An Asian carp was found for the first time beyond electric barriers meant to keep the voracious invasive species out of the Great Lakes, state and federal officials said Wednesday, prompting renewed calls for swift action to block their advance.
Commercial fishermen landed the 3-foot-long, 20-pound bighead carp in Lake Calumet on Chicago's South Side, about six miles from Lake Michigan, according to the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.
Officials said they need more information to determine the significance of the find.
"The threat to the Great Lakes depends on how many have access to the lakes, which depends on how many are in the Chicago waterway right now," said John Rogner, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
But environmental groups said the discovery leaves no doubt that other Asian carp have breached barriers designed to prevent them from migrating from the Mississippi River system to the Great Lakes and proves the government needs to act faster.
"If the capture of this live fish doesn't confirm the urgency of this problem, nothing will," said Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes office.
For those of you not familiar with Asian carp, let this Illinoisan enlighten you. I have had first hand encounters with this fish here on the Illinois river and I can tell you they are some of the most wicked fish in the world. The bastards attack anything that moves on the surface of the water, many times jumping clear out of the water at you while you're on the boat. A few people have been killed because they've been hit so hard. Not only that, but they eat, and eat, and eat, and eat. These things have already taken over the entire river and if they get into Lake Michigan, there is no stopping them.
Just to give you an idea of how vicious the carp are here's a perfect example:
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