What’s being done, and what you can do to help Tennessee’s native aquatic life

Workers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service electrofish for Asian carp. (Photo: USFWS) Workers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service electrofish for Asian carp. (Photo: USFWS)

By Shane Foley July 1, 2016 3 min read

Distinguishing characteristics of the Asian carp

• Silver in color• Small scales• No scales on head• No barbels on nose, unlike common carp• Downward-slanting mouth (frown)• Low-set eyes

Whenever you catch a fish, something you’re probably not thinking of is where that fish came from. No, I don’t mean if they’ve made their fish parents proud, I mean literally where that fish is from. Is it native to Tennessee? What about the Southeast? Or even this country?

While seasoned fishermen will recognize their catch easily, the history of the fish may be lost even on them.

For instance, fly fishermen who’ve caught a brown trout should know that it’s not only invasive to Tennessee, but the whole continent. What’s worse, brown trouts’ ability to thrive in varied environments and the pace of the species’ breeding has been displacing the smaller – native – brook trout.

Similar issues are reaching Tennessee with Asian carp.