what the heck is going to come out? Don’t forget to make your own Asian carp bombs and submit them Great Lakes Echo.
Last week brought two big retirement announcements with Great Lakes political implications. The first came from U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak. The Michigan Democrat recently found himself in the center of the health care debate because he threatened to break with his party and vote against the bill over abortion rights. Stupak eventually voted for health care reform. But in 2008, Stupak broke with both parties and cast one of only 25 votes against the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement between the Great Lakes states that prevents most water diversions and promotes water conservation.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a big player in the Asian carp story. Echo writer Andrew Norman envisions a world in which the rest of the Army gets involved. And they’ve got a secret weapon. Carp bombs are fun for everyone. Here’s how to make your own.
The Marina City towers on the Chicago River are sometimes called “corn cobs” for their vegetal resemblances. I’m sure “carp cobs” will be an easy adjustment once this Asian carp invasion hits full swing. This carp bomb is brought to you by Katie Coleman and the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Remember, we want to show off YOUR Asian carp photobombs. Read all about how it works here.
The city of Mason, Mich. may be 70 miles from the nearest Great Lake, but that’s not stopping them from drafting a resolution supporting Asian carp control. Here’s what the city can expect if their words aren’t heeded:
Thanks to Christie Bleck for the submission. Do you have a picture that could use a hulking invasive fish in it? Here’s how to get in on the action.
Has Toyota’s sticky gas pedal debacle shaken your confidence in Asian cars? Why should we expect anything different from Asian carp? If we’re going to have carp, we better build them here, says Flickr member Michelle B4. Don’t forget to submit your own carp bomb. And check out the waves these bombs are making in the local press.
The voracious and invasive Asian carp is on its way into the Great Lakes, pitting governments, environmental groups, shippers, boaters and anglers against each other over what ought to be done to stop it.
In an attempt to inject some levity into a potential environmental catastrophe, Echo presents: the carp bomb.
Articles following the carp drama ran in many major newspapers nationwide this week and have found some play overseas as well. But the most consistent and up-to-date coverage is provided by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Dan Egan and John Flesher of the Associated Press. Carp watchers should keep an eye on the “Ongoing Coverage” section of the Journal-Sentinel’s Great Lakes, Great Peril special report. Flesher’s most recent report on the financial implications of closing the locks can be found in today’s Los Angeles Times. And don’t miss Great Lakes Echo’s attempt to resolve competing estimates of the value of the fishery at risk. Michigan Now reporter Chris McCarus may have got the carp quote of the week from a retired steelworker speculating that the invasion may have been launched by the Taliban:
“Did you ever think it was a bin Laden plan?