2010

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Mission

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and com- mitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov. MIDWEST REGION Hot Topic: Asian Carp

1 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Background

What are Asian carp? treatment facilities. Asian carp could have a Periodic flooding since devastating effect on the There are three species that time allowed these Great Lakes ecosystem of Asian carp that are fish to escape into the and a significant considered invasive and Mississippi River basin economic impact on a threat to the Great and migrate into the the $7 billion fishery. Lakes - the bighead, Missouri and Illinois Once in Lake Michigan, silver and black carp. rivers. this invasive species Quick Facts Silver and bighead carp could access many new • Seven carps native to Asia have are filter-feeding fish Why are they a tributaries connected to been introduced into the United and consume plant and problem? the Great Lakes. These States. animal plankton at an fish aggressively compete alarming rate. Bighead Asian carp are a problem with native commercial • The common usage of the term carp can grow to very because of their feeding and sport fish for food. “Asian carp” in the United States large sizes of over five and spawning habits. They are well suited to has come to include only the four feet in length and can Bighead carp are capable the water temperature, carps most recently introduced: weigh 100 pounds or of consuming 40% of food supply, and lack of bighead carp, black carp, grass more. Black carp differ their own body weight predators of the Great carp and silver carp. in that they consume in food each day. Silver Lakes and could quickly primarily mollusks, and carp are smaller, but become the dominant • Three additional carps native threaten native mussel pose a greater danger species. Once in the lake, to Asia have been introduced and benthic-feeding fish to recreational users it would be very difficult into the Untied States but are populations. because of their tendency to control them. not commonly included in the to jump out of the water collective term “Asian carps” - Where did they come when disturbed by common carp, goldfish, and crucian from? boat motors. They have carp severely impacted fishing Asian carp were and recreation on the • Bighead, black, and grass carp originally imported to the Illinois River. They can have commercial applications and southern United States spawn multiple times are in trade in the United States. in the 1970s to help each year and can quickly Silver carp are not presently improve water quality out-compete native cultured in the United States , in ponds on aquaculture species by disrupting the largely because of their jumping and wastewater food chain. habits and poor handling qualities during production, harvest and transport. Bighead carp

Silver carp

1 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service The Great Lakes

• The Great Lakes ecosystem is the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world.

• The Great Lakes ecosystem is an extensive watershed (288,000 square miles) with 5,000 tributaries and 9,000 miles of shoreline.

• Fish species of special interest within the ecosystem include: Lake trout, Brook trout, Lake sturgeon, Yellow perch, Lake whitefish, Muskellunge, Walleye , Chinook salmon, Quick Facts and Coho salmon. • The Great Lakes ecosystem provides important migration corridors and critical breeding, feeding, and resting areas for numerous species of migratory and resident birds - especially waterfowl, colonial nesting birdsand neotropical migrants.

• The Great Lakes contribute $7 billion to the economy through commercial and sport fishing, and an additional $8 to $10 billion through recreational boating.

Silver carp

2 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Current Situation

CSSC Barrier In January 2010 new Silver carp DNA was detected in the North Shore The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal • What is eDNA? Channel near the Wilmette pumping (CSSC) Aquatic Nuisance Species station and near the Mouth of the Dispersal Barrier is an electric barrier Environmental DNA testing Calumet River and Calumet Harbor. that prevents non-indigenous aquatic (eDNA) was developed at the species that use the CSSC from moving University of Notre Dame to While these tests indicate the from the Mississippi River to the Great improve monitoring of invasive possibility of live fish in the area Lakes and vice versa. species. where positive tests have been found, no live Asian carp have been found eDNA Sampling All fish, including Asian carp, above the electrical Barrier system. release DNA into the environment. During 2002 monitoring efforts, Asian The presence of individual species carp were detected in the upper can be detected by filtering water Illinois River, just 60 miles from Lake samples, and then extracting and Michigan. In 2009, by using a new amplifying short fragments of the method called eDNA testing, silver shed DNA. carp DNA was detected considerably closer, within the Lockport Pool (Des Plaines River, and I&M Canal).

3 U.U. S.S. FishFish andand WildlifeWildlife ServiceService Rapid Response Plan

Asian Carp Rapid Response demonstration barrier while the more crews, Incident Command staff, and Workgroup powerful Barrier IIA was taken down fish pathologists. The application of for maintenance. Illinois Department of rotenone and a detoxifying agent was In late 2009, the Asian Carp Rapid Natural Resources (IDNR), U.S. Coast successful. The Service also provided Response Work Group developed and Guard (USCG), U.S. Environmental representation on the Executive Work implemented a Rapid Response Plan to Protection Agency (USEPA), U.S. Group and Rapid Response oversight. address the positive Asian carp eDNA Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), samples in conjunction with the U.S. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service During the Rapid Response effort in Army Corps of Engineers’ scheduled (USFWS), worked in conjunction with December 2009, one Bighead Asian maintenance of an electric barrier that local agencies to apply rotenone to a carp was discovered nearly 500 feet historically has prevented carp from 5.7 mile stretch of the canal to kill all above the Lockport Lock. Biologists moving north (Barrier IIA). Barrier Asian carp in the area. Rotenone is a with the workgroup believe there is a IIA is scheduled to undergo routine toxicant applied in ponds and lakes as high probability that additional Asian maintenance every four to six months. a tool to sample fish populations or to carp were killed during the toxicant Maintenance was done in April 2009 completely eradicate undesirable fish application but may not have been when Barrier IIA was put into full time populations, and is approved for fishery found. operation. The Rapid Response was uses by the USEPA. necessary to account for the barrier shut down during the scheduled USFWS provided personnel, assets maintenance in December 2009. and expertise to support these lead agencies during the Dec. 2009 Rapid Rotenone Application December 2009 Response operation on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The agency Rotenone application was chosen as provided personnel including 54 the best option for keeping Asian carp Service employees including chemical from breaching the lower voltage applicators, vessel and on shore

4 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rapid Response Efforts

During the Rapid Response effort in December 2009, one Bighead Asian carp was discovered nearly 500 feet above the Lockport Lock. Biologists with the workgroup believe there is a high probability that additional Asian carp were killed during the toxicant application but may not have been found.

5 U.U. S.S. FishFish andand WildlifeWildlife ServiceService Future Actions

Asian Carp Regional Coordinating participating agencies to pinpoint • Accelerate development of an Committee the exact location and numbers of integrated pest management carp. Current eDNA testing does program for Asian carps that In light of new positive eDNA results, not yet provide this information. focuses, in the immediate future, an Asian Carp Regional Coordinating on delivery systems for approved Committee has formed, led by the • Planning to develop the concept chemicals designed to target only USEPA Great Lakes National Program of how existing structures, such these species; and Office, with primary involvement by as locks, could be operated in a way USFWS, USACE, USCG and IDNR. that would minimize the risk of • Continued efforts to assess Near term response actions by the carp migration while the USCG, “ecological separation” as a Asian Carp Regional Coordinating local public safety and emergency long-term strategy that blocks Committee include: responders, needed cargo, and invasive species from transferring other traffic transits the waterway; between the Great Lakes and • Rapid deployment of intensive Mississippi River watersheds netting, including electrofishing • Expedited construction of new while still allowing cargo and and specialized netting electric dispersal Barrier IIB “clean traffic” to pass, leveraging alternatives, in the area near to complement existing barriers, the USACE’s Great Lakes and O’Brien Lock to reduce the and severance of culverts and Mississippi River Interbasin possibility that a self-sustaining other bypass routes in the event Transfer Study. population might be established. of flooding, that might allow carp entry from adjacent waterways. • Continued research into Interim obstructions will be scientific advances to apply completed this year; detection systems that will allow

6 U.U. S.S. FishFish andand WildlifeWildlife ServiceService U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Activities

Asian Carp Control Strategy Great Lakes basin. Actions of the Plan Additionally, USFWS will provide up Framework are focused on: 1) containment, 2) to $11 million (through FY2010 GLRI control and extirpation of wild fish, 3) appropriation) to support Great Lakes- USFWS has been working in minimizing impacts, 4) education and focused actions identified in approved collaboration with Federal, State, outreach, 5) research, and 6) adaptive State Aquatic Nuisance Species Provincial, non-governmental, industry, management Management Plans. and academic partners on finalizing the Asian Carp Control Strategy Seven Goals of the Plan: USFWS will also begin implementing Framework (Strategy), focused the specific high-priority actions on preventing the introduction and • Prevent accidental and deliberate identified in the Great Lakes establishment of Asian carp in the unauthorized introductions component of the U.S. Plan through Great Lakes. Bighead, silver, grass, of bighead, black, grass, and the use of some GLRI funds. However, and black carps are included under the silver carps in the United States currently no designated funds have definition of “Asian carp”. (strategies to manage 22 pathways been authorized and appropriated for accidental or deliberate by Congress specifically to support Development of the Strategy has unauthorized introductions of implementation of the U.S. Plan. been led by the USEPA Great Lakes Asian carps are presented within National Program Office, with primary this plan). involvement by USFWS, USACE, USCG and IDNR. • Contain and control the expansion of feral populations of USFWS activities within the bighead, black, grass, and silver framework include: carps in the United States.

• Intensive field monitoringfor • Extirpate, or reduce to levels Asian carps in priority locations of insignificant effect, feral within southern Lake Michigan and populations of bighead, black, tributaries (including canals); grass, and silver carps in the United States. • Administration of competitive and noncompetitive funding • Minimize potential adverse opportunities to support carp effects of feral bighead, black, prevention/control research and grass, and silver carps in the other related activities (using United States. appropriations for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), • Provide information to the the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife public, commercial entities, and Restoration Act, and the Wildlife government agencies to improve and Sport Fish Restoration effective management and control Program); and of bighead, black, grass, and silver carps in the United States. • Implementation and enforcement of the Lacey Act • Conduct research to provide (including pursuing “injurious accurate and scientifically valid species” listing for bighead carp). information necessary for the effective management and control Additionally, the USFWS Midwest of bighead, black, grass, and silver Region has been designated as the carps in the United States. agency lead in implementing the Management and Control Plan • Effectively plan, implement, and for Bighead, Black, Grass, and evaluate management and control Silver Carps in the U.S. (U.S. Plan), efforts for bighead, black, grass, completed in 2007. A subset of the 133 and silver carps in the United priority management actions contained States. within the Plan specifically addresses the challenge of Asian carp in the 7 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Activities

USFWS Midwest Region Commitment

• On-the-ground field presence USFWS currently has fishery biologists surveying and electrofishing the North Shore Sanitary Canal. In addition to this immediate effort,USFWS will continue to provide on-the ground support to carry out surveying and monitoring efforts, in addition to future actions developed in the near and longterm in partnership with the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.

• Rapid Response ready USFWS stands ready to assist future Rapid Response efforts at the request of State and Federal partner agencies.

• Funding mechanisms USFWS has funding mechanisms in place dedicated to the fight against Asian carp. That includes funding primarily from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through USEPA. Service grant programs including the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act also provide grant opportunities.

Latest information: www.asiancarp.org/rapidresponse

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