Commercial fishers, Minnesota DNR capture 83 invasive carp in Pool 5A of the Mississippi River – Outdoor News
Winona, Minn. — In the latest in a series of tag, track and capture operations, commercial fishers working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources captured 82 silver carp and one bighead carp Feb. 13-14 in Pool 5A of the Mississippi River, near Winona.
The DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are examining the captured fish to evaluate age, reproductive condition, and information about their origin.
“As with previous captures, it is unlikely that these adult fish were the result of reproduction in Minnesota waters,” DNR Invasive Species Unit Supervisor Kelly Pennington said. “The DNR and partner agencies will continue to use a range of aggressive prevention and management techniques, consistent with the recently updated Invasive Carp Action Plan.”
Over the past several years, the DNR has significantly increased its efforts to tag, track and capture invasive carp in the Mississippi River.
The DNR encourages Minnesotans to stay up to date on these efforts, including the most recent large captures, by visiting the DNR invasive carp webpage. The webpage also includes a link to a timeline of invasive carp milestones in Minnesota.
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Additional information about invasive carp in Minnesota
Invasive carp have been moving upstream since escaping into the Mississippi River from commercial fish farms in Arkansas in the 1970s. These fish compete with native species, and silver carp are known to jump out of the water in a way that can pose a risk to boaters.
Invasive carp have been caught as far upstream as Pool 2 of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities metro area (bighead, grass and silver), the King Power Plant on the St. Croix River by Oak Park Heights (bighead and silver), and just downstream of Granite Falls in the Minnesota River (bighead).
State and federal funding sources, including the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund and Outdoor Heritage Fund, have provided key funding for the DNR’s invasive carp detection and response program.
Invasive carp captures in Minnesota must be reported to the DNR immediately by calling 651-587-2781 or emailing [email protected].
People are asked to take a photo and transport the carp to the nearest DNR fisheries office or make arrangements for it to be picked up by a DNR official. A permit can be requested to keep captured invasive carp for consumption or disposal.
More information about invasive carp is available on the DNR website.
