The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) recently announced that intensive monitoring actions would be implemented in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp DNA in the North Shore Channel.

Three separate eDNA samples sets were taken at the North Shore Channel between June 11th and September 11th, revealing 17 positives for silver carp DNA out of 171 samples.

At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading an Asian Carp eDNA Calibration Study (ECALS) with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce the uncertainty surrounding eDNA results and investigate alternative sources and pathways for eDNA detections beyond a live fish.

Full eDNA sampling details can be found at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website: 
(http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorksProjects/ANSPortal/eDNA.aspx)

For more Asian carp information, visit: www.asiancarp.us

source: U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a new report, Trends in Fishing and Hunting 1991-2006: A focus on Fishing and Hunting by Species.

The report provides a detailed look at fishing and hunting by species and offers a wealth of information on national and state fishing and hunting expenditures, participation rates, and demographic trends.

The report is an addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation. It represents a comprehensive survey conducted by the Service’s Wildlife Sport Fish and Restoration Program (WSFR).

The report includes the following summaries:

For fishing, participation has dropped for nearly all types of fishing (i.e., freshwater and saltwater) and species of fish. One species for which fishing hasn't significantly dropped is flatfish.

The declining numbers of anglers have increased their average days of fishing so that overall fishing effort has remained stable.

To download a complete copy of the report please visit:

http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/NationalSurvey/reports2006.html

source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service