Asian Carp
Carp fish, which originally hail from Europe and Asia, have been a nuisance since they were first introduced to the U.S. roughly 100 years ago. But newer introductions of bighead carp, black carp, grass carp, and silver carp more recently have only added to the headache.
These fish are commonly imported to the U.S. to be farmed in agricultural ponds. But through flooding and/or accidental release, they made it into the wild. The hungry, hungry invaders outcompete other native species for resources and leave—in the words of the USDA—a “trail of environmental destruction in their wake.” Right now, their impact has been mostly limited to the Mississippi River, but since the system connects to so many other sources of water, their impacts may not stop there.
