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Utah State researcher: carp removal in Utah Lake has stalled; models show 510times effort needed to meet biomass target
Summary
Tim Walzworth of Utah State University told the Utah Lake Authority that carp biomass fell early in the removal program but has stabilized above the programs 75% reduction target; model simulations indicate reaching the target likely requires a sustained 510-fold increase in historical seining effort or alternative measures such as genetic techniques or pricing incentives.
Tim Walzworth, an assistant professor of fish ecology and fisheries management at Utah State University, told the Utah Lake Authority that long-running carp removal efforts have reduced carp biomass from historic highs but appear to have stalled above the programs target. He said the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program began mechanical removal in 2009 with commercial seining and, to date, "we've got 13,000 tons of carp" (about "30,000,000 pounds"), but the lake still contains more carp than managers would like.
Walzworth emphasized that "removing carp isn't the goal" by itself; the objective is to reduce carps ecological effects on habitat and prey available to native fish such as the June sucker. He described the method used to estimate carp abundance: because sampling gears primarily catch larger,…
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