Anglers fishing on the Red Deer River and its tributaries are being asked to help with the fight against Prussian carp.
An invasive species, the carp have been found in a number of waterways in the region, including the Red Deer River, says Nicole Kimmel, aquatic invasive species specialist with Alberta Environment and Parks.
“They are fairly aggressive and they threaten native fish populations by out-competing native species for food and habitat,” Kimmel told the Gazette. “They can really out-compete our native fish that way.
“We have confirmed that we have found Prussian carp anywhere from the Red Deer River south to the U.S. border.”
Asked if officials know how the carp came to be in the river, she said, “We are thinking that it was an intentional introduction, this is all speculation, because apparently only Alberta and Saskatchewan are reporting Prussian carp in natural water bodies.”
Anyone catching Prussian carp is asked to destroy it.
“We are recommending that if you catch it, kill it,” she said. “Anglers who come across it are encouraged not to put the carp back in the water. This is a non-regulated species with no limit to size or quantity (that can be caught).
“If they don’t want to catch them and eat them, don’t put them back in the water.”
Asked if the government is making other efforts to deal with the carp, she said, “Unfortunately the control options for Prussian carp populations are very limited at this time, so we are really just encouraging Albertans to help support the control efforts by that catch it and kill it program.
“We’ve tried netting and other techniques, and it just hasn’t been effective.”
Adult Prussian carp typically weigh up to three kilograms and are usually silver in colour.
