Asian carp confirmed in Black River below Clearwater Lake Dam

The invasive fish continue to spread throughout Missouri waters, threatening native species.

The top fish is a native gizzard shad. The lower fish is an invasive young silver carp. (MDC file photo)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) fisheries management biologists confirm the presence of a silver carp, one of three species of invasive Asian carp, in the Black River, just below the Clearwater Lake Dam, near Piedmont.

“We knew Asian carp were numerous in the lower Black River near the confluence with the White River,” said Paul Cieslewicz, MDC fisheries management biologist. “This is the first we’ve seen or heard of them being near Clearwater Lake.”

Silver carp are large bodied fish with small scales, a large head, and an upturned mouth. When compared to bighead carp, the head is relatively smaller and the eyes higher on the head. The species competes with native species in large rivers, floodplain pools and reservoirs. Silver carp are native to big rivers of eastern Asia and were introduced in the United States to help improve water quality in wastewater treatment plants by feeding on very small plankton.

Silver carp specifically compete with native plankton eaters, including paddlefish and gizzard shad. Gizzard shad are a vital food source for an abundance of native fish throughout the state. The negative effect of silver carp on these native fish is detrimental to the overall health of Missouri’s waterways, according to Cieslewicz.

MDC and its partners are trying to contain the spread of this fish in Missouri.  Cieslewicz said people can help in this effort by following the Wildlife Code of Missouri and not using them as live bait. Asian carp should not be collected, transferred or dumped in Missouri waters.

For more information on Asian carp, go online to mdc.mo.gov.

Invasive black carp weren’t supposed to be capable of reproducing, but they are

Black carp are just one species of invasive Asian carp
that are found in many rivers in Missouri. (MDC photo)

Population growth threatens native species, but everyone can help prevent it.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Researchers with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) report the first documented evidence of invasive black carp reproduction in the wild in North America. This means big problems for native river species, according to MDC Resource Scientist Quinton Phelps.

“The finding of reproductive-capable black carp means their population will expand possibly unchecked,” Phelps said.

The finding resulted after two small unidentified carp were collected in a ditch directly connected to the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau in November. After genetic analysis, they were determined to be juvenile black carp and were also tested to determine their reproductive capability. Both juvenile black carp were found to be capable of reproduction. Scientists are able to determine future reproductive capability of juvenile fish through chromosome analysis.

Black carp are just one species of invasive Asian carp that are found in many rivers in Missouri. They originally arrived in the United States mistakenly in shipments of grass carpand were introduced into farm ponds first for control of parasites, then as a food fish. When they were introduced, regulations specified they be altered so they could not reproduce. Due to flooding, and cases of accidental release in bait buckets, they’ve spread in recent decades and thrive in many rivers.

This newly confirmed information about their reproductive capability suggests there are likely more adults present in the river than biologists originally anticipated, Phelps said, which is a big problem. Invasive species in Missouri can be detrimental to the survival of native species. For example, Asian carp compete with native fish species for food sources. They’re voracious eaters of native mussels, which are a vital species to the health of river habitat.

“Given that many of our mussel populations in the state are currently in jeopardy, additional consumption by black carp could drastically reduce their numbers,” Phelps said.

Nearly two-thirds of the 65 species of mussels found in Missouri are of conservation concern. These freshwater mussels are filter feeders, meaning they clean impurities from the water. They provide food for native muskrats, raccoons, river otters, some birds, and many native fish species. Through their gills, mussels filter out small particles from the water and transform them into food for fish and other animals.

Black carp consumption of native mussels and competition with native species could lead to an overall poor water quality system, directly affecting humans as well as native fish.

Although this news paints a discouraging picture, Phelps said it doesn’t mean the fight is over against black carp. Instead, he said everyone can get involved in reducing their spread by avoiding accidentally introducing the species into new bodies of water when they dump bait, ensuring stocked fish come from licensed vendors, and sharing information about these practices with others.

Black carp sightings should be reported to the MDC, either by contacting a fisheries biologist at the Southeast Regional Office at (573)290-5730, or by contacting Phelps and his colleagues at the Big Rivers and Wetlands Field Station in Jackson at (573)243-2659. For general information about black carp, go online to http://mdc.mo.gov/node/10336.

Conservation Department teaches fish cleaning, cooking at Cape Riverfront Market

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Fish cleaning and cooking may not be an intuitive skill, but it’s Saturday, Oct. 25, at 8:45, 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. Knuth will even have samples of the fish for the crowd to taste.

easy to learn. Dave Knuth, a fisheries management biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), will demonstrate how to properly clean and cook catfish, crappie and Asian carp at the Cape Riverfront Market,

“This is an opportunity for people who aren’t comfortable cleaning fish to see how easy it really is, and also for folks to try a taste of these fish,” Knuth said.

He said the trick to cleaning a fish is getting to know its internal structure.

“There are specific ways to clean different species of fish. For example, Asian carp have a very different bone structure than many of our native fish,” he said.

Knuth said these demonstrations are an effort to inform people of the benefits of properly cleaning fish and also to gain awareness for the invasive Asian carp. Asian carp populations are growing in many of our large rivers and are competing with some of our native fish, he said.

“Asian carp, specifically the silver carp, are not only causing declines in some of our native fish populations, but can also to be a  danger to boaters in the waters where they exist,” Knuth said.

Silver carp jump when they are frightened and many times will jump into the boat.

“I used to wear a football helmet to keep from getting hit in the head by them,” he said.

Knuth said Missourians can be an integral part in reducing the numbers of Asian carp by harvesting them. Knuth also said that because Asian carp are an invasive species, there’s no limit to how many anglers can keep. He and other conservation officials hope once people know how to clean and cook the troublesome fish, they will “kill the species with a fork.” The first step is getting people to try it and learn how to prepare it. Knuth said Asian carp have a very white and flaky meat and some even prefer it over tilapia or catfish.

“Sometimes people just need to see something firsthand to get the hang of it,” Knuth said, adding he will also take the time to interact with the crowd and answer questions.

Fishing is a time-honored tradition in Missouri and a great way to discover nature as a family. Educational programs like fish cleaning demonstrations help to continue that tradition for future generations.

The Cape Riverfront Market is open on Saturdays from  8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the parking lot at 35 S. Spanish, next to Celebrations Downtown and across from Bel-Air Bar & Grill. For more information about the Cape Riverfront Market, please visit caperiverfrontmarket.com.

For more information on where to fish or how to clean and cook fish, go online to mdc.mo.gov.

Record fish a reminder of unwanted “successes”

Image via Wikipedia

106-pound fish was never supposed to swim free in Missouri.

CAMDENTON–Gene Swope, Excelsior Springs, and his grandsons will always remember April 23, 2011, as the day they set a Missouri State fishing record. Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson shares their excitement, but he has mixed emotions about the monster fish that earned them a place in the record book.

Swope was snagging for paddlefish with grandsons Garron Grass and Justin Swope near the Old Oar House Inn at Lake of the Ozarks when he snagged a 106-pound bighead carp. A 35-minute tussle ensued. When Swope finally brought in the 4-foot, 8-inch fish, it took the combined strength of all three anglers to wrestle it into the boat.

Fisheries Management Biologist Tory Mason verified the fish’s weight on a scale at the Lawson Agri-Services. The catch easily eclipsed Missouri’s previous record of 80 pounds for a bighead carp caught through snagging or other “alternative methods.”

Branson, who administers the state fishing records program for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), said the bighead carp is classified as a nongame fish. Snagging is a legal method for taking nongame fish in Missouri, but it is not a method allowed under the rules of the International Game Fish Association. Consequently, Swope’s fish does not qualify as a world record, even though it outweighs the existing record by 16 pounds.

According to Branson, bighead carp are not known to spawn successfully in lakes or ponds. They need current to suspend their eggs in the water during development. The fact that anglers are not catching any young bighead carp at Lake of the Ozarks is a good sign.

“Bighead carp are an invasive Asian species,” said Branson. “This is an example of how invasive species can thrive outside of their native environment, and the importance of preventing their spread. At least anglers are removing some of these from the lake, and that’s good news.”

Good news, said Branson, because bighead carp and other invasive species have the potential to upset the ecological balance in Missouri waters. The consequences for popular species, like paddlefish, bass and crappie, could be serious. The presence of Asian carp in Missouri waters also has implications for other forms of recreation, such as boating and skiing. Bighead carp are close relatives of silver carp, which have become notorious for their habit of jumping several feet in the air when passed by watercraft. Human injuries have grown more common as Asian carp spread and multiply.

Tim Banek is MDC’s invasive species coordinator. He said anglers have an important role in preventing the spread of invasive species. One thing they can do to prevent the spread of Asian carp is not to move baitfish from one lake to another or release them alive.

“Many different kinds of fish look like minnows when they are small,” said Banek. “It is easy for a few invasive fish to get mixed in with baitfish. If any of those get loose, they can start a completely new infestation. It’s important for anglers to obtain minnows and other bait locally and dispose of unused bait properly.”

He said proper disposal means putting bait into the trash, rather than dumping it in the water or on the ground. More information about invasive species in Missouri is available at www.mdc.mo.gov/node/10244/.

-Jim Low-