Environmental and Economic Impacts of Asian Carps in the ...ilrdss.isws.illinois.edu/pubs/govconf2007/session1c/GregSass.pdfPopulation Estimate for Silver Carp La Grange Reach, Illinois

Environmental and Economic Impacts of Asian Carps in the Illinois River

Greg G. SassIllinois River Biological StationIllinois Natural History Survey

Photo by Nerissa Michaels

Environmental and Economic Impacts of Asian Carps

I. Brief History of Asian Carps in the U.S.II. Trends in Abundance from La Grange

Reach, Illinois RiverIII. Key Uncertainties in Asian Carps

Population DynamicsIV. Effects of Asian Carps on Native

PlanktivoresV. Economic Impacts (+ and -)VI. Potential Solutions

I. Brief History of Asian Carps in the United States

1973 2007

BH

CP and SVC

P introduced to U.S. (A

R)

1980 1990 2000

1995 -BH

CP in La G

range Reach, IL R

iver

1998 -SVCP in La G

range Reach, IL R

iver

Increase in BH

CP and SVC

Pin La G

range Reach, IL R

iver

BHCP

SVCP






II. Trends in Asian Carp Catches –LTRMP, La Grange Reach, IL River

Asi

an c

arp

catc

h (n

o.)

Year1980 1990 2000 2010

0

500

1000

1500

BHCP

SVCP

1000

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010Year

0

200

400

600

800

Asi

an c

arp

catc

h (k

g)

BHCPSVCP

II. Trends in Asian Carp Commercial Landings – IL River

Year

log e

annu

al c

omm

erci

al h

arve

stof

Asi

an c

arps

(kg)

1980 1990 2000 20100

5

10

15

* Rob Maher (IDNR) unproofed, draft quality data

-Still, questions aboutwhether Asian carps are increasing in abundance inIL River






III. 2007 IRBS Mark-Recapture Population Estimate for Asian Carps

Peoria Lock and DamFloy-tagging

Lily Lake – Preferred Habitat

Bath ChuteRedneck FishingTournament

Spoon River -Floy-tagging;PreferredHabitat

Goals:

1. Mark-recapture PE for eacharea and La Grange Reach

2. Estimates of daily growthon recaptured carp

3. Characteristics of preferredhabitat (target for reduction)

4. Aging and catch curves

5. Comparison to MS River with Tim Spier’s group (WIU)

III. 2007 IRBS Mark-Recapture Population Estimate for Silver Carp

La Grange Reach, Illinois River100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

Silv

er c

arp

popu

latio

n es

timat

e

2000

3000

4000

5000373,331

232,614

164,347

4,667

2,908

2,054

*As of September 11

No. No. perriver mile


LGR SPR BC LL PLD0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

Silv

er c

arp

popu

latio

n es

timat

e (n

o.)

*

1. La Grange Reach (LGR)= 232,614

2. Spoon River (SPR)= 27,294

3. Bath Chute (BC)= 22,553

4. Lily Lake (LL)~ 8,006

5. Peoria Lock and Dam (PLD)= 5,842

*As of September 11


La Grange Reach, Illinois River300

400

500

600

700

800

Silv

er c

arp

biom

ass

4

5

6

7

8

9

10Metric tons

750

467

330

Metric tonsper rivermile

9.4

5.8

4.1

*As of September 11

0

50

100

150

200

250

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

YXSNMHSHLFD

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

YXSNMHSHLFD

02468

10121416

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

MHLFD

02468

10121416

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

MHLFD

02468

10121416

1 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81 91 101

MHLFD

02468

10121416

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

HLFD

Big

head

car

p0

2

4

6

8

10

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

SNMHLFD

0

2

4

6

8

10

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

XNMHLD

0

2

4

6

8

10

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

HLD

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

TMD

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

MHLFD

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

HLD

Silv

er c

arp

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

III. 2007 IRBS Asian Carps Mark-Recapture Population Estimate

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 9001000

1100

Length (mm)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600Fr

eque

ncy

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.16P

roportion per Bar

SVCPn = 3517

LTRMP

*As of September 11

III. 2007 IRBS Asian Carps Mark-Recapture Population Estimate

300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000Length (mm)

0

5

10

15

20

25Fr

eque

ncy

0.0

0.1

0.2P

roportion per Bar

BHCPn = 117

LTRMP

*As of September 11






IV. Dietary Overlap of Native Planktivores and Asian Carps

Stress: 0.15BHCP

BMBF

GZSD

PDFH

SVCP

Sampson, S.J. 2005. Dietary overlap between bighead carp (H. nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix) with three native filter-feeding fishes of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Master’s Thesis. University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.

IV. Have Asian Carps Influenced Native Planktivore Body Condition?

1980 1990 2000 2010Year

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

1.2

Mea

n co

nditi

on (W

r)

Pre-Asian carp Post-

1980 1990 2000 2010Year

0.90

0.95

1.00

1.05

1.10

Mea

n co

nditi

on (W

r)

Pre-Asian carp Post-

gizzardshad

bigmouthbuffalo


1980 1990 2000 2010Year

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

Mea

n co

nditi

on (W

r)

Post-Asian carpsPre-Asian carpsmean = 1.00N = 624

mean = 0.93N = 2550

P < 0.001

-7% decrease in gizzard shadbody condition following Asiancarps establishment

-Only Asian carp commercialharvest explained significantvariability in condition decline


Year

Post-Asian carpsPre-Asian carpsmean = 1.00N = 817

mean = 0.95N = 1008

P < 0.001

1980 1990 2000 20100.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

Mea

n co

nditi

on (W

r)

-5% decrease in bigmouth buffalo body condition followingAsian carps establishment

-Only Asian carp commercialharvest explained significantvariability in condition decline






V. Economic Impacts –Commercially Important Species

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010Year

23456789

1011

Big

mou

th b

uffa

lo m

ean

CPU

E

-Statistical significant declinesin bigmouth buffalo CPUE overtime in LTRMP

-Lowest recorded CPUE in 2005and 2006

V. Economic Impacts –Recreationally Important Species

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010Year

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

78

9

Elec

trof

ishi

ng C

PUE

(fish

/run)

BG

LMBBC

WC

La Grange Reach - LTRMP

-Statistically significant declines in centrarchid catches over time in LTRMP

-Cannot be solely attributed toAsian carps, but may be compounding effects

V. Economic Impacts –Hypothetical Physics of Collision

-Boat + Passenger = 907.2 kg-Initial Velocity = - 2.25 to 33.75 m/s

-Final Velocity = 1 m/s-Collision Time = 0.1 s

What is the force of the collision on the boat driver?

V. Economic Impacts –Hypothetical Physics of Collision

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80Boat Speed (mph)

0

100000

200000

300000

400000Fo

rce

Exer

ted

on D

river

(New

tons

)

Force of a middleweight boxer’s punch!

Force of a 1500 kg vehiclehitting a brick wall at 35 mph!

Potential Solutions

• Prevention of Introduction• Population Reduction - Market development- Commercial fishing- Pinpoint preferred habitats

• Electric Barrier• Disconnection of Illinois River to Lake

Michigan?

Pertinent Question“The pertinent question may not be whether Asian carps can survive in the Great Lakes, but rather, which tributaries will be suitable

habitat for Asian carps establishment”?

Asian carp spawning below Peoria Lock and DamAugust 23, 2007Photograph by Kevin S. Irons, Illinois River Biological Station

Acknowledgements

• The Long-term Resource Monitoring Program

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers• The USGS Upper Midwest Environmental

Sciences Center• The Illinois Natural History Survey• The Illinois Department of Natural

Resources• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Environmental and Economic Impacts of Asian Carps in the ...ilrdss.isws.illinois.edu/pubs/govconf2007/session1c/GregSass.pdfPopulation Estimate for Silver Carp La Grange Reach, Illinois

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