There is a great big debate over whether the Asian Carp should be considered a menace and about what we should do about them. Grass, Bighead, Black, and Silver Carp are all Asian carp species. According to Keith Lawrence of the Messenger-Inquirer, Carp are being made into fertilizer, and fish oil, as well as being sold to Asia as food products. However, the New York Times say that the Carp could easily put an end to the $7 million dollar fishing industry in the Great Lakes. Aside from economic reasons for keeping or eliminating them, the main reason to stop them from spreading is the fact that they threaten to collapse the entire ecosystem if they get out of control. Asian Carp are detrimental as an invasive species due to their adaptability, reproductive capability, their appetite, as well as their impact on native species.
First, the Asian Carp are all very adaptable when it comes to the conditions in which they can survive. Carp are able to survive in frozen lakes as long as they can reach the surface; they are also able to survive in very warm climates. Carp are also able to eat a broad variety of foods so they can get nutrition from things most fish can’t. The Asian Carp have a great capacity to hear sounds which make them cautious fish. The Carp range in weight from 40 lbs to 100lbs; this massive size and weight means that they have a small number of predators. Even though they are large fish, they are fairly bony, and the meat has very little market in America. When the oxygen in the water is in short supply the Carp can swallow air from the surface of the water, which means that they can live is small bodies of water such as swamps as well as large ones like lakes. With all of this it seems that Carp are some ...
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...hor for the Canadian immigration policy”. CBS News. August, 6, 2010.
Lawrence, Keith. “Asian Carp Currently a nuisance”. Messenger-Inquirer. August, 30, 2010.
Lyndersen, Kari. “Carp invasion may prompt changes to waterways”. New York Times. October, 17, 2010.
Online. http://www.absolutemichigan.com/dig/michigan/michigan-invasive-species-asian-carp/. December, 9, 2010.
Online. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/asiancarp/index.html. December, 8, 2010.
Online. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/commoncarp/index.html. December, 8, 2010.
Online. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cyprinus carpio. December, 8, 2010.
Online. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/silver_carp . December, 8, 2010.
Online. http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/invasive/asiancarp/. December, 8, 2010.
Online. http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek030301.html. December, 9, 2010.
...d when transoceanic ships drop anchor in freshwater ports. They have become an invasive species in North America, and as such they are the target of Federal policy to control them, for instance in the National Invasive Species Act (1996).
d. a. a. a. a. a Fisheries and Resource Stress in the 19th Century. Kennedy, Victor S. and Kent Mountford. a. The adage of the adage of the adage of the ad Human Influences on Aquatic Resources in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Stratchy.
In this entertaining, search into global fish hatcheries, New York Times writer Paul Greenberg investigates our historical connection with the ever changing ocean and the wild fish within it. In the beginning of the book Paul is telling his childhood fishing stories to his friends, that night Paul discovers that that four fish dominate the world’s seafood markets in which are salmon, tuna, cod, and bass. He tries to figure out why this is and the only logical answer he could come up with is that four epochal shifts caused theses wild fish population to diminish. History shows that four epochal shifts happen within fifteen years causing certain fish species populations to diminish. He discovers for each of the four fish why this happened to
Invasive species do not only affect other species in their ecosystem, but also cost the United States more than one hundred and twenty million dollars each year in damages (“Cost” par. 2). Invasive species come in all different forms, and all have a negative impact on the environment. These species can come into a new area without being detected at first, but as time goes on their effects can soon be seen. Efforts are being made to prevent these invasive species from destroying fish population and habitat, but in order to be successful they need to be done on a much larger scale. In order to protect Wisconsin's waters, which are already infected with many invasive species that cause great damage to our bodies of water, more actions need to be taken. It is vital to remove all invasive species from Wisconsin’s waters because it will improve fish habitat, native fish population, and water quality.
Overfishing may have some benefits to it, but does it out way the negatives? By fulfilling our demand we can wipe out our whole oceans! Not just the fish, but water mammals too. Sure it can create jobs, but as what cost? It can help bring up our economy, but at the same time it can bring it down with many fish companies closing down due to lack of profit. Fish is a great source of nutrients, but too much can kill you! In other words, fish can be both beneficial and harmful to not only humans, but everyone and everything surrounding fish. There are three things people can do to help with overfishing, the first thing is to be aware of what you are eating. Is the fish on the fear of extinction list? Also asking yourself is the fish you’re about to eat really the fish you intend to eat? Another thing to ask is, was it shipped over seas? If it was it doesn’t benefit anyone, it won’t help the economy or you. Many fish shipped from a long ways creates pollution and may have lost its nutrients value from the long voyage. One last thing to do is if you see a sewer with a sign leading to the ocean, try not to leave trash near it, or better yet don’t litter at all! All the litter left out on streets or near sewers can cause pollution in oceans, lakes, and rivers which is very harmful for marine life. You can still enjoy fish, but not at such a high demand as
Invasive species are organisms that harm a new environment that they are not native to. Many invasive species like Eurasian milfoil are easily able to reproduce and can do so fast. Due to this, the limited space in a body of water or area of land is quickly taken over by the invasive species so other native plants face the risk of death or even extinction. Overall, these invasive species can do great harm to an ecosystem or an economy, causing problems that are destructive to numerous organisms.
Pinkish in color, with spots on their eight fins and back, thin long body with an average weight of 23 kg and length up to 76 cm, and a distinct back fin called the adipose fin. They are saltwater fish which spawns in fresh water, travelling over 20,000 kilometers in the ocean with speeds of up to 50 km per hour. They can jump more than four meters to climb waterfalls and any obstacles they encounter in the water. The Northwest Salmon is one miraculous fish. However, Northwest Salmon are now on the verge of being protected under the Endangered Species Act due to their dramatic decline in their population in the Northwest region of the United States. Their declines in numbers are causing great problems for their surrounding ecosystem, those that rely on the salmon as a food source, and the fishing industry. All of which humans are contributing to all these by overfishing, either commercial or for sport, and the construction of dams on major rivers. Then with the attempt to fix this problem, fisheries, or farms for fish, end up genetically changing the fish and making them more vulnerable to predator fish. Predator fish that are nonindigenous to the rivers the salmon swim in. Eating the salmon’s food or in most cases, eating the salmon themselves. If all of these acts continue at full force, I predict that the Northwest Salmon will not be naturally running up and down our American rivers within the next 50 years if not everyone is totally aware of their situation.
Terrell (2015) states that the three inch delta smelt was decided to be in danger of going extinct a little more than twenty years ago. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has claimed that systems used by farmers to retrieve water from the delta have added to the dropping number of delta smelt. Conservationists think it is necessary for people and farmers to take their water from sources other than the delta in order to preserve the characteristics of the delta (Terrell, 2015). Dr. Peter Moyle of UC Davis stated in an interview,“We have 80 fish species in California, like the delta smelt, that are in trouble” (Cited in Terrell, 2015, p.12). Moyle insists that it is more than just the three inch delta smelt that is in danger, it is at least seventy-nine other species that need protecting as well. As interviewed by Siegler (2015), senior water rights farmer, Rudy Mussi knows the importance of the delta and preserving it, not just so he can use its water on his fields, but also to keep it alive for the future. It has been suggested that water be taken out of the delta and moved to farmers in the lower portion of California who have junior water rights (Siegler, 2015). The delta cannot be overused because it is important that the ratio of saltwater to freshwater stays the same in order to preserve the fish population. In 2014 the excess water that came from the delta, the environment in which the fish live, added up to almost two hundred fifty billion gallons of water or enough for over six and a half million people each year (“Water wars”, 2015) While these people cannot easily access this water source, some farmers are able to use limited amounts of water if they farm on the delta, creating an issue between the junior water rights farmers
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature the Channel Catfish is neither endangered nor at risk of being endangered. The Channel Catfish is raised at fish farms and is a very popular fish in regards to food. The Channel Catfish is the third most desired fish to catch in Texas behind the bass and crappie. The Channel Catfish is the most common catfish in North America. Studies taking place in Iowa have shown that the weight of catfish per mile of streams is anywhere between five hundred and five thousand pounds.
...tlanticcity.com>. Irwin, Neil. "Environmental groups pressure chefs on menus." Washington Post June 19, 2002. April 26, 2011 Miller, Michael. "Group says it won't move oyster farm to Delaware Bay" Press of Atlantic City, The. August 3, 2010. Press of Atlantic City online. Atlantic Cape Community College, Mays Landing, April 26, 2011 National Sea Grant Law Center. California Enacts Sustainable Oceans Act. 2006. University of Mississippi April 28, 2011. Naylor, Rosamon L.
Overfishing is a harmful practice, that will eventually lead to the collapse of aquatic ecosystems, if it’s not dealt with promptly. Overfishing emerges from the combination of our over consumptive society mixed with the great profits that come from hauling in a good catch. The consumers demand for fish in Japan seems to be at an increasingly high rate due to the enjoyment and cultural values that arise from sushi and other traditional dishes involving seafood. Approximately 23 percent of Japan’s protein intake comes from the ocean, and as a nation consumes 7.5 million tonnes of seafood annually. CITATION
Stewart, B. S., and S. G. Wilson. 2005. Threatened fishes of the world: Rhincodon typus (Smith 1828) (Rhincodontidae). Environ. Bio Of. Fishes. 74:184-185. (DOI:10.1007/s10641-005-2229-1).
Research from the University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that species in the ocean consume a projected 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic every year in the Pacific Ocean (Nall, 2014). Pollution of recyclable materials in the oceans is one of the leading causes of why some marine species are nearing extinction. Many authors of articles and books analyzing this topic tend to agree that pollution of our oceans is a problem. The future of this problem is where their ideas tend to differ. The following four literature reviews attempt to demonstrate and support my belief that pollution is getting worse in the ocean and more marine life ecosystems are being affected, but there are things that we as humans can do to change this. Imagine a world where we didn’t have to constantly worry about the vicious cycle of humans affecting animals and then animals in turn affecting us through consumption.
Ichthyologists say that there are more than 32,000 species of fishes discovered on Earth so far which is more than all the amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals combined. Still, new species are being discovered almost every day. Large areas beneath the ocean surface still remain unexplored. It is predicted that there might be more species of fish which are hidden from the eyes of humans till now. All fish differ in sizes. A fish can be as big as a 51 ft long Whale/Shark or as small as an 8mm Stout infant fish. Common type of fish include; gold-fish, Drum, Spadefish, Trout, Skate, Thalla, Tuna, Hogfish, Wahoo, Grunt, Monkfish, Roughy etc. Some organisms which are considered to be a fish actually do not fall into the category of fish. Examples include; shellfish, cuttlefish, starfish, crayfish and jellyfish.
Rogers, Peter. 2008. "Facing the Freshwater CRISIS. (Cover story)." Scientific American 299, no. 2: 46-53. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 4, 2010).