Canadian officials have moved quickly after an invasive species of fish was spotted in ponds in Toronto. It's one of the largest responses ever against Asian carp.
Two of the Asian carp, described as male and in breeding condition, were seen in enclosed ponds near the city's downtown waterfront.
Within a day, crews from Fisheries and Oceans Canada had deployed in four boats in the area, searching for more carp. The boats were equipped with an electro-fishing bone that puts a charge of electricity in the water that temporarily stuns the fish, forcing them to float to the surface, long enough for them to be captured.
"We're seeing an invasion happening in the U.S., so we can see the devastation that these species are having. We're seeing native species pushed out for food and space, we're seeing loss of habitat in wetlands areas and we're seeing declines in commercial fishery values," said Becky Cudmore, manager of the Asian Carp program.
"Those are the type of impacts that these Asian carp species are having and those are the impacts we're hoping to prevent in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes."
The two Asian Carp were captured. Both turned out to be male, but officials say the fact that they were found fairly close together means there could be more. The two carp were sent to a fisheries lab in Burlington, Ontario, for examination.
Cudmore says there is no evidence of an invasion so far, but the presence of the fish is a concern.
