Sate and federal agencies have begun to poison a canal in order to kill off invasive Asian carp that has terrorized Lake Michigan. The carp can grow up to one hundred pounds and due to its intense breeding and ability to out-compete native species, it can permanently damage the water ecosystem. This is only the beginning in the process of eradication as some suggest a permanent separation between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed is necessary. Besides removing a threat to the ecosystem, this also help preserve one fifth of the world’s freshwater. However, such a separation is arguably impossible since the waterways are a main source of shipping and business and the interests of the million-dollar fishing industry have to be considered.
Response:
Asian carp is a very important topic concerning invasive species – so important that it was one f the central case studies that we focused on in class. The carp has already brought serious harm to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River and it has the capability to overturn entire ecosystems since it has few natural predators. It’s necessary to immediately lower or eradicate the carp population in order to successfully maintain what’s left of the feeble ecosystem. Poison seems like an effective way to target the carp. However, it needs to be tested very carefully so that it does not harm any species that are vital to the area. (There’s also the argument concerning the ethics of killing an animal. Why not just physically remove them instead of killing them? But that’s an entirely different story.) Mass poison spread could also become detrimental to us if we consume any fish that retains the poison in them (like pesticides in plants). In terms of the canal, it seems like there will be so much controversy stemming from it that I doubt it will help the cause until much later in the future. The fishing and shipping industries are fully capable of halting the entire operation and in cases similar to this one involving major industries, the concessions that are made are not enough to create desired results. I predict more clashing between environmentalists and industrial companies in the future.
http://www.nrdc.org/media/2009/091202.asp
Mogerman, Josh. "Killing Carp:Chicago Cancal Poisoned to Keep Invasice Fish Out of Great Lakes." National Resources Defense Council (1970). Natural Resources Defense Council. 2 Dec. 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2009.
I find it slightly ridiculous to imagine 100 pound Asian Carp flying out of the waters of Lake Michigan, but I guess it turns out that it's really getting to be that serious. I tend to be the type of person who believes that every action has its consequences, and it's really scary to think of the possible repercussions of adding poison to a body of water that has such a wide-spread watershed. I definitely agree that we need to do something to control the invasive specie, but poison seems to be a little too "brute" of a force to me. I think this is an issue that needs to be really well thought out, and if we do use the poison, I agree that it needs to be extensively tested. VERY extensively tested.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the proposed idea that carpe should be eradicated from our waters. Even though it may not be possible to eliminate the entire population, we could reduce their number greatly. This would allow other native species a chance to grow and thrive once more. I do not think that this measure is too harsh because without such forward action, these fish will overpopulate our waterways suffocating the indigenous species and decreasing the area’s biodiversity. Even though the use of poison has potential negative consequences, we should take action now before our time is too late. We should test the poison out in small controlled sections to better predict and prevent any possible negative outcomes.
ReplyDeleteI agree that invasive species such as the carp have extremely detrimental effects on the environment they occupy; the carp has already disrupted the natural habitat and is destroying the area's biodiversity. Although it is important to stop the carp from taking over the lake, it seems too drastic to simply poison the fish. Moreover, there could be unintended consequences. Couldn't the poison potentially harm the native species as well? I feel as if there are better solutions to this issue.
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