The cause of the Asian carp disaster

After the 1980s, Asian carp escaped from restricted waters and entered the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, where they multiplied in large numbers and brought devastating disasters to the ecology of rivers and lakes in more than a dozen states in the United States. This fish is huge, eats anything and has no natural predators. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has spent more than $18 billion trying to stop Asian carp from further invading the Great Lakes, but the prospects are not optimistic. Americans don't like to eat freshwater fish, and they don't know how to cook Asian carp to remove the earthy smell. They can only watch Asian carp running rampant but are helpless.

In the 1990s, due to several floods in the Mississippi River, these fish moved north along the Mississippi River. Other "Asian carp brothers" (even goldfish and koi) have also become "illegal immigrants" one after another. Due to the lack of natural predators, these "carp" with fast growth and strong reproductive capacity have become the local water kings. Asian carp can consume up to 40% of their body weight in aquatic plants, plankton or wild clams every day. Adult Asian carp are highly adaptable and eat about half of their body weight every day.

In the Illinois River, there are an average of tens of thousands of Asian carp, large and small, living per mile, and they rob large amounts of food from the mouths of native fish.

Located at the junction of the United States and Canada, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are collectively known as the Five Great Lakes in North America. They are the largest freshwater bodies in the world, and are home to approximately 30 million people in the United States and Canada. Source of drinking water for residents, famous tourist resorts and water transportation channels.

Asian carp eat zooplankton that many fish eat. If Asian carp continue to swim upstream into Lake Michigan and then swim into cooler areas, they will eat up all the native fish. fishermen in the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers often complain that these carp damage their nets; and vacationers on motor boats say they are sometimes hit by fish jumping high out of the water. Injured by Asian Carp. At the end of 2009, in order to eliminate Asian carp, scientific researchers and environmentalists in Illinois, USA, began to put a large amount of "fish-killing chemicals" into the river near Lake Michigan (a total length of 10 kilometers) to maintain the "ecological balance" of the water body and prevent this An alien species enters the Great Lakes. However, as of December, relevant authorities had only found one Asian carp, less than 60 centimeters in length, from the poisoned fish species. The other poisoned fish were all "domestic citizens of the United States."

Since ordinary Americans do not like to eat carp with too many spines, there seems to be no better way to eliminate them except "mass murder." But Asian carp are smart enough to know how to avoid fishing nets and won't take the bait easily. Some Americans say Asian carp actually taste good, and if they can be made into tasty, bone-free fish products, it might help humans "eliminate" this freshwater creature faster.

In some rivers in the United States, Asian carp account for 90% of the total fish population. At least three species of Asian carp have been found in the waters of the Great Lakes, including two in the waters of the United States and one in the waters of Canada. Although the U.S. government has set up defensive grids in rivers leading to the Great Lakes, it seems to have failed to effectively stop the carp from moving northward. In April 2010, a woman was attacked by carp while hunting Asian carp in the Illinois River in the United States. A carp suddenly jumped out of the water and slapped the woman in the face.

Asian carp is a well-known invasive species in the United States. It has invaded the Great Lakes of North America. This caused great panic among the American people, and the Asian carp issue even entered the White House agenda. The White House held a dedicated "Asian Carp Summit". Because American people believe that Asian carp will destroy the ecological balance, there is a movement to hunt Asian carp. Many people use bows and arrows to hunt the overpopulated Asian carp. The woman who was attacked was no exception. She was holding a bow and arrow and was preparing to hunt Asian carp. Unexpectedly, a brave Asian carp attacks her. The woman was caught off guard and was slapped hard in the face by an Asian carp, causing injuries.

Chris Brackett specially organized a sport called "Extreme Aerial Fishing", providing participants with bows and arrows and taking a speedboat to shoot Asian carp. Although the sport is growing in popularity, it is fraught with dangers, not only for the Asian carp but also for the hunters. It was Chris Brackett's fiancée Barnes who was suddenly attacked by an Asian carp.