Threat to our Shad Population from Asian Carp Species

[Nauticman]

I watched an "Outdoor World Fishing" show (6/8/12) on the Outdoor Channel (Comcast 731) which included a segment with Bill Dance fishing for catfish in the Mississippi River in Memphis. He talked about how the Silver and Big-Head carps are "crowding out" the Threadfin and Gizzard Shad populations in the Mississippi and the shad population has noticably declined. These carp grow to 60 and 90 lbs. respectively, multiply like crazy and compete for food with our shad and young gamefish. You might have seen videos of them jumping out of the water in front of moving boats, sometimes injuring the people in the boats. A new sport is to shoot them with a bow and arrow or hit them with a baseball bat in the air from a moving boat (how is that for a new redneck sport? LOL!). Bill Dance said they have now moved up the TN River as far as into Nickajack Lake. Not funny! To get more info, search "silver carp" on the TWRA website, "tnwildlife.org".

 

[Oldman]

what can be done to stop this?or at least slow it down.

 

[loneranger93]

That's not cool!

 

[shsimons]

Oh boy, I feel a little ill, and not just from my run.

 

[Oldman]

u r suppose to feel ill and weak because because u r a newly wed.lol

 

[shsimons]

thanks for the laugh Oldman! She hasn't sunk her teeth in too deep, yet......

 

[CATCHMAN]

I talked with a TVA biologist about this topic back in April. He said as of then, there is no stopping them. They were considering making a sterile gene an introducing it, but that could take years to work and maybe never work. They reproduce worse than rabbits and live a long time.