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By: Sam Norman, Staff Member
“It's incredible what the fish are doing to our waterways. Not only is it predatory, but the safety issue with boaters and skiers. Those things jump. ... Once a waterway is infested, they multiply at an alarming rate and weed out all the other fish. They have the potential to totally wreck our major waterways."
-State Senator Joe Bowen[1]
Asian Carp are two different large species of carp know as Bighead Asian Carp and Silver Asian Carp.[2] Asian Carp have settled in freshwater ecosystems all across the United States, including Kentucky.[3] Asian Carp pose a problem to many jurisdictions because they are incredibly damaging to the ecosystem, reproduce at an alarmingly quick rate, have almost no natural predators in North America, and can harm recreations boaters and their property (boats).[4] Asian Carp are very damaging to the ecosystem because they can eat five to twenty percent of their body weight a day in plankton, algae, and other tiny organisms.[5] When this essential part of the food chain is removed so quickly from the environment it causes devastating consequences for other aquatic life.[6] When boats pass over waters that contain Asian Carp, this causes Silver Asian Carp to jump into the air.[7] Since these fish can weigh anywhere from thirty to forty pounds, this can create potential injuries for boaters and their property.[8] Thus, Asian Carp pose a very serious threat to Kentucky’s freshwater ecosystems in more ways than one.
In order to control Asian Carp populations Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), has implemented a well-rounded multilayered strategy.[9] This strategy includes: a ban on Asian Carp, working with other states in the region to slow the spread of Asian Carp into new waters, educating fisherman on the issue, lobbying federal and state government for financial support, laying a framework for a viable commercial fishing industry in Kentucky, and most importantly, issuing a regulation that allows for commercial fishing of Asian Carp.[10] This is known as the Asian Carp Harvest Program.[11] This regulation allows for limited commercial fishing of Asian Carp if the fisherman has met the qualifications for program participation and abides by the requirements set forth after qualification is met.[12] These requirements include releasing by catch, providing summary information about the catch, etc.[13] As with any policy, this course of action has its advantages and disadvantages. The most important advantage is that commercial fishing is currently the only effective, meaningful way to control Asian Carp populations.[14] Additionally, the framework for a commercial fishing industry is in place in Kentucky and the surrounding region, and there is a market for Asian Carp in Europe and Asia.[15] The disadvantages include the possibility that this could lead to the further spread of Asian Carp because some would want to introduce them into new waters for financial gain.[16] Another concern is that this could lead to a deep decline in the Asian Carp population and ultimately endangered species protection.[17]
With an Asian Carp population that is growing bigger everyday, these concerns have to be dismissed as speculative. KDFWR should continue implementing this strategy because the initial signs show that the commercial fishing has been a success;[18] it’s well rounded, it’s a perfect balance between competing interests, and it turns lemons into lemonade. With this plan and the resolve of the people of Kentucky, I am confident the Asian Carp problem will be solved.
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[1] Janet Patton, Large Asian carp jump, breed quickly — and they're invading Kentucky's waters, kentucky.com (Jan. 1, 2013), http://www.kentucky.com/2013/01/01/2461567/large-asian-carp-jump-breed-quickly.html.
[2] Asian Carp Frequently Asked Questions, Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, http://www.asiancarp.us/faq.htm (last visited Jan. 18, 2014).
[3] Asian Carp Information, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Asian-Carp-Information.aspx (last visited Jan. 18, 2014).
[4] Asian Carp Frequently Asked Questions, Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, http://www.asiancarp.us/faq.htm (last visited Jan. 18, 2014).
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] Asian Carp Information, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Asian-Carp-Information.aspx (last visited Jan. 18, 2014).
[8] Asian Carp Frequently Asked Questions, Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, http://www.asiancarp.us/faq.htm (last visited Jan. 18, 2013).
[9] Asian Carp Information, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Asian-Carp-Information.aspx (last visited Jan. 18, 2014).
[10] Asian Carp Information, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Asian-Carp-Information.aspx (last visited Jan. 18, 2014); 301 Ky. Admin. Regs. 1:122 (4)(1)(a-b)(2013).
[11] Asian Carp Information, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Asian-Carp-Information.aspx (last visited Jan. 18, 2014).
[12] 301 Ky. Admin. Regs. 1:152 (2)(1-4)(2013).
[13] 301 Ky. Admin. Regs. 1:152 (3)(6)( 8)(2013).
[14] Asian Carp Information, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Asian-Carp-Information.aspx (last visited Jan. 18, 2014).
[15] Id.
[16] Id.
[17] Id.
[18] Id.