| Asian Carp in Alabama | |
|
Joe
Jernigan, District
IV Fisheries Biologist, Montgomery, Alabama
Alabama's Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Large
numbers of Asian carp in our rivers could also adversely impact native mussel
populations. Alabama has the
largest diversity of mussels of any State, but many of these species are already
threatened or endangered due primarily to habitat loss.
The presence of a large planktivore like these Asian carp could
dramatically impact threatened mussels by reducing the amount of food available.
An even greater concern for mussels and other native mollusks would be the introduction of an additional Asian carp in our State’s waters, the black carp. Black carp, which look remarkably like grass carp but with darker fins, primarily eat mollusks such as snails. Catfish production ponds are sometimes subjected to outbreaks of parasites, which kill fish. Snails are an intermediate host for some of the parasites. By stocking black carp, catfish farmers could reduce the numbers of parasites on their fish by reducing the snail population, thus disrupting the parasite’s lifecycle. If these black carp escape from the ponds, just as the bighead and silver carp have, they will begin feeding on a variety of native mollusk species in our river systems with potentially devastating results. Black carp are also known to host at least 32 disease-causing agents, the impacts of which have yet to be fully assessed. Black carp have already escaped into the Mississippi River system from a fish farm in Arkansas.
Thankfully,
current Alabama regulations do not allow black carp to be imported, possessed,
or released into our State. Another
factor working in our favor is that all of these species of Asian carp need very
long stretches of moderately flowing water to successfully reproduce.
These spawning requirements can be met in some large midwestern rivers
but it is hoped that there are no suitable stretches of river in Alabama.
Although only large specimens have been collected, if any of these Asian
carp are naturally reproducing in Alabama it could cause a significant change in
our native fish populations. Due to
the natural reproduction that is occurring in the Mississippi and Missouri
Rivers, fisheries biologists estimate that bighead and silver carp now make up
more than 6 percent of the commercial harvest for certain areas and have
displaced many native species.
Asian
carp are apparently much more of a threat to the Mississippi and Missouri
drainages than they are to the rivers of Alabama at this time.
If black carp are introduced or reproduction of bighead or silver carp is
discovered however, these fish have the ability to compete and potentially
displace native riverine fishes and mollusks.
Due to the relative lack
of information concerning Asian carp in Alabama’s rivers any information that
anglers can provide on exotic Asian carp captured would be very important.
If you catch a strange looking carp please contact your local District
Fisheries Office immediately.
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