Cue the scary music! If Asian carp barge into Lake Erie, Ohio’s tourism and travel industries are at stake. Listen up:
Who’s catching whom? (S. Hillebrand/USFWS)
Imagine 40-pound fish taking over a lake, and stealing food from smaller species. It may sound like a horror flick, but the threat of Asian carp is real—and breeding populations exist in rivers near the Great Lakes.
Kristy Meyer, managing director of the Ohio Environmental Council, says the situation’s scary for her state, in part, because Lake Erie is known for fishing.
“Lake Erie in Ohio generates a $12.9 billion revenue for the state of Ohio in tourism and travel, supports over 119,000 jobs, so all of that’s at stake if Asian carp were to get into Lake Erie,” she explains.
Meyer says prevention means assessing and possibly cutting off entry points throughout the ecosystem. It’s time to put a halt to Asian carp—before they invade the Great Lakes.
Get schooled:
Kristy Meyer enjoying another gorgeous Lake Erie sunset. (K. Meyer)
- Learn more about Asian carp’s effects on waterways via Ohio Environmental Council
- Check out the GLMRIS report, whose goal is to prevent the transfer of invasive species between water basins
The fine print:
- This segment was produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.
