OUT!! #14: Carp Diem

When you say the name Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio), two things spring into my mind. One is that, being from the UK myself, I recognize that carp is an important sport fish to many "course" fisherman and new records regarding weight and size are sought regularly. There are even specialist magazines that deal with various issues of importance to the carp angler such as proper bait presentation, what works under certain light conditions, what bobbers work best (balsa or god forbid, plastic!), and what tents (yes, you read that correctly) can be used for adequate outdoor shelter in order to provide cover during adverse conditions. To put it in basic terms, carp fisherman are the equivalent of fly-fisherman that aspire to the "Orvis model of perfection"; the equipment and gear used must be of the highest quality, be horrendously expensive, and have an air of such sophistication and grandeur that it will intimidate those of us of a more leisurely persuasion. I might be exaggerating a bit, but this to me seems to be a fair assessment. I'm fairly sure however that many American trout fisherman wouldn't want to even be compared to the lowly trash fish that's being discussed here.

According to the Mississippi National Park Service website, carp were introduced to America on what seems to be a food-driven idea (rather than an aesthetic view which caused a great deal of non-native plant life to become established on the North American continent) perpetuated and carried out by many European immigrants who were appalled at what they perceived as being a valuable food source not being available in the waters of North America. Never mind that North America has an enormous variety of game fish to choose from, it was clear that these people wanted carp and so they brought them in by the barrel full. Nowadays, we have a better understanding of the damage introduced species can have in new landscapes. We've seen the effects of habitat displacement by species such as purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and water chestnut or caltrop (Trapa spp.), as well as more aggressive species like Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) that drive out native waterfowl from breeding and foraging areas and destroy massive quantities of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The carp have the same intentions as any biological organism, to survive by any means necessary and to live long enough to reproduce. As a result, they breed in massive numbers in the spring and can survive in conditions that would kill most game fish such as turbid, low oxygen environments. They hard to eradicate and, as these videos show, eager to conquer new territories.

These three videos feature carp that have been present in Great Meadows NWR in Concord, MA for a few years now and recently were more visible. This was due to the pumping of water from the nearby Concord River to fill the surrounding marsh with water for migrating waterfowl. As I explain throughout the videos, I'm amazed by the number and sudden appearance of these fish, as well as their introduced status and why that's problematic. Caution on the third video is advised as a minor swear is uttered briefly.

However, just over two weeks later, the marsh has been filled and the flowing waters have stopped. As a result, where the carp had originally surged to the pipe pouring water in the marsh, they are now trapped by the slowly draining pool created by the rushing torrents of river water. Even when cornered like this, their will to survive is strong and they counteract the lack of dissolved oxygen by breathing air directly as the photos above illustrate. Even so, as the upper right photo demonstrates, time is running out. Even as I passed today, the smell of fishy death is in the air and the carp that once happily swarmed to this flowing pool suddenly have found that their days are numbered.

This left me with mixed feelings. Generally, I'm pleased when a destructive and invasive species is vanquished in order to reclaim an area for native wildlife, but even if the carp in this enclosed marsh pool were fated to die, surely there has to be quicker ways of dispatching them! While I'm aware fishing is banned on the refuge itself, but surely allowing some bow-fisherman to take out the trapped fish would be more merciful than leaving them to suffocate in a watery pit. Since that's an unlikely solution, at least we can take solace in there being a few less bottom feeders ripping up our plants, crowding our fish, and foolishly dying in pools of their own watery misery. Well, at least that's what I'll be doing.