TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A scientific report says if Asian carp become established in Lake Erie, they eventually could make up about one-third of the lake’s combined fish weight and cause drop-offs in other fish species.
The study was based on computer modeling and interviews with experts on the invasive carp. It was conducted by scientists with several universities and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.
Bighead and silver carp were imported to the southern U.S. from Asia decades ago and have migrated northward. They eat tiny plants and animals that other fish need.
Lake Erie has the most abundant fish population of all the Great Lakes. The study says a successful Asian carp takeover could reduce numbers of walleye and rainbow trout, along with prey species including gizzard shad and emerald shiners.
