It’s hard to believe that summer is just around the corner. If you find yourself angling on the Great Lakes this season, keep an eye out for Grass Carp! https://www.asiancarp.ca/asian-carps/grass-carp/
Grass Carp are a dangerous invasive species that pose significant ecological and economic threats to the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes.
Ecological Threats... https://www.asiancarp.ca/impacts/risk-a ... rass-carp/
Economic Threats... https://www.asiancarp.ca/impacts/risk-a ... rass-carp/
These hungry fish can eat up to 40% of their body weight in vegetation in a single day and as a result, adult Grass Carp can grow to be more than 80 lbs and over 5 feet in length! Just ten Grass Carp per hectare can reduce aquatic vegetation by up to 50%, which can completely transform the composition of fragile ecosystems. Despite their voracious appetites, these invasive fishes only digest about half of the plant material they eat, meaning that the rest is expelled back into the water which decreases water quality by promoting algae blooms.
Grass Carp would cause serious negative impacts to many native bird and fish species that depend on aquatic plants for habitat, food and nursery sites which threatens biodiversity. Because of their size, Grass Carp also quickly outgrow the gape (mouth) size of any potential predators, allowing them to rapidly advance their population without any direct threat.
Grass Carp are the most immediate threat to the Great Lakes as recent evidence of natural reproduction was found within two U.S. tributaries of Lake Erie. Grass Carp have also been captured in individual instances in Canadian waters. Stay tuned for the release of our Canadian Captures webpage to learn more about captures!
What can you do?
Learn how to identify Grass Carp and report any suspected sightings by following the steps outlined on this fact sheet:
https://asiancarp.ca/wp-content/uploads ... _FINAL.pdf
Resources:
Confused with Carp https://www.asiancarp.ca/asian-carps/co ... with-carp/
Grass Carp Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY4y47Mva0M
Asian Carp Program Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oCiwbrlAuc
Confused With Carp Baitfish https://www.asiancarp.ca/asian-carps/co ... -baitfish/
Grass Carp Identification and Reporting Guide https://www.asiancarp.ca/grass-carp-ide ... ing-guide/