The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is working to remove Asian Carp from several Illinois waterways, even those not connected to the Great Lakes.
From the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
“The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee plans to spend $12 million this year on efforts to stop the voracious eaters from reaching Lake Michigan, where scientists fear they could out-compete native fish for food and wreak havoc on the Great Lakes fishing industry. Plans include sampling urban fishing ponds, surveying fish markets for live fish and random electrofishing and netting along a network of canals that connect Lake Michigan to the Illinois River.
McCloud said the DNR will visit bait shops and fish markets to make sure there are no live carp, and will sample around 20 lagoons. He said anyone who nets an Asian carp should get it out of the water and make sure it’s dead. He also asks that they take a photo of the fish and call the DNR.”
These efforts are all part of the larger goal of protecting Illinois waterways, and Lake Michigan in particular, from the threat posed by Asian Carp.
Read the complete article
here.
Sometimes, what can be considered a problem in one area of the world might prove to be a solution to a problem somewhere else on the globe. One such case is the use of Asian Carp as a high-protein food source for Haitian children impacted by the devastating earthquake in January of 2010.
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
“Some innovative thinking is now turning the problem fish into a high-quality protein source for the children at Zanmi Beni, run by Operation Blessing International. Researchers at NOAA’s Louisiana Sea Grant program and the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter have successfully produced canned Asian carp pleasing to the Haitian palate. Ultimately, the product could deliver high-quality protein to people in need, be a boon to fishermen, provide a new opportunity for canneries, and reduce the population of an unwanted invasive species.”
Louisiana Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Julie Anderson attended IISG’s Asian Carp summit and was able to network with several people including Carol Engle of the University of Arkansas. Carol’s work had involved developing a USDA-approved process for canning Asian Carp, making it possible to safely prepare, store, and ship the food where it was needed.
Much like a gardener hopes that the seeds they plant will eventually bloom into a lush garden, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant awards Discovery Grants, or “seed” grants, to a number of projects in the hopes that the initiatives will grow into something larger. In recent years, IISG has funded 35 projects focused on key concerns the program is committed to address; here are six new projects for 2012:
– Charles Werth, a civil engineer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will study the potential benefits and cost-effectiveness of installing green roofs in urban areas, considering effects on runoff, water quality, and other factors.
– Nandakishore Rajagopalan of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center will explore the feasibility of establishing saline aquaculture in Illinois – in other words, a saltwater fish farm. This initial study will focus on the economics of establishing such an industry and explore the possibilities for a few key species.
– Daniel Larkin, a conservation scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, will establish a network of researchers and professionals who manage phragmites, an invasive reed grass, to discuss recent advances in control and collaboratively develop management plans to reflect the newest science and best techniques available.
– Maria Sepulveda, an ecotoxicologist at Purdue University, will build on previous IISG studies that looked at the distribution of pharmaceuticals or personal care products in Lake Michigan by examining the effects that these chemicals have on species throughout the food chain, both individually and in potentially toxic combinations.
– Marcelo Garcia of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will use results from an Asian Carp egg survival model to develop a tool that identifies where and how to implement targeted control methods. The tool would help decision makers prevent the spread of the invasive species.
– Brian Murphy of the University of Illinois Chicago will examine Lake Michigan as a potential source of bacteria that might be used in new medicines.
These Discovery Grants provide funding for initial research that has the potential to grow into larger future projects, or for projects that bring research results to a broader audience and could be expanded on by fellow researchers and agencies.
Invasive species, as you probably know, can have devastating effects when they take hold. They can negatively impact, and in some cases permanently alter, entire ecosystems, disrupting industry and tourism, and affecting home and business owners near those areas.
With summer on the way, there’s no better time than now to spread the word about invasive species and how we can stop them. And that is why May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month.
Now is the perfect time to get people involved in the work of preventing the damage they can do right here in Illinois.
In addition to the links above, don’t forget to visit our Clean Boats, Clean Waters web page for simple and useful ways that boaters can join in the fight to prevent invasive species from spreading. You can also find information on how to volunteer for our Clean Boats Crew and provide in-person advice and tips at local boat ramps and marina.
IISG Associate Director for Education Robin Goettel, Education Specialist Terri Hallesy, AIS Specialist Sarah Zack, and AIS Assistant Danielle Hilbrich attended the National Science Teacher Association’s 2012 Conference March 29-31, and got a tremendous response to the educational resources, tips, and information they offered to the many teachers in attendance.
“We had a fabulous turnout of over 5,000 classroom teachers and informal educators at the NOAA-Ecosystems booth,” said Robin Goettel, “which featured our Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant outreach and education resources on Great Lakes aquatic invasive species and marine invaders.”
Visitors learned about how the “Nab the Aquatic Invader” website can be used as an excellent learning tool for grades 4-10, and how the GLRI “Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers” education and outreach initiative informs people what they can do to prevent the spread of aquatic “hitchhikers.” They also distributed brochures on Great Lakes Literacy principles, and CD-ROM copies of the COSEE/Sea Grant “Fresh and Salt” curriculum on important Great Lakes and marine issues.
Danielle adds, “Our table was located in the NOAA booth on a very busy corner in their ecosystem section and had an extensive amount of traffic throughout the conference. Our outreach materials included the brand new “Don’t Let It Loose” poster, which promotes the safe disposal of classroom organisms.”
The “Don’t Let It Loose” poster contains helpful information for teachers about properly disposing of unwanted classroom organisms. Smaller “tip-card” versions of the poster were available too, as well as an adoption pledge containing care tips for students and their families to use when adopting a classroom organism. Some of the highlights at the IISG table were the specimens available for teachers to look at, including a zebra mussel-encrusted shoe, which was a great catalyst to engage teachers in conservation about invasive species.
The response and turnout for the event were fantastic, and the event was instrumental in helping IISG spread the word about these important issues. The booth at the conference would not have been possible without the invitation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and information and products provided and developed by U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and NOAA Sea Grant’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program.
The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant AIS outreach team is part of the Illinois Natural History Survey’s Lake Michigan Biological Station in Zion.
