Asian carp could harm Lake Michigan's ecological balance

June 13, 2007 (WLS) -- It was a fish hunt where everyone hoped to come home empty-handed. Federal, state and local authorities explored Illinois waterways Wednesday looking for signs of the Asian carp. It is an invasive species. If it reaches Lake Michigan it can upset the ecological balance of the lake.

Every year, the US Fish and Wildlife Service goes on this hunt for Asian carp. They are non-stop eating machines that can grow up to 100 pounds. And they are plentiful in the Illinois River about 50 miles from Lake Michigan. The question put to the test Wednesday: have they made it any closer to us?

Beware of flying fish. Asian carp leap and frolic like they're having fun, jumping out of the Illinois River near Utica Wednesday.

"They get excited by the vibration of the motor and waves from the boat and they jump," said Eric Leis, Fisher biologist.

But the invasion of Asian carp in Illinois has had fish biologists concerned for several years now. Imported from China as pond cleaners in Arkansas, they have made their way up the Mississippi over the last decade, devouring plankton.

In 2002, an underwater electric fence was installed in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville -- the last line of defense to keep Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.

Asian carp are voracious eaters, described as living, breathing vacuum cleaners. The fear is, if they make it to the Great Lakes, they will alter the food chain and severely harm the fishing industry."

Fishery biologist Scott Yess has been searching for signs of the Asian carp every year for 15 years now. Wednesday, he set nets along the Cal-Sag Channel near Alsip.

While Yess did find several carp along the channel, they are common carp. They have been in the area more than 100 years. Not finding any Asian carp about 20 miles from Chicago is a good sign that the electric barrier is working.

"Yeah, it's a real good sign cause what the hope is that the electrical barriers will help prevent their movement up and above and into the Great Lakes," said Yess.

But there is another growing concern -- one of the most feared fish diseases in the world. It's called VHS for short, a viral infection. VHS was responsible for a huge fish kill in Lake Erie last year.

"Right now they found VHS in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and they also this past spring found it in Lake Michigan up in Sturgeon Bay," said Ryan Katona, fish biology student.

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