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In This Issue
October 31, 2008What's up with Carp? We are all aware that invasive species cause significant economic and ecological damage. However, in the case of Asian carp, they can also cause us serious physical injury. These fish grow large very quickly and 20 pound plus fish are common. They reach very high densities and in places the water is literally teaming with them. Now it gets really weird as these fish have a dangerous habit of suddenly jumping high out of the water when disturbed. Typically this is not a big problem as boaters and anglers can avoid the leaping fish. However, if you are on a boat traveling rapidly it is not uncommon to be hit by flying fish as you motor along. While this might sound silly it is actually quite dangerous. So far there have been no fatalities from human/carp collisions but there are accounts of many broken bones and other serious injuries. The impact has been described as being hit by a thrown bowling ball and we can all imagine how that would feel. These carp are now a problem in much of the Mississippi River drainage as they work their way upstream from their points of introduction in the south. The government is waging all out war to try and keep them from entering the Great Lakes as they will likely cause ecological carnage if they ever arrive there. Currently they are very close and are being kept at bay only through the use of a novel (and expensive) electric fence in Illinois. There are a lot of different videos available on the web that show the leaping carp and document their impacts. Here are links to a couple of the best. If you have the time to watch one of these short videos you will really begin to understand the threat they pose. CNN reporter discovers dangers of flying carp Asian Carp Invasion Please
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This is an
actual photo of a mass of Bythotrephes clumped on a
fishing line. photo credit: Minnesota Sea GrantBythotrephes are small aquatic crustaceans that reproduce quickly to form large populations. Generally small crustaceans, like our native Daphnia species, provide an excellent food source for our fish. However, Bythotrephes can become quite a problem. They have a long, sharp, barbed tail spine that makes them very hard for a small fish to eat. At the same time they are predators themselves and eat the same small foods that these fishes depend on. While accounts of fish population reductions have rarely been tied to the presence of Bythotrephes, they present a big problem to anglers. The sharp barbs on their long tails penetrate many hard surfaces and it is not uncommon to get a coating of them on items that are in the water. When you are fishing in high concentrations of them, it is very common to have your fishing line so covered with them that they clog up the line guides and make reeling in impossible. This is not an exaggeration as many great fishing trips have been ruined by these tiny creatures. Learn more about these pests here Promote the Clean Angling Pledge Most of you have already joined the legion of anglers that are working to protect our waters by making sure to carefully clean your gear after every use. The simple actions of Inspect - Clean - Dry can be done easily at the end of every trip and make a huge difference in reducing the spread of invasive species. The Clean Angling Pledge is a personal statement of action to help protect our waters and we need your help to make sure that every angler is aware of this important program. You can help promote the pledge in a variety of ways and we have been working on providing some direct support to those who want to promote the pledge. Please help us grow the number of people working to protect our waters Promote the Clean Angling Pledge Giant Salvinia being spread by boaters in Texas Giant Salvinia is a non native invasive aquatic plant that is becoming an ever greater problem in the Southern US. This is an amazing plant that floats on the water surface and can double its population every two to four days. This rapid reproduction leads to lakes and ponds that are completely chocked by the weed. It forms dense thick mats that can cut off all light from reaching the water. This leads to the death of any plants underwater and can lead to the total destruction of native life in a water. The plants can get so thick that it is impossible to run a boat through them and are a huge nuisance to all boaters. Here is a good story about the newest discovery in Texas and how the State is responding. The short video is very instructive and shows how these plants impact the environment both directly and indirectly as control; methods often include the application of herbicides to the water. Salvinia discovered in another Texas Lake New Hope for Quagga Mussel Control Quagga mussels and their close relative Zebra mussels are having very severe impacts in waters around the country. There are currently no good methods for controlling the species once it is established and, as a country, we spend a billion dollars or more each year in mussel impact mitigation. There is now a reason for optimism that we might soon have a new tool in the fight. researchers have discovered that a common naturally occurring bacteria can be deadly to Quaggas and soon we might have commercial sources for this treatment. Read the full story of this promising new approach Here Didymo now in New Mexico Authorities have reported that the invasive algae didymo (AKA rock snot) has been discovered in the Pecos River. Didymo has been spreading around the world and has really hit New Zealand hard. IN the US it has spread from coast to coast and is ruining fishing experiences in many areas. There is little doubt that it is being spread by us as anglers and we all need to take measures to insure that we are not the ones spreading it. Read about the new discovery Here Boater fined $2,500 for dirty boat The National Park Service has fined 4 different boat owners for failing to properly clean their boats prior to launch at Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The Park Service mandates that all boats must be certified as cleaned before launch and anyone who failed to do so was issued a citation and ordered to appear in court. Each of the four individuals cited was ordered to pay restitution and the most recent individual was fined $2,500. The simple fact is that all of us must accept that we will soon be required to prove our boats are clean before we launch them in many different places. Now is the time for us all to begin to implement boat and trailer cleaning as part of our routine after every outing. Spending the time to carefully inspect, clean and dry our boats will help to protect our waters and might even help us avoid paying a large fine. Boat Owner Fined $2,500 for Failure to Clean Boat  Show your commitment to protecting our waters by wearing or using our Clean Angler merchandise. We have teamed up with cafepress.com to offer a variety of clothing and accessories that will help you to tell others that you are committed to reducing the spread of ANS. All of the profits from our merchandise will be used to help with our efforts to reduce the spread of the species that are damaging our waters and sport. Check out our complete line of merchandise Here The
Clean Angling News is regularly produced by the Center for Aquatic
Nuisance Species. If you have questions,
suggestions or would like to learn
more about ANS please contact us:
Center
for Aquatic Nuisance
Species
P.O. Box 1429 Livingston, MT 59047 406-220-2059 info@stopans.org |
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