Colorado officials recently announced they have recovered a large number of exotic fish from local ponds, thanks to local fishing enthusiasts.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department (CPW) issued a press release about the discovery on Monday. Officials said they were alerted by anglers last week to the presence of carp at Jack B. Tomlinson Park in Arvada, Colorado.
“Following a tip from the public, CPW aquatic biologists removed fish from the pond and searched nearby culvert-connected waters for nuisance species,” CPW said.
A total of 14 bighead carp were found and they were all huge. All the fish were at least 3 feet long and the heaviest weighed a whopping 46 pounds.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced that 14 giant carp have been removed from a pond in Arvada. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
“The Asian giant carp, a member of the cyprinidae family, is not native to Colorado and is a polyphagous species that has a negative impact on the entire ecosystem,” CPW said in a statement. “They feed primarily on plankton and compete with many native and sport fish species that rely on plankton as a food source.”
Freshwater fish have very voracious appetites, which puts a huge strain on native species.
“Carp are filter feeders and can grow to incredible sizes in both small and large bodies of water,” CPW Invasive Species Program Manager Robert Walters explained in a statement. “Once established, these fish can compete with Colorado native species for food and resources.”
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Carp have very voracious appetites, putting a significant strain on native species. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
Bighead carp were introduced in 1992 as part of a national study to reduce algae in ponds, CPW said, but the species persisted even after they were removed in 1995.
Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for CPW’s Northeast Region, told Fox News Digital that finding giant carp in Colorado waters is “very rare.”
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Officials say the giant carp was recovered from a pond in Colorado. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
”Anglers should report anything unusual they see while fishing to CPW. ” advised Van Hoose. “This is a good example of what can happen to a fish that has no natural enemies in the area and an endless supply of food.”
“The carp competed with other species in the pond, negatively impacting the overall aquatic health of the pond,” she added.
CPW joked in a social media post that the discovery made “a lot of Jaws jokes.” Wildlife officials also thanked the angler who tipped them off.
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“This operation all started with a tip from an angler,” Philip Sorensen, CPW district wildlife manager for Westminster and Arvada, said in a press release. “We appreciate the public telling us about invasive species in their neighborhoods. We want to know about the presence of invasive species.”
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