Carp Preservation...WHAT???

[Brianlocal3]

I am with you on that Don.  Utilize the resource

[Stone Knife]

He must have a screw loose or something of sorts.

[meathead]

Carp are non-native invasives.  They provide very little benifit to any of our river systems.  You should really be concerned that it is hunter/fisherman money that is paying his salary.

[don kauss]

Does one (seriously?) have to have a screw loose to respect the game we pursue? ANY game...I can't believe that my mentioning respect for a species would cause alarm to anyone...???!!?

[Easykeeper]

They are a non-native species.  Their feeding habits ruined several of the premier duck hunting lakes in western Minnesota to mention only one instance of their destructiveness.  At least in Minnesota it is illegal to return them to the water.

Unfortunately they are now part of the North American environment but an unwelcome and invasive one.  I doubt they could be eradicated in any practical manner.

[ron w]

Carp out weigh the number of folks who bow fish for them so I don't think you could ever hurt the population. I say have at it if you like to do that kind'a thing. I just don't know what I would do with them so I don't go very often. Have fun!

[gregg dudley]

Originally posted by don kauss:
At the risk of going against the grain, I am going to add another perspective;

Who decides that ANY given species is "trash?" And furthermore, what are the parameters for the decision? Because, if it's based on categories like "invasive" and "competing with native species" and "fast reproduction," I doubt there is any species more deserving than our own race.

I don't intend to start an argument, but it seems to me that all living things deserve our respect. Those are my thoughts, and you can keep the penny.

Let's take the Florida Everglades:

Invasive/non-native insects established and breeding 1000 plus varieties.

Invasive/non-native animals established and breeding 192 named varieties.

Plants?  There are only 1301 Native species identified.  There are 1392 Invasive/non-native varieties of which about 100 are listed as Category I and 12 of those are at the top of the list for eradication and destruction because of the rate that they spread and the damage they do.

Who identifies threats?  Science

It is a fitting thing to respect plants and animals in their native habitat.  It is also fitting to respect all life on some level.  

Comparing the nature of animals and humans makes for an interesting conversation, but the dangers of developing anthropomorhphic alternative reality is only outweighed by the danger of denying the place of man in the food chain.

I had a long conversation with a biologist once about the polution rates in an river because of the low water.  He read me an official release about how the fish were safe to eat three times.  Then I asked him if he was fishing that river. He said "sure, the fishing has been great." I asked "Are you eating them?" He said " Hell no, have you seen what is holding up what little water we have?"  He was referring to a packing plant that was cheating, and two small towns that had permission to dump sewage because their sewer systems were shot. When they were not dumping and the packing plant was not pumping, the river stopped flowing, which isolated the game fish in the deeper holes.  After that year, the game fish numbers went way down and the carp numbers went crazy.  It takes a lot to damage carp numbers.

[LC]

Yeap I'd say that dude who told you that is living in his own small world. Nothing wrong with that, well yes actually there is! THATS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS with this country. We have become out of touch with what is right and wrong. And if you voice your opinion your radical or politically uncorrect! Bottom line common carp are NOT from this area and determinal to any area around here. PERIOD!

[Lucas K]

X2! Gregg Dudley. I am all for respecting nature, but introduced species are one of the biggest scourges of our time. I'd like to know where that fellow got his degree from, we had classes on invasive species management where I studied...

[toddster]

Well, guys and gals it depends on what carp he is talking about.  The Buffalo carp and Gar species are indigineous to our water's and always have been.  The Buffalo population's have dropped some, but still plenty.  The German carp (common) which was brought over on the mayflower for food for the journey, and the asian carp are invasive and are what are hurting the aquatic ecosystem.  Why I bowfish so feverishly, that and because I love it.

The way the poster  put it, he was talking about the good old German carp.  Probably, the  biologist did not consider the difference.  There are an increasing number of animal activist types getting into DNR jobs.

[KentuckyTJ]

Exactly Toddster. We talked about many of the species. I did begin the conversation asking him about the state of the invasive species in Kentucky. We were mostly talking about the Bigheads as they are the ones I enjoy hunting, but then the conversation morphed into his thoughts on all carp shouldn't be lumped into the same bag and he thought there should be some "off limits" species in certain waterways beginning with our streams only. I told him good luck with getting that one ironed out.

I agreed that some of our streams probably have a low population of buffalos and commons but he would have to prove to me that those streams are "unhealthy".

[Lucas K]

There is no fish named "Buffalo Carp" there are 6 large species of sucker named Buffalo. The two new species of "Carp" are damaging the populations of our three species more than all the bowfishermen put together.

[KentuckyTJ]

Originally posted by Lucas K:
There is no fish named "Buffalo Carp" there are 6 large species of sucker named Buffalo. The two new species of "Carp" are damaging the populations of our three species more than all the bowfishermen put together.

Thanks Lucas!

[LookMomNoSights]

Sounds like the biologist gave you his.
The biologists around here say we have to embrace and preserve the coyote population.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by TonyW:
Carpe diem?

No - Carpe carp.

Seize the carp!

               

[KOOK68]

The Asian carp are the reason for the dwindling buffalo numbers. They are more efficient filter feeders, therefore out competing the buffalo.

[toddster]

I have been bowfishing hard for about 20 years, last ten off my boat.  I have shot in tournament's where we shot over 2,000 in a 24 hour shoot.  Went back the next day and there was still plenty of them.  I find it hard to believe can hurt a population that has estimated at 4 million egg's per spawn.  The silver (asian), bigheads are foster in eco system but are subseptable to oxygen levels of water more than other species.  Though the alligator gar has taken a hit in recent year's mostly do to habitat change, like most of our beloved anaimal's.  just food for thought, all in my opinion of course.

[JazsDad]

I believe some species of carp are native... but seem to recall that the grass carp was introduced.

Bowfished carp on the St. Lawrence river for years, one of the original St. Lawrence Archers that help start the bowfishing tourny up there... Plenty of carp there...

Invasive species are just that.. invasive.. some do some good, some don't.