FRANKFORT, Ky. — It isn’t often you can call a massive fish kill a good thing, but in the case of a recent die off of silver carp in neighboring Kentucky it’s actually fantastic news. The silver carp, sometimes called Asian carp, are not native to the United States. It’s suspected they were introduced when aquaculture ponds across the south flooded and the farm raised fish escaped.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife biologists estimated more than a half million carp died on the Cumberland River below the Lake Barkley Dam last week.
“Anglers were seeing dead fish a week ago, some two weeks ago, which is very typical of a fish kill caused by some type of viral pathogen,” said Paul Rister, western fisheries district biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “It’s kind of a bell-shaped curve. You start seeing a few die, and a few more die, and then you reach the peak of the massive die-off. I think we’re on that downhill side now.”
A consultation with Asian carp researchers nationally believe it is the biggest fish kill involving Asian carp ever. Researchers believe the viral pathogen which killed the fish is having no impact on native fish in the river.
“I don’t think people have to worry about those pathogens affecting native species,” Brooks said. “That’s probably the best news of all.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the flood gates at Barkley Dam to flush the dead fish downstream.
Asian carp, like most invasive species, are problematic for native species and furthermore, as the above YouTube video demonstrates actually pose quite a danger to boaters. Generally when an invasive species takes root, you have to live with it and learn to adapt. The though of a pathogen which may cleanse them out without harming other species is a rare gem.
Biologist have detected the Asian carp in the lower Ohio River in West Virginia.