{"id":11487,"date":"2020-05-01t05:30:42","date_gmt":"2020-05-01t05:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/the-big-catch-that-got-away-hope-lingers-as-covid-19-puts-midwestern-invasive-fish-prevention-on-the-bench\/"},"modified":"2020-05-01t05:30:42","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01t05:30:42","slug":"invasive-fish-prevention-covid19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/invasive-fish-prevention-covid19\/","title":{"rendered":"the big catch that got away: hope lingers as covid-19 puts midwestern invasive fish prevention on the bench"},"content":{"rendered":"
fishermen caught more than 50 asian carp<\/a> in the upper mississippi river basin in mid-march \u2013 the largest catch in previously non-infected waters. now, state governments decided officials usually on the frontline of carp containment are \u201cnonessential workers\u201d, meaning they\u2019re under a shelter in place order in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, creating uncertain danger for carp-free waters.<\/p>\n \u201cthis latest capture is disturbing,\u201d said mark fritts, a u.s. fish and wildlife services ecologist based in lacrosse, wisconsin. \u201cwe’ve never seen that many fish caught at the same time in this region.\u201d<\/p>\n in the upper mississippi and illinois rivers, asian carp reproduce rapidly, have no natural competitors and out-compete native fish for food supply and space, which devastates native fish populations \u2013 in some streams, they make up 75% of fish biomass<\/a>. asian carp, which can weigh between 60 and 110 pounds, are also notorious for jumping up to three meters out of the water when spooked by boat motors or loud sounds \u2013 creating a public safety risk and threatening a $7-billion <\/a>sport-fishing market.<\/p>\n despite prevention measures, like government-contracted asian carp fisherman and dam barriers, asian carp have been slowly spreading upstream to the upper mississippi river and the great lakes. prior to this, fritts believed that most of the population in the upper mississippi river was confined below the quad-city region in illinois and iowa. now, he\u2019s not so sure.<\/p>\n james lamer, a large river ecologist with the illinois natural history survey, said heavy flooding in the mississippi river basin last spring may have caused the fish to spawn upstream.<\/p>\n or, it could\u2019ve been sheer luck.<\/p>\n