[Spike-A-Pike]

There is another thread that kind of got side tracked on to this subject innocently enough when our Euro Members began comparing fishing in the U.S. and in other countries around the world. Most of us have heard the old expression, "One man's trash is another man's treasure.", and that's about how this subject evolved.

In the UK and Germany, carp are considered to be good table fair... In the U.S. and Australia, they are left on the banks as cat food or fertilizer. The Euro-carp seem to be bred for that purpose and don't have scales (if I read the other thread correctly.

This is the opening to an article published in the mid-west:
"CHICAGO - Fish that leap into passing boats may be a fisherman's fantasy, but scientists fear that hyperactive Asian carp will reach the US Great Lakes, devour the base of the food chain and spoil drinking water for 40 million people.

In less than a decade since escaping southern US fish farms, the hardy and voracious carp have come to dominate sections of the Mississippi River and its tributaries..."

I know that different groups have held events to capture and kill both the Asian carp and the northern snake-head fish; but, for different reasons.

Asian carp
"Asian carp that can grow to 100 pounds (45 kg) filter huge amounts of water, consuming 40 percent of their body weight per day in microscopic plant and animal life that form the foundation of the aquatic food chain. The loss of this food relied on by crayfish and smaller fish such as alewifes, sculpins and perch would in turn eliminate the prey for popular game fish such as salmon, trout and bass.

Lake water would become less cloudy, allowing sunlight to penetrate to greater depths and enhancing algae growth, some of which emit toxins that can cause itchiness, illness and even death. Varieties of toxic blue-green algae already hold an ecological advantage because they are avoided by the zebra mussel, another prolific Great Lakes invader that filters out plankton."


Northern Snakeheads

"Snakeheads grow fast and eat game fish; having no predators, they can overcrowd a body of water and harm native species. They are adapted to survive in water with little oxygen and can even crawl across land for short distances on their fins, taking in oxygen from a special bronchial adaptations. They will not attack people but may injure anyone stepping on them.

Snakehead fish are popular food fish and are considered a delicacy in some places. They are also popular aquarium fish. They have become widespread outside their native range because of the aquarium trade and transport as food fish."

As a concerned sportsman, I want to pass on the fishing and hunting that I have enjoyed over the years to my kids and grandchildren (someday - but Dad's not getting any younger). Is the problem to far along to be reversed or can we get rid of these fish before the damage is permanent? I've never caught either of these types of fish; but if I do, they won't released to do more damage... But, that's me. What about your thoughts on these invaders?

[fishface]

I'm with you Spike-A-Pike. If I ever caught either one, it would not be my usual catch and release. Too much damage is occuring on account of these fish. I don't know if anything is currently being done to stop it though.

[Spike-A-Pike]

To keep the Asian carp from going through the Mississippi River and reaching Lake Michigan, there is a temporary electrical barrier in place that is the only thing actually preventing them from invading those waters. From there, they could travel into all the waterways that flow into the Great Lakes.

The Northern Snakehead is currently a problem on the east coast, but could find a route into the mid-west via the St. Lawrence Waterway and Great Lakes. It seems that this fish was a once prized aquarium stock that somehow got into the wild.

[hazmail]

We have spent zillions (as would U.S) on trying to eradicate carp, here is the latest efforts
Virus may control Australia’s ‘river rabbit’ (Media Release)
CSIRO Corporate Media Release 96/115 , If it is anything like the Cane Toad and Rabbit, we still have a hard road to hoe.
I think there is a fair bit of work being done by CSIRO on genetically neutering them too.pete

[diemai]

@ Spike-A-Pike

As far , as I am concerned , the British are not so much into eating freshwater fish as we continental Europeans , nothing to wonder about , since there is no place in the country much further away from the sea as approx. 120 miles(if I hazard a guess) .

At least during my various vacations over there in Oxfordshire in my teenage years I have never had those delicious "Fish and Chips" made of carp !


I fear , that there hardly are any means to get rid of those aliens in your local waters.
There are many different examples , that elsewhere all efforts to remove alien animals out of a native ecological system have failed so far .

With only rod and reel you would not be able to minor the stock of these fish significantly .

I don't know , how things are handled in the USA , but here in Germany the bigger lakes are in the hands of professional fishermen , these have the fishery rights in that waters hired from the owners(most likely state or county)and take care of the fish stocking and catching , also issue licenses for angling .
They make their living on these lakes and sell the , off course net-caught , fish to restaurants and on markets , partly also market them in own shops .

They surely would not overfish those waters , since they need to keep up their living also in the years to come .

What I mean to say is , that only such a professional fishing , employing all possible methods according to the target species , can minor your problem , but not entirely eliminate it .

Off course those netting and electric methods must be set up in a way not to affect other species too much , which also would be a problem !

It would propably be very costly to do , since it won't pay off , because you obviously do not have a market big enough for carp and snakehead in America .
An export to countries , that do have a market , would probably be too costly as well , therefore economically useless .

So maybe , all of you would have to change your habits about consuming fish(surely you could make fish fingers or burgers out of 'em , too) and set up an intensive fishery.

The Europeans have managed to render the Baltic and North Sea almost fishless , so you'd should manage with your lakes as well !

Another , very drastic , method would be to poison the entire water with a biodegreable poison to render it biologically dead and after a recreation time stock it again with native fish .

But as said before , its too drastic , and surely can't be done against the publics environmental conscience nowadays .

And it is also very unsave , since the aliens would always get back in somehow , since not all waters around can't be handled that way at the same time , because they are needed to provide a new stock of native fish .

No , only extensive net ,- or electric fishing could result into far less numbers of such alien fish , but if no market for human consumption somehow could be raised , who would pay for it ?

Or are there already technologies developped , that could make fuel out of fish ? ?
They can do it with corn , wheat and sugarcane................. !

Just a few thoughts from afar ,
good luck , diemai

[Travis]

No chance to rid ourselves of them. They are here to stay.

[King Bait Co.]

Spike I have been bit by a snakehead. It wasn't in the wild I was fish setting for a freind while he was moving. I used to raise pirannas when I was in my teens. I would resale them back to the fish store when they got to be 6" to 8". Well needless to say mister snakehead didn't make to many freinds in the with ten black pirannas. He made it a whole 10 seconds. Well back to the thread I think if they were to get tropical fish breeders involed they might be able throw a few ideas that may help. If your into odd fish that you keep in a tank they are comming out with cross breed fish. I think if some of thoes people that do this and wildl fish experts would get together they could make a fish that would eat the eggs of these trash fish we speak of. They could make the new not be able to reproduce. It would take a while to get them thined down but it would put a dent on them I do belive maybe not destroy them but it would be a start. Here is a picture of my hybrid fish I have. They are called Blood Parrot hybrids. They are crossed between sevrumns(not sure if thats spelled right) and red devils. They do come in 10 to fifteen colors. Their is only about three true colors the rest are dyed. Mine are a true orange. They are a nasty tempered fish but the don't reproduce most of the time they will eat their own eggs but you can tell their bad from the get go. Their have been a few cases were they have but its only 1 in 12,000 that will. If they were to be a bright color then they also would get eaten by natural fish which would help control them if some were to reproduce. Not many gold fish make it in lakes a few but its rare to see one. I think the snakehead problem started when a man bought some to make a soup for his sick relative but they got better. Then their custom was to relase the fish to pay a tribute or something like that. He did admit to doing it and gave that reson for doing so. I belive the show is on the History Channel I wanna say its Monsterquest that told about the snakehead problem. The fish crossing is just an idea that may be a little diffrent but it might work.

[King Bait Co.]

Sorry for the crappy picture they never set still on command.

[BassintheGrass]

It seems to me that we need to become the predator in terms of Snakeheads. They are on the rise here in Virginia in the Potomac and we basically kill the snakehead on board and throw it in a cooler and call the VDIGF. Places like along the Potomac and its creeks are full of them. I wish that the game department and both VA and MD would somehow create a rewards program for removing the snakehead. I really would not care if they made it an industry if those Japanese who tend to ove the snakehead so much wanted to buy them. I think they should take anegative and turn it into a positve , to a point. We certainly do not want to see this become a harvest industry but these fish are beginning to destroy habitats. Not only bass but also channel catfish in the rivers. The reproduction rates are crazy so we have to do something. Some of my best spots on the Potomac have been overrun by them and most likely the snakeheads have cleaned out the honey holes for good now.

[King Bait Co.]

Hey BassintheGrass if you get into them again put many as you can on ice. Then take them to an Asian market and sell them to the store I will posative they will buy them up in a heartbeat. You would be doing your part in trying to keep your waters safe. Thats what I would do I sell carp and crappie to them at the lakes for $0.75 a pound my scale of course. Crappie I charge $5 for fourteen inch and scale down when they are smaller. I haven't done it much this year but they will pay.