The Zombies are…Here Prussian carp invade Alberta’s waterways ►► by Kelley Stark
The Prussian carp's ability to stay alive–even under the absolute worst condition–is nearly unbelievable. Unfortunately, this invasive species has been found in Alberta, and is threatening our native fish populations. Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), along with the Alberta Government, is invested in not spreading the problem to other provinces or states. Prussian carp can live in a wide variety of temperatures and habitats. “The problems that we’re having with Prussian carp is that they have the ability to survive in super-low oxygen—generally poor water quality areas,” says Janine Higgins, Community Engagement Lead with Alberta Environment and Parks. Further to that, the fish can survive out of water for quite some time. “We call them zombie fish,” she adds. They can handle really high and really low water temperatures and they can spawn without male Prussian carp. "They have this amazing reproductive mode called 'gynogenesis,' which allows females to reproduce without males around," explains Britt Schmidt, ACA Fisheries Biologist. "All that the carp needs is sperm from some Alberta minnow species to activate spawning without sharing genetic material. The females can produce clones of themselves." Prussian carp can reproduce three times a year. The population grows very quickly. Because they multiply so fast, they outcompete native fish for food and habitat.
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CONSERVATION MAGAZINE
Additionally, they are known to stir up the mud at the bottom of the waterbody, which can influence the water quality. According to Higgins, “Once they get into an area, not only are they eating all the food and competing for space, they’re making a less desirable habitat for the fish that could be living there as well.” Although it seems unlikely that landlocked Alberta has the first recorded Prussian carp confirmation in North America, they’ve been found in the Red Deer and Bow rivers. While it is obviously illegal to move fish from one waterbody to another, fish can enter waterways in other unnatural ways too. They may have been flushed, flooded out of an ornamental pond, or worst of all, been placed purposely in the river system because "they're fun to fish." The Alberta government's "Catch It, Kill It" campaign encourages anglers to dispose of Prussian carp if they catch them. Don't throw these fish back into the waterbody, and don't just leave them on shore either. Throw it in the garbage. Remember: zombie fish.
FALL WINTER 2018