RE: NANFA-- Bighead, silver carps
Hoover, Jan J ERDC-EL-MS (HOOVERJ_at_wes.army.mil)
Fri, 29 Aug 2003 17:10:00 -0500
> TIMES NEWS TRACKER
>
> Crazy Carp Have Invaded Missouri's River
> By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>
> Filed at 10:24 a.m. ET
>
> ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Crazy carp have invaded Missouri's rivers. Two species
> of nonnative carp have been jumping into boats, injuring occupants and
> damaging the watercraft.
>
> A state fisheries biologist motoring near Columbia had a filling knocked
> out of his tooth by a high-flying fish that struck him on the side of the
> head. Another state biologist in the St. Charles area was seriously hurt
> when he was hit by a giant carp.
>
> Brian Todd of the Missouri Department of Conservation said the big head
> carp and silver carp were brought to private fish hatcheries from Asia by
> the aquaculture industry. They were intended to eat excess algae and waste
> in aquaculture ponds -- which grow fish for food as well as bait and
> tropical fish. But they escaped in floodwaters in 1993, 1995 and 2002.
>
> ``This could be an indefinite problem,'' Todd said. ``They are safe to
> eat, but ecologically they could damage the mussel population and are
> competing with native fish for food. We are going to hear more and more
> over the next few years about the problems these fish are causing,
> especially injuries to boaters and anglers.''
>
> Todd said the carp have been spotted in many of Missouri's rivers,
> including throughout the Missouri River.
>
> ``The sound of a propeller under water makes these fish go crazy,'' Todd
> said. ``The fish don't jump if you're sitting there without the motor on,
> but the higher the RPMs, the greater the noise, the higher these fish
> jump.''
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