• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Outdoors / Silver carp invades Iowa waters

Silver carp invades Iowa waters

August 19, 2003 By admin

A species of fish that’s never been seen in Iowa before has been confirmed in the Ottumwa area — and one expert says it’s -not- good news. D-N-R fisheries biologist Mark Flamming says the silver carp, a non-native species, look rather like bullhead carp, another recent arrival in Iowa. Both eat plankton, which he says is where the problem lies, as they eat it all up and there’s nothing for the young of other fish to eat. Flamming says other young fish from desirable species, like smallmouth bass or walleyes, depend on plankton as a food source. He says the silver carp have migrated up the Mississippi from fisheries in southern states. Flamming was on a small tributary of the Des Moines River when he was inundated by hundreds of the jumping fish. Flamming says the ten-pound, two-foot-long fish suddenly started erupting from the water, hurling themselves five feet out of the water, some falling into his boat. He jokes the state might consider issuing hunting licenses for the problem fish so when they jump they could be shot like skeet. Barring that, they may be in Iowa to stay. On July 30, a Prairie City man caught a 54-pound, 48-inch bighead carp in the Des Moines River below the spillway at Lake Red Rock. It is a new state record for the new category of bighead carp.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Outdoors Tagged With: Department of Natural Resources

Featured Stories

Exhibit features lesser known works of Grant Wood

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Drake falls to No. 20 Loyola in MVC Championship

Confusion at MVC Tournament as UNI exits prior to quarterfinal round game

Iowa State looks to avoid winless Big-12 season

New look and new format at girls’ state basketball

Youngstown State takes action against assistant football coach

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC