The prolific challenge of invasive carp

Cover of the USFWS booklet, the prolific challenge of invasive carp featuring a group of jumping silver carp swarming an electrofishing boat as two biologists stand at the front ready with dip nets.
carp-briefing-booklet.pdf15.56 MB

Since their entry into the lower Mississippi River in the 1970s, invasive carp have multiplied
rapidly and gradually spread into several major tributaries.

By the 2000s it seemed possible invasive carp could someday dominate the waterscape of the whole Mississippi River basin – and eventually the Great Lakes.

Invasive carp are now a threat of international significance and one of the most urgent, wide-ranging and complex environmental challenges.

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Public Domain
Program
A man is fishing in a boat with three young girls. The kids are excitedly pulling a fish out of the water.
Healthy fisheries and waters are the foundation of America’s outdoor traditions and give us the freedom to fish, boat, and enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation. The Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs work with states, tribes, and communities to provide a comprehensive approach to freshwater...
Program
Falls Church,VA
Species
Underwater photo of a bighead carp in a tank with white background

Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are native to eastern Asia and are one of four nonnative fish referred to as “invasive carp”. These fish are large, deep bodied fish that have a large head and a large toothless mouth with a protruding lower jaw. The bighead carp eyes are far...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
A Silver carp jumping out of the water with boat wake below and a tree lined shoreline in the background

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) are one of four nonnative fish species belonging to a group commonly referred to as “invasive carp”. Native to eastern Asia, silver carp were introduced to the United States during the 1970’s and 1980’s to private fish farms and wastewater...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species