Asian jumping carp could gobble up the Great Lakes

This is a classic result of the unintended consequences of human innovation.

The Asian carp came to the U.S. for placement in southern catfish farms. The carp feed off plankton, which helps keep underwater factory farms clean and production high.

But fish farms don’t have fences, and when floods hit the south, the Asian carp landed in nearby rivers and streams. Now they’re thriving in the mighty Mississippi River, and have been detected just five miles away from Lake Michigan in recent days.

If the carp becomes the Great Lakes’ next invasive species, it will be bad news for the habitat and thousands of fishermen. The same thing that makes Asian carp good for keeping fish farms clean makes them bad for the environment. They eat up all the plankton, which many smaller fish rely on. And, of course, when the small fish struggle, so do the lakes’ large predatory fish.

The Asian carp are also a problem because of their large size and rapid reproduction, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. They can reach up to 4-feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds. And unfortunately, they would thrive in the Great Lakes, which has a similar climate to their native waters.

Now that it’s almost too late to stop the fish from jumping into Lake Michigan – literally, these things can jump up to 10 feet in the air – the government is taking extreme measures to head them off.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set up electric carp barriers near Chicago. The electric current through the water doesn’t kill the carp, but forces them to turn back. It cost $9.1 million to build and another $500,000 annually to operate.

People just can’t seem to get it into their heads that moving a species across the world – whether intentionally or on the bottom of a ocean barge – is like playing with fire, or a tsunami in this case.

Just as the Cain Toad wrecked havoc in Australia and Zebra Mussels clogged up the Great Lakes, Asian carp are a real threat. Only extreme measures and strict regulations will stop the spread of invasive species – so the time to act is now.