Since 2011, there has been a huge issue in Chicago, Illinois and the rest of the Midwest in the United States. The Asian Carp, a fish native to China, infiltrated the Illinois River as an invasive species. An invasive species is an animal or plant that is not native to the ecosystem or environment it is living in. Because Asian Carp are not originally from the Illinois River, they can harm the environment and even the economy.
The Asian Carp has been multiplying so quickly and eating all of the food in the water, other fish have not been flourishing as much. This has created a huge problem for the Illinois economy and fishermen. Asian Carp is not a popular fish for fishermen to sell in Illinois. Popular fish sell for about 50 cents, whereas the carp only sells for about 10, making it incredibly hard for local fishermen to make ends meet catching only Asian Carp.
The removal of the invasive fish is necessary and needs to be done as soon as possible. If the Asian Carp is not removed completely, scientists are worried the carp will eventually spread to the Great Lakes – ruining a massive ecosystem in the world’s largest body of fresh water!
