Asian carp supply pain

An all out battle with fish is taking place in the states surrounding Great Lakes and in Canada. Extreme measures are taken to stop Asian carp from entering the waters of Great Lakes which can have a huge detrimental effect on the ecosystem and the fishing industry. Interestingly enough the problem is completely man made. 

 

Carp family includes many species, many of which we know very well. Goldfish carp populates many fish ponds as a pet fish. In China, 4 carp species, grass, silver, bighead and black carp, are widely used as a source of food. In the US another member of carp family, common carp, was brought to the country in 1831 and was later introduced throughout the country by the government as a food fish.

 

Grass, black, silver, and bighead carps are the ones called Asian Carp as a group. The main issue with Asian Car is the way it feeds, by uprooting the vegetation and mudding the water in search of food. Bighead and silver carp feed by filtering plankton from the water. Having a large population of Asian Carp can create serious consequences to the fishing industry because of its impact on other inhabitants and the entire ecosystem. In 1970s Asian Carp was used to eat up algae in the fish farms in Arkansas and from there found a way to the Mississippi river. This is where the roots of the current problem began.

 

There used to be no connection between the Mississippi river and Great Lakes until Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal was built to address the divert the city sewage from the drinking water. There is a heated debate taking place in courts around separating the Mississippi river from the Great Lakes for good. Closing the canal would disrupt freight traffic and very negatively impact trade. On the other hand Great Lakes hold 90% of the US fresh water surface and provide livelihood to thousands of people employed in the $7 Billion fishing industry. Asia Carp represents a direct danger to these people. 

 

The canal now has 2 underwater electric barriers designed to repel the fish. But in this fight with fish the chances of man winning are not very high. Especially given the complexity of the situation, the parties and amount of litigation involved and the urgency of the problem. Noone knows for certain what will happen if Asian Carp makes its way into Great Lakes, but it will definitely cause a lot of changes in the lives of people living on the shores. 

 

Judging by the name Asian carp should belong to Asia, not the Mississippi river or Great Lakes.

Comments: 0; Published: January 22, 2010; Permalink

Tags: china,supply chain