Flying carp approaching the Great Lakes

I believe I've posted this topic before, but the Star Tribune ran an updated article today, excerpted below:

CHICAGO - Fears that giant, voracious species of carp will get into the Great Lakes and wipe out other fish have led to rising demands that the government close the waterway connecting the lakes to the Mississippi River — an unprecedented step that could disrupt the movement of millions of tons of iron ore, coal, grain and other goods.

The dispute could become an epic clash of competing interests: commerce, environmentalists and fishermen... Environmentalists fear the fish, which consume up to 40 percent of their body weight daily in plankton, could starve out smaller and less aggressive competitors and cause the collapse of the $7 billion-a-year Great Lakes sport and commercial fishing industry...

The carp — which can grow to 4 feet long and 100 pounds and are known for leaping out of the water when boats are near — were imported by Southern fish farms but escaped into the Mississippi in large numbers during flooding in the 1990s and have been making their way northward ever since...

"This is an immediate threat to the Great Lakes, to our sport and commercial fishery, and as such it requires some emergency actions appropriate to the level of that threat," said Ken DeBeaussaert, director of Michigan's Office of the Great Lakes. "Closing the locks to prevent the possible spread of the Asian carp into the Great Lakes is an appropriate response on an emergency basis."

To fully appreciate the dramatic nature of this invasion, you need to see a video. The still image doesn't depict the gravity of the situation. Here is a brief (25-second) view of an infested body of water:

and here are some fishermen going out at night on the Illinois River. It starts slowly, and then... holy cow!

At the risk of sounding like a pessimistic curmudgeon, I think it's absolutely inevitable that the carp will reach the Great Lakes, because no matter what barriers are created, someone who disagrees with the barriers will physically transport some of the carp past the barrier and release them into the lakes.

Photo credit Ramin Rahimian, Star Tribune.

Update: Much more on the carp at The Conservation Report.