Silver Carp Control Methods

[itrebebag99]

What is everyone out there's opinion on the best method for controlling populations of silver and bighead carp? There is a lot people saying that a food market for them should be started. I think many Americans will have a problem with eating fish fillets with so many bones. Also, the small amount that is consumed probably won't be enough to reduce populations effectively. It is possible to mince the meat (including the mud vein) off the bones, and then using the result as a processed meat additive, and I think this is more practical.

In my opinion, the DNR should have a annual/ biannual cull, where they seine entire sections of river. They should then corral the fish using the seine net into shallow water, where volunteers will sort the native buffalo, white bass, drum, etc from the Asian carp (care should be taken not to injure the native fish). Ideally many culls should occur at the same time, to more dramatically affect the population (I assume removing a few carp frequently would not be as effective as removing large numbers of carp infrequently). The objective is to reduce the carp population as fast as possible, to make it harder for the population to rebound. What does everyone out there think?

 

[J. H.]

What is everyone out there's opinion on the best method for controlling populations of silver and bighead carp? There is a lot people saying that a food market for them should be started. I think many Americans will have a problem with eating fish fillets with so many bones. Also, the small amount that is consumed probably won't be enough to reduce populations effectively. It is possible to mince the meat (including the mud vein) off the bones, and then using the result as a processed meat additive, and I think this is more practical.

In my opinion, the DNR should have a annual/ biannual cull, where they seine entire sections of river. They should then corral the fish using the seine net into shallow water, where volunteers will sort the native buffalo, white bass, drum, etc from the Asian carp (care should be taken not to injure the native fish). Ideally many culls should occur at the same time, to more dramatically affect the population (I assume removing a few carp frequently would not be as effective as removing large numbers of carp infrequently). The objective is to reduce the carp population as fast as possible, to make it harder for the population to rebound. What does everyone out there think?

Great idea if you can get the volunteers.
I think that while we need to slow the invasion, we need to learn to live with it. Noone complains about 'common carp', goldfish, brown trout, rock pigeons, rats, European mice, gypsy moths, Japanese beetles that eat your potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, Chinese mystery snails, European sparrows and swans, Longhorn beetles and many others anymore. Nothing short of atomic warfare will dispose of them so people just deal with it.

 

[Chockful O Phail]

Great idea if you can get the volunteers.
I think that while we need to slow the invasion, we need to learn to live with it. Noone complains about 'common carp', goldfish, brown trout, rock pigeons, rats, European mice, gypsy moths, Japanese beetles that eat your potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, Chinese mystery snails, European sparrows and swans, Longhorn beetles and many others anymore. Nothing short of atomic warfare will dispose of them so people just deal with it.

While the others you have mentioned there are harmful to the environment, the Asian carp the op is probably referring to is significantly more dangerous due to its propensity to spook and jump that added to the heavy population and size of the fish makes boating and other leisure activities.on those rivers extremely dangerous. Not to mention the eco damage.

 

[FLA]

If a commercial fishery were economically viable it would already exist. Clearly even using the fish as fish meal isn't worth it, and processing costs for human consumption are too high to be worth investing in a plant to try to sell a new and stigmatized fish to the public. As popular as Tilapia is the limited commercial fishery in Florida makes no impact on populations. Aquaculture fish are the vast majority of the products on the market because it is cheaper to produce and control in house. That is far easier than spending gas to run a boat, pay someone for their time to harvest the fish, remove protected bycatch, then bring it to a processor where the fish is still seen as inferior due to off flavor compounds in the meat.

I think it will take a genetically modified carp using gene drive technology. The fish will likely produce sterile offspring or eggs that cannot get through all stages of development similar to what Oxitec did with Aedes aegypti. Unfortunately there is more fear of a logical targeted solution than of the actual problem. Sure once you open that box it is hard to close, but it isn't any harder than getting the fish out of the river to begin with. This technology should be used on non-natives in many situations. It has very little opportunity to miss it's target. One of the big arguments with Aedes Aegypti is how will bats and other predators survive without their prey. They will survive the same way they did before it was introduced here.

 

[J. H.]

While the others you have mentioned there are harmful to the environment, the Asian carp the op is probably referring to is significantly more dangerous due to its propensity to spook and jump that added to the heavy population and size of the fish makes boating and other leisure activities.on those rivers extremely dangerous. Not to mention the eco damage.

I cannot imagine how any animal can be more harmful to the environment or human life than a rat, unless it is a mosquito.

 

[itrebebag99]

There is some research being done into carp-specific poison to control there populations, too.

 

[Galantspeedz]

Sounds racist lol